I'm picking up a guitar amp and was wondering..........I normally use amp sims witch make it all easy to record with. With a guitar amp, Do I run a cord from the line out jack into my interface to record through using the amp? ( or just mic the amp) but I'm more intrested in running direct.   Thanks, Ken

It's up to personal taste. Try both and see which you prefer.





best regards,
mike

keneds


I'm picking up a guitar amp and was wondering..........I normally use amp sims witch make it all easy to record with. With a guitar amp, Do I run a cord from the line out jack into my interface to record through using the amp? ( or just mic the amp) but I'm more intrested in running direct.   Thanks, Ken

It depends on the amp. Some amp DI's sound terrible. I haven't had much luck using amp di's...especially if you use gain in the head. It sounds like plugging into a distortion pedal and then taking the out of the distortion pedal right into a mixing console. It's horrible.
 
That said, some of the newer amps do a nice job with DI's. Like I say, it depends on which one you purchase. If you happen to buy a tube amp, make sure that you always have a cab plugged into the head even if you use the DI. You'll cook that head in 30 seconds if it doesn't have a load on it into a cab or some sort of combo speaker setup. Never just use the head alone via DI with a tube amp. If it's transistor, you can usually get away without a cab while using DI but read your documentation to play it safe.
 
If you have a good enough amp, definitely try to mic it before using the DI. Make sure you buy a decent mic for it though. The most popular mic's for guitar amps (in my opinion and experience) are the Shure SM 57, the Sennheiser 421 and the Royer R-101 and R-121. I've had incredible results with all of those mics as well as using them together in different configurations. Good luck!
 
-Danny

http://www.palmer-germany...-for-Guitars-PDI09.htm

this is what i use (see above, palmer unit)

just be sure the knobs are all turned down before connecting and be 100% sure it's the line out not the speakers out. 

I don't often record guitar with amps, preferring the POD2 (because I'm LAZY) but when I do record from an amp..... I prefer to mic it. 

Another question........When using a mic to record my amp, the amp is in the same room as my DAW.
Do I monitor through headphones while recording via input monitoring? I'm guessing the answer will be yes. 

Yes

I prefer to listen to the actual amp while playing.

I frequently play the amp while the rest is playing about the room on the monitor speakers.

There is rarely any bleed to worry about.

A close mic position on the amp, and clever positioning of the amp in relation to the monitors makes bleed a non issue.

My guests seem to enjoy this as well... it's very comfortable, causal, and encourages a focus on music rather than studio protocols.


best regards,
mike