I vote for Hybrid mixing. I use it and I love it...
 
 
Here is a  example video of how that work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W64ZWjQtzP8

Karyn


If anyone's interested, (as an advanced warning), I'm refurbing my AC15 and when it's done I'll be recording three versions of the same song using..
1. My real AC15 and real mics
2. Line6 combo in AC30 mode with real mics
3. AC30 from Guitar Rig, totaly ITB.

I intend posting them as a blind sampler to see which one(s) folk prefer...

Should be interesting.

I prefer the last one, I've fed it in to my spectral discombobulizer so I know I have the right answer.  Which proves my theory.  I like what I like best.

When I start laughing is when people talk of the merits of certain A/D converters and then twat the signal through something like Guitar Rig then say is sounds cool because they have such an such converters in their interface.

So how much of a part was played by the converter in the final tone?

But yes I think Danny covered the difference in his first post, yes, you can get a mix as near to as makes no difference ITB. 

Getting 'that' tone however is another matter simply because musicians don't play ITB.

  I agree  wholeheartedly that a good tone going in is better than trying to achieve that result later on ITB. Having said that, I like the ability to change a guitar amp that maybe I didn't like in the first take.

 Good stuff going in can be better stuff ITB, but bad stuff going in will always  be bad stuff no matter what you do to it.

 I share your approach to getting the right sounds in there, but maybe where I part is that I like the ability to make changes later on if necessary. I'm not going to skew the reality of the recording but add to it the elements I think it needs.

 I am all about recording most everything live like you say. I seldom cut and paste anything I do,but I like doing the things you can do ITB afterwards to the recorded sound.

 I don't get the exposure some of you get with different scenarios,so I basically experiment on myself lol.

 A lot of the things I'm working on right now I plan to play live,and if I can't cut it live I don't intend to record it.

 I think this is good advise no matter which way you record.


 

Man, some really cool discussion here.  I'm getting some insight on ITB vs. OTB but I'm also gaining insight on other aspects of recording.

The idea of getting it correct at the source has never been a question for me.  My "fixing" skills pretty much suck...so, I HAVE to get it right at the source or...it sucks! 

Of course, capturing something as it sounds in the room has always been my biggest challenge...and it continues to be so.  For me, that is the art of recording.

On the real AC30 vs. simulator thing, it's not really useful to get caught up in the 'can you tell this from that' thing. That, again, has nothing to do with making music. The question is, if I'm going to go in to record something, what's going to get me more erect, a real AC30 and a real guitar in the room with me, or an amp simulator? Do you really think I'm not going to get off more on having a real amp that I can interact with in the room with me? That's where it becomes about music and performance, and that's what should count, not whether you can disguise one vs. the other.

droddey


On the real AC30 vs. simulator thing, it's not really useful to get caught up in the 'can you tell this from that' thing. That, again, has nothing to do with making music. The question is, if I'm going to go in to record something, what's going to get me more erect, a real AC30 and a real guitar in the room with me, or an amp simulator? Do you really think I'm not going to get off more on having a real amp that I can interact with in the room with me? That's where it becomes about music and performance, and that's what should count, not whether you can disguise one vs. the other.

In an ideal world, of course, when you'd have all the amps you want, a bunch of guys running around with different cabs and hooking everything up for you, and a comfortable setting, yes.


I remember a session where the engineer simply asked me which of the 4 speakers I wanted the mic on on my prized '59 Bassman before rushing me into the recording process. I can have 20 times as much fun playing through Guitar Rig or my POD at home. 


I remember another session where the amp sound wasn't really working, so instead of wasting time having me working out a sound that'd work, the engineer simply hooked me to the Mesa Boogie that was there - which is totally the opposite of what I would normally sound like. But it delivered what they wanted. 2 takes and we were done. They got something they could mix, but I barfed my guts out every time I heard that song. 


That Boogie certainly was "fun" to play, it reacted, sounded like the best of them boogies, but as far as I'm concerned, it didn't work. Again, give me 5 minutes w/ an amp sim I'm familiar with and I'll have a sound that works for me and for the song dialed and that I won't feel so bad about afterwards. And obviously, I'll be able to record that whenever I feel "inspired" - could be at 3 am in an hotel room or at home in my studio. 


Now if I have the opportunity to rerecord that w/ the equivalent hardware in studio, I'll give it a try of course. 

I guess what I'm saying it's that it not entirely black or white. Of course, under ideal circumstances, a real amp  - usually not just any, but the right one - is ... ideal.