Mic an amp? Or interface?

Miking the amp gets the sound that you hear. Lots of players are particular with their sound.
 
I use a POD2, similar to the amp, in that it's a hardware solution.
 
Both of those are hardware based and have none of the inherent issues related to using the VST amp sim route.
 
Amp sims..... I have several.....have tried them all and don't like them.

Stupid question... whether you mic or not, don't you have to go through your interface to get it into your DAW?
 
Second stupid question... When using a mic, are you actually recording what you hear or what the microphone hears?
 
 

Jeff EvansSynths, No. They sound best going direct and you should always record them in stereo as well. I have reamped the odd synth part out through an amp and miced it and it sounded good too but you must have the direct track somewhere in your session. You will sometimes use the two at once.

Again, I have to call you on an absolutist statement that's just not that absolute. Amping and micing synths can be great and provide a much less artificial sound and allow you to influence tone via mic position, overdrive it, use pedals, etc...
 
 

If you read what I have said I have mentioned that recording synths through an amp can be very good as has been said you have got pedals, mic positions and lots of variables there. I am just saying that a direct recording is also essential at the same time if possible. Because if you don't like the amped sound you have still got the direct sound in your session somewhere to fall back on. And more often than not that direct sound will often be the sound you end up using. Or sometimes a combination of both.
 
I have recorded more synths more often than most people here (33 years to be exact) have had hot dinners so I know a bit about what I am talking about. And direct recording of them is a very good way to go more often than not. Yes the amp thing works but the results do vary and quite wildly at times too. Actually it does depend on what you are playing the synths out through. Sometimes a really nice wide range PA speaker can sound pretty cool. (but then you need a really nice mic to capture that) Don't forget we have also got VST's that can create the sound of amp heads, cabs and different mic positions and those can be quite interesting on synth sounds too. Not to mention all the amazing convolution reverbs around as well for adding that extra room sound.
 
I like Bens idea too. What about John Lennon getting that great distorted guitar sound on 'Revolution' by plugging direct to the old mixer at EMI and smashing the input Mic Pre.
 
One situation where I do think recording a synth through a guitar amp works really well is when the synth is doing guitar sounds. Then the amp can be really great in that scenario. But even so the direct sound being recorded will often help you later too especially with guitar VST's and the like.

Jeff Evans
"Guitar VST's are pretty amazing these days and with low latency setups it is possible to record through them and hear them while you play. The better the guitarist the less important it could be said recording through a VST or amp. Frank Gambale still sounds amazing going direct or through an amp, get what I mean! His playing just overpowers the whole recording process."

I have had success with mic'ing a real amp, using a Pod2, and using amp sims. If done or used correctly, with a good tone dialed in on any of these devices, I sound like me. I have had people compliment me on my tone when I am using a sim; quite frequently actually. I have a song up on the forums right now where several have said they like my guitar tone; or that they like the solo. The same song, "Saved Me", is up on another forum site and has had the same type of responses over there. Absolutely, no one has mentioned that it sounds like a sim. Can I mic my tube amp and get a great tone, absolutely. However, to get the tone I am after, the tubes need to be glowing. Ear bleed loud is not always an option. Yes you can use an attenuator and I have other ways of nudging the tube soaked tone out of it with out severe loudness. However, if I can tweak a good tone out of the sim, in the middle of night; that becomes a pretty handy option.

I had been a purist up until a couple of years ago and refused to use anything but a real amp. The sims are getting better. To me, the biggest noticeable difference is in the length of the sustain and/ or decay. Also the touch and dynamics. S-Gear seems to handle all of those issues pretty well. The latest Amplitube Fender that I just purchased does fairly well too. Incidentally, the sims on the posted song are Pod Farm 2.5. Sometimes good old PF seems to sit best in the mix for me.

Danny, by the way has posted several times about the methods that he uses going into a sim. His tricks are quite good and help a lot to get more of the feel.

I ain't a guitar player and it is easier to DI those dang things.  But I prefer to mic them.
 
Bass is good to DI and is much easier to do that when both it and guitar are playing.
 
Synths?  I'm still experimenting.  I jsut bought a little 8 inch combo to mic soft synths w/.  Worth a try.
 
@
 
 

maximumpower
Stupid question... whether you mic or not, don't you have to go through your interface to get it into your DAW?

Not a stupid question, and yes, you do go through your interface.
A common chain would be Guitar > Amp > Mic > Pre-amp ? Interface.
You might not need the pre-amp if the pre's in your interface are of reasonable quality
 

Second stupid question... When using a mic, are you actually recording what you hear or what the microphone hears?

Another non-stupid question. Yep, you're recording what the microphone hears, so it always pays to enable input echo, put on headphones and experiment with moving the mic into different positions in front of your cab.
Half an inch difference in any direction can make a HUGE difference to your recorded tone.
Don't forget to try different speakers as they can all sound different to one another.
Also try putting a second mic up a few feet away and get a bit of room tone.

Similar to MakeShift and IK Obi, I've done both. I prefer DI most of the time because it is simpler. I use Guitar Rig 4 and I like the tones I get. I've used AmpliTube but it was the version that came with (I think) Guitar Tracks. I haven't tried the newer version of it yet but I have a friend who has and he likes it.
 
I second the lack of dynamics/responsiveness but I don't play with a lot of dynamic changes in the same part. I may have different tracks with different patches that are played differently, but, for example, most of my leads are more legatto melodic types (at least that's how I think of them) and don't need dynamics.
 
The main thing I'll go to micing an amp for is when I want feedback. I can't get that through my monitors.
 
I still struggle finding the best mic placement when micing. As a one man shop it's hard to adjust mic placement while trying to play at the same time and trying to hear through headphones when I want enough volume to get feedback. And, when I use amps I use 2 at the same time, micing one speaker of each (plus I have a DI feed after my pedal board but before the amps).