I want to record with my amp and was wondering.... can I go direct from the effects loop send? How will this sound?
it really depends on the amp and speakers etc... what do you have, what are you recording? What style/type of music... Generally, I don't like to record guitars direct. The tone usually sucks. Bass is okay if it is a good amp with a nice preamp. Remember, the tone come from a combination of the preamp, power amp, and speakers, ... not to mention the type of guitar. The caveate to this is: If you can get a good tone, go with it.... THere is NO right answer the the recording question... A great alternative to using an amp direct is to use an amp simulator/modeler (i.e. - POD, ampfarm, amplitude, etc...). I've tracked a lot of tracks on my record with a POD, and it sounds awsome when mixed with my rig's tone.
Best thing to do is try all methods. preamp send will be OK, but will likely be buzzy and need a lot of EQ. Also try a line out, hopefully with variable gain if your amp has a line out. Sooner or later you'll probably want a cab sim/DI box or an iso box for quiet DI recording. Modeling boxes and rack preamps are pretty subjective. I don't like the Pod, but I do like the ADA-MP-1. Be sure to keep a proper load on your tube amp when experimenting with DI recording.
Style is rock/alternative type music. I have a variety of guitars and have a Chubster and Marshall for amps. I've tried the Pod and other similar devices, but really don't care for digital. I hate to sound like a snob, but it just doesn't sound real to me. I could always mic my amp, but then have to deal with a quiet environment and then I'd need headphones, etc. This is just home recording so I just want the best tube sound. So it sounds like maybe I should mic it.
just to keep your speakers connected while you do your DI recording. Or if you disconnect your speakers, put a hot plate or equivalent load on the tube amp. The cab sims I'm familiar with have a "pass through" that goes either back to the speaker, or to a load device.
My amp has an effects loop.... so should I use the send and then plug back into the return? Is that what you mean? Or do you mean the speaker itself? I've never unplugged the speaker and don't think I need to. Sorry, just haven't recorded with a tube amp before. Thanks.....
>> So it sounds like maybe I should mic it. From what you're saying, I think you would be happier with the results. Your environment wouldn't have to be dead quiet if you close-mic the amp.
OK, cool. Definitely keep the speakers plugged in on them. However, if you end up going the cab sim/DI route, the best tones come from the speaker out jack, so in those cases you'll need to put your plug into the cab sim (if, for example it's a red box by H&K, or UltraG by Behringer), or an appropriate load device if you want to hear the DI sound alone without the amp's speaker sound. Make sense? UltraG's are $29, and H&K Red Box's are $89 or so, so you might want to try one of these. Iso cabs are several hundred because they usually contain a real speaker and a mic.
