Is recording a guitar amp still necessary?

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What the thread title says is "Is recording a guitar amp still necessary?". Well, you can actually record an amp in the studio, and lo and behold, live on stage too. I think it's slightly more necessary to record an amp LIVE because of what I said before. Yes, there will be leakage for sure, and the soundman gets grumpy. But I think by and large, it's an even wash in the studio.

FWIW, when big artists, or guitarist that has been around for a while, are on tour, they play a plethora of sounds from their back catalog, and when they began there were only Marshalls (say). Later on in their career they switched amps as well as pedals, and instead of bringing each one of them on tour, you could bring a Kemper or a AxeFX and get more consistent results, not to speak about the actual convenience. Speaking of artists (especially guitarists) that have gone into their senior years, well, their hearing is simply that good anymore, so it seems they do make a deliberate concesssion compared to real amps, and brings "all in a box" onto the stage, and be done with it.

I know still, that being on a relatively big stage, club, and half crank a mid-wattaged combo is still more fun, personally, than getting everything trhough monitors. Once I played a 60W Peavey 1x12 miked up and the "house" monitor systems was in total at 3.000 Watts. PA FOH was 8.000 watts. It was quite a hoot, bringing your amp up to those on stage levels, without getting deaf or louse feedback occuring. It was a 1.000 seater club.

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Mats Eriksson wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2019 7:47 am Also, legendary producer Richard Mullen (SRV, Eric Johnson et all) advised that guitarists should play in the same room as the amp cab due to the above reasons. If they were not in the same room, they tended to play ... worse, i e overplay, and not feeling the vibrations of the notes. Some great guitar sounds, and solos have been done anyway, through the mixing desk, and that surely rebutts the Mullen notion/stance.
For me, playing through a physical amp cab/combo draws that little extra from the player, having more of a connection with the instrument.
That said, it's the ball-ache of late night recording, micing up, recall and the ability to change in post and inconvenience.
Currently trying to turn noise into music. :neutral: Is boutique the new old?

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The Noodlist wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2019 9:03 am For me, playing through a physical amp cab/combo draws that little extra from the player, having more of a connection with the instrument.
Uh, you made the same error as I did in my youth. You don't play through a physical amp, and has more connection with the instrument. It IS the instrument. In total. You PLAY the instrument that makes up guitar/amp. The guitar and amp is not to be separated as a separate thing. Because if you remove the electric guitar from the amp, the amp will not make any sound (perhaps if a tube is on the rocks, but you know what I mean), the electric guitar especially a solid body will make a very weak and faint sound if not connected to the amp (any).

As fast as the amp is connected, you subconciously adapt your fingering and playing style to the sound at hand, whether be it looud and distorted, clean and low, loads of effects, delays, reverb, or totally devoid of it. And everything in between.

It's ONE instrument. 200W Marshall? Yes, still another instrument, but louder.

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zerocrossing wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2019 7:41 am
mjudge55 wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2019 7:12 am
sjm wrote: Sat Aug 10, 2019 5:55 pm Proper feedback is the only thing I personally miss.
Yeah that’s a thing that needs figuring out. I suppose with the right monitoring it can work but then you’re almost back in ampland.
I highly recommend that if you’re doing any type of setup that isn’t a mic’d cab in a room, you get a Sustainiac of some flavor. I have the Stealth model in my Steinberger and if you use it with just a touch of gain, it really feels like you’re standing next to a cranked stack.
I came to this thread to ask about feedback as well. It seems some sounds just require it.

That Sustainiac website is atrocious.

I’ve wanted some kind of sustainer device like this for a while but for the costs... and I’m not keen on shipping my guitar anywhere.
- dysamoria.com
my music @ SoundCloud

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Grab an Ebow, only one string at a time but loads of fun.

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Cranked AC (VOX AC30) vst pedal from Brian Wampler coded by LePou
I missed this one.
Dowload page.
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You don't need a physical amp to make music, but it can help.
Currently enjoying Amplitube free, activate middle pedal for lead twiddle.
Last edited by The Noodlist on Tue Sep 10, 2019 10:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Currently trying to turn noise into music. :neutral: Is boutique the new old?

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Just trying something similar to this.
Left to right.
54index.jpeg
Currently trying to turn noise into music. :neutral: Is boutique the new old?

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For more professional studio quality sound, that would be recommended, but that's not what I do.

I just use MuLab and a Rocksmith(R) Cable. On paper, you'd think that would be a bad idea, but it works surprisingly well as a budget recording option. At least, when your guitar is properly set up, it sounds pretty decent with good pickups and a fine-tuned distortion setting or two.

Can't find the right distortion setting for amp emulation? No problem! There are lots of free amp VST's like HyBritt and LeXtac to get a more fine tuned sound.

:tu:

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Hermetech Mastering wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2019 7:13 pm Grab an Ebow, only one string at a time but loads of fun.
I have looked at Ebows for years. My problem: $99 for what an Ebow is... seems ridiculous. Also, it’s the whole guitar sustain that I am interested in most. Ebow is not feedback of the whole guitar.
- dysamoria.com
my music @ SoundCloud

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It was just a suggestion. I've had my Ebow for about 15 years, so it has cost me about a cent a day to use. I think it's worth it. :)

If you want a Sustainiac system put in, then go for it. I'd rather just stand a bit closer to my tube amp and crank it up.

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No, but we're talking about an industry where some people own 10 tube screamers.

Want does not mean necessary, and unnecessary does not mean pointless.

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Jace-BeOS wrote: Fri Sep 27, 2019 12:57 am I have looked at Ebows for years. My problem: $99 for what an Ebow is... seems ridiculous.
It is worth $99 to be fair.

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Jace-BeOS wrote: Fri Sep 27, 2019 12:57 am Also, it’s the whole guitar sustain that I am interested in most.
I think the Digitech FreqOut stomp box is rather cool. You can set the amount of feedback to zero, if you want that, and just really long sustain by momentarily hold engage button down.

Or select which harmonics, 2nd, 3rd, 5th or random. Set how long after engage that it kicks in, and as mentioned how loud harmonic is on top of signal 0 and up etc. You can also choose if momentary engage by button down - or toggle as most pedals.

Most YT demos I saw are crap, but there are a few that get how to use it.
I find it really useful, doing all silent loads on amps and then can get the feel of feedback right there for recording purposes without the mess of playing loud in a speaker. Sustain part itself is rather useful. Constant vibrato on string usually is enough to hold tone 5-10s.

But you can also hunt down one episode or in the lair on http://pensadosplace.tv where one of Dave's friends showed a very small, 2" or so, speaker mounted on a pedal box with some gain knobs, that you hold in front of pickup - to create feedback like that. A bit like you do with eBow. So he built this by himself. But this episode is like 2-3 years ago - if to look for it.

I tried with normal headphones on guitar body, and tone became really phat - but never got it loud enough or close enough to pups to work for true feedback. But found FreqOut and is rather ok with that.

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That's a very personal question nowadays since most amp simulators emulate the real stuff really well. I stick to the amp sims unless I'm looking for something very specific.

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Are they necessary? No. 90% is still an "A," and 99.9% of listeners neither know nor care about the difference. (Not that I wouldn't mind a little more realism, but let's be, err, realistic.)
Wait... loot _then_ burn? D'oh!

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