Amp to PC

Hey dudes.
I'm just starting to get into recording my own stuff. What gear would I need other than software to record straight from my amp to PC? Could I just mic up my amp and plug it into the PC using some sort of sound card adaptor?

Cheers

It all depends on how serious you want to do it and what your budget is.
Here are a few different scenarios:

1. Either buy a PODxt or a Digitech GNX3 (or 4 if you can afford one). You don't have to fiddle with amp settings and mics which are not really suited to a home setup. They plug straight into your pc via USB and do not require you to go out and buy an expensive soundcard.

2. To mic up your amp to a pc you will need a proper soundcard. I recently did a LOT of research before deciding which one to upgrade to. If you are price conscious but want something which is genuinely an excellent product, I would recommend anything by M-Audio. Soundblaster are just not made for home media production (even though they say they are). I got an M-Audio Delta 1010 on E-Bay and would receommend this as the best buy for the money. Things to look out for are proper jack plugs (not earphone sized connections - you need to be able to plug your guitar directly into the card), zero latency (good hardware with the latest Asio drivers) and a midi connection for external devices (very important).

3. A crap mic will make a good amp sound terrible. Some amps have a line out which keeps the volume at a constant level (eg Marshall), this can be jacked straight into the pc/soundcard. Sound is ok this way, not amazing though...

My best advice would be to go on to E-Bay and look for a good deal from someone selling their own studio gear. Then you can get a soundcard with good speakers and a mixer OR look for a well priced PODxt or GNX3 or 4.

Best of luck

I read your article with great interest and I've printed it and pinned it on the wall for future reference.
I've been using a marshall valvestate 65 watt and using the line out straight into the PC mic input - I've always had bad Hum problems, such that i can only use the distortion channel on halfway.
I will endeavour to collect the equipment you mentioned and try again
Thanks again

You are overloading the input. You need to go from line out to line in

you can pick up a pod V2 on ebay for about 100 bucks, it also wants to be connected to a line in port

I have a Digitech RP100R artist modelling guitar processor - I was wondering if I could come out of the processor on a jack and go in to the USB port.
I don't know if this would allow me to monitor the sound through the PC speakers as well as recording ?, as the USB cable has four wires and a screening.

hmmm...I just orderd a presonus firebox.It has a bunch of in's and out's connecting to the computer by firewire.It had great reviews and its faster than any USB interface.

Then you can either mic your amp or buy an effects processor...obviously,micing your amp is cheaper(depending on what mic you want).I have a GT-8 for effects so,i'm going to mic my amp,but if your amp sounds lousy then theres no point in mic'ing it up.Then it would be fine to just get a POD or something.

Thanks Doc and everyone - Investigating ?

Well I've given up using the Marshall and am using the digitech on its own - it has a chrystal clear sound ( no hum ), but is still too loud for the Mic input - so i've fitted a Pot and a resistor in series in the output leads so i can turn down the volume and prevent any red lining of the studio meters - I can monitor what I'm playing on headphones from the digitech -I can now get a clear recording with equipment I already had to hand.

Actually, the Gnx3 goes into your PC via S/PDIF and not USB, so you may need a new card if your current card doesn't have it.

The Gnx4 is USB.

But anyway, it depends on the sound you want. If you do come from a Processor like Gnx 3/4 you are getting the Processor sound, not your Amp sound. Not saying that's good or bad, but it depends on what sound you want.

There are quite a few things you can do if you Mic your cab that you can't do with a Processor going straight to your PC.

Originally Posted by: Superhuman
1. Either buy a PODxt or a Digitech GNX3 (or 4 if you can afford one). You don't have to fiddle with amp settings and mics which are not really suited to a home setup. They plug straight into your pc via USB and do not require you to go out and buy an expensive soundcard.

2. To mic up your amp to a pc you will need a proper soundcard. I recently did a LOT of research before deciding which one to upgrade to. If you are price conscious but want something which is genuinely an excellent product, I would recommend anything by M-Audio. Soundblaster are just not made for home media production (even though they say they are). I got an M-Audio Delta 1010 on E-Bay and would receommend this as the best buy for the money. Things to look out for are proper jack plugs (not earphone sized connections - you need to be able to plug your guitar directly into the card), zero latency (good hardware with the latest Asio drivers) and a midi connection for external devices (very important).

3. A crap mic will make a good amp sound terrible. Some amps have a line out which keeps the volume at a constant level (eg Marshall), this can be jacked straight into the pc/soundcard. Sound is ok this way, not amazing though...

My best advice would be to go on to E-Bay and look for a good deal from someone selling their own studio gear. Then you can get a soundcard with good speakers and a mixer OR look for a well priced PODxt or GNX3 or 4.

Best of luck

Many Thanks, don't know what S/PDIF exactly is ?

Just a Digital input. You would have to read your soundcard manual to see if your card has a S/PDIF Input connection.

You could get around it by using a Line In 1/8" jack, but you would sacrafice quality.

You could also use a SmartCard, but then you would need to buy a SmartCard and a Reader for your PC, probably around $100 for the set.

Originally Posted by: GramboMany Thanks, don't know what S/PDIF exactly is ?

AHA I see, Thanks............

is a Plastic box with a 470 Kohm potentiometer mounted in the side.
The output leads screening are twisted together and soldered.
The hot wires are soldered to the end terminal and the centre terminal of the Pot - the lead then continues to the PC Mic input - the box is screwed to the wall.

For recording to a PC can you not just buy a microphone and plug it in the computer? and then use a recording software from the internet?

Sure, that would be considered "Micing the Cab".

Originally Posted by: fool4gibsonFor recording to a PC can you not just buy a microphone and plug it in the computer? and then use a recording software from the internet?

Originally Posted by: fool4gibsonFor recording to a PC can you not just buy a microphone and plug it in the computer? and then use a recording software from the internet?

Hmmmm, a 'good' microphone will set you back anything from 300 to 30,000 bucks (you can probably get by with a cheaper one but with recording gear you generally get what you pay for and unfortunately it's usually quite expensive). One of those mics you see in a pc shop just wouldnt cut it, the sound would actually be worse than if you played straight into the line-in on the pc. You only get benefit from micing an amp when the amp is cranked up high, thats where the real tone comes from, unless you use a loadbox of course. One of the guys here recommended me a Palmer PDI-03, excellent piece of hardware. You crank your amp as high as necessary, then feed it into the loadbox via the line out where you can either have speakers or headphones at whatever volume you want comes out of the loadbox. Great for home studio where you don't want to wake the neighbours up at 3am.
As far as free software goes, there is only so much you can do and the limitations are quite high. The best editing software I found that was free is Goldwave (get it on download.com). I've yet to see a decent free sequencer, they are usually demos anyway and you only get the goodies when you register the product (like with Cubase VST or LE).

For $540, I'd rather wake the neighbors.

Also, you would lose all the feedback you would get if you mic'd the cab.

I've got a M-Audio Black Box. It cost me about £250, and I plug my guitar into that, then into USB. It's got decent amp-emulation and sounds amazing. The only drawback is the software that comes with it (Ableton). You only get a demo version and a full one would cost you the same difference again.

There is always the Line 6 Rifftracker. Does a pretty similar job, costs less and has good reviews. Don't know if it's as good though cos I haven't compared them.

Originally Posted by: SuperhumanOne of those mics you see in a pc shop just wouldnt cut it, the sound would actually be worse than if you played straight into the line-in on the pc.

I've actually heard some decent recordings using a regular computer mic. It defanately sounds a butt load better than straight into the computer. Guitar signal straight into a computer with no tone coming from the cabinet, speakers, and room = horrible tone! Hurts my ears just thinking about it. If you did go straight in, you would defanately need some kind of cabinet and mic simulator to make is sound like a real amp. Personally, when I don't want to mic my amps, I use my Peavey Rockmaster (all tube preamp) into a PODxt then from from the PODxt into my soundcard. I only use the POD for cabinet and mic sims, and a little post eq for fine tuning if needed.

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