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New at recording, need help.


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Hello

 

So I got an active DI box to go with my Scarlett 2i2 and I can finally record. The problem I"m running into is that it"s not recognizing my amp, especially when I switch channels as if it"s only reading the signal from the guitar. I can record cleans but nothing from the amp...I turned the volumes up and down, adjusted the tone knobs....nothing changes the tone at all.

 

What can I do to fix this other than a reamp box?

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Can you describe how you have things wired? A DI box is normally used to record the output of a guitar or a bass at the other end of the cable. That's the "direct" in direct box. Do not connect the speaker output of your amp to the audio interface. That will likely end its life.

 

If your amp has a speaker simulation or pre-amp out, it may give you some kind of recordable output.

 

But if it only has a speaker output, then yes, you will need a re-amp box. You would plug your guitar into the direct box and record the direct signal, Then you would play back through the re-amp box, which would then connect to the amp input or your pedalboard input if you have one. You would then need to mic a cabinet or something to capture the signal.

 

If you are using a newer modeling amplifier, it should have a line level output that can go directly to your Scarlett.

 

Can you provide a little more detail on what you have and how it is connected?

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Great advice (and questions) above.

 

Do you own a microphone? You can always just mic the speaker of the amp too. An SM57 or 58 will get you in the game and be useful in one way or another for a lifetime.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Hello

 

So I got an active DI box to go with my Scarlett 2i2 and I can finally record. The problem I"m running into is that it"s not recognizing my amp, especially when I switch channels as if it"s only reading the signal from the guitar. I can record cleans but nothing from the amp...I turned the volumes up and down, adjusted the tone knobs....nothing changes the tone at all.

 

Definitely need more info on how you have things hooked up. The traditional way of using a direct box is to to use it to record the direct signal from the guitar on one track, then put a microphone on the amplifier and record that on another track simultaneously. Then you can blend the two tracks when you mix.

 

Nowadays, it's fairly common to ditch the mic and amp entirely and use a software plug-in to simulate the "through the air" sound. Some of them are very good at that, when the hang of it. Our colleague Craig Anderton has written quite a bit about getting the best out of an amp simulator plug-in.

 

So, how would you like to do it? Or have to do it to avoid bothering other people with the sound of your amplifier?

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Hi everyone!

 

I got it to work but the tone is bleh.

 

So to go in-depth further, I"m using Protools First and from what I"ve seen you can"t use amp sims with it. ð I really don"t don"t want to pay $30-$80 a month for the full version just to use other AAV plugins but I might to unless you guys know a way around it.

 

In reply to Mike Rivers...yes I"d love to record without micing my cab. My neighbors suck and complain about everything and the head I want to use requires my 4x12 and that will be way too loud.

 

For my signal chain my guitar is plugged into my pedalboard and that goes to the input of the DI....the FX send on my amp goes to the THRU port of the DI....the input jack of my amp goes to input 1 of the interface and the XLR cable from the DI BOX goes to input 2 of the interface.

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Wes, you have some simple cabling issues.

 

GTR>Pedalboard>DI>Focusrite #2 is certainly an OK signal chain. This will NOT record any of your amp however. It is just recording the guitar and pedalboard. To put this signal into an amp, you either need to use an amp simulator plugin, or you need a re-amp box to take the signal out of the computer and out to an amp. If you can't turn your amp up to taste, the re-amp path seems uninteresting.

 

The FX send>Thru port is a patch that I don't understand. The DI "THRU" is an output - it is the same signal as is going to the Focusrite #2. I'm not sure why you wouldn't have it going to the input of the amp.

 

Having the input of the amp patched to the input of the interface doesn't make sense. That's two inputs patched together. You need an output going to an input.

 

Normally, one would have:

 

1. DI path: GTR>Pedalboard>DI>Focusrite #2 just like you have

2. Amp path: DI Thru > Amp IN > microphone on amp speaker> Focusrite #1 input

 

This way you would get a clean DI signal for re-amping or software amp sims, and you would get a recording of your amplifier.

 

Avid cripples ProTools Free for a reason. But why use it? Use other software that lets you use an amp sim or even includes an amp sim? There's so many options.

 

You could also buy a Kemper or Axe-FX and have amp stuff for days that the neighbors will never hear.

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For a different DAW, anything out there will do what you want. For $60 there is Reaper - massively capable - will have a learning curve. You could try PreSonus Studio One. I'm guessing you are on PC... The small version of Cubase is probably workable - it isn't crippled like ProTools Free. Ableton will work... really almost anything except ProTools Free.

 

If you can't mic a cab, I think you will need to take digital amps or amp simulators seriously. There are very good sounding options. In hardware, it is hard to beat a Kemper or an Axe-FX, but they cost like regular amp heads. Almost every vendor has hybrid amps that play through speaker and low volume, but the actual signal is all digitally processed and available as a recording ready output on the back of the amp. And in the world of amp sims, you'll need to spend a few hundred to get one of the big names and then you will have so much variety it will blow your mind.

 

Some DAWs come with bundled amp sims. I've used the full version of Cubase or Nuendo for years, but I'm not close to the entry level platforms to know what is the lowest cost option.

 

I do know that if you get serious about amp sims or digital amps, you will find goodness.

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To complete the thoughts on how this guitar recording stuff works, here's how a re-amp box works:

 

You cable: Audio Interface out > Re-amp box in> Reamp box out > Amp Input > Mic speaker cab > Audio I/F mic input

 

You play back a DI'd guitar recording out of the DAW. You set the channel output to be the output of the audio interface cabled to the re-amp box. You then have another track set with it's input as the mic'd guitar cab. You record arm this track so that it plays out of the DI track, through the amp, and then back into the recording track.

 

The whole idea of re-amping is that you can then record different amps, change amp settings, etc without replaying the part. You can record the guitar and then do the "tone" later. This is great for experimenting, double-tracking, or realizing that the original part doesn't fit as the track evolves and then one can keep the playing, but change the tone.

 

If you can't mic a cab, I don't think re-amp offers anything to you.

 

I should also mention ISO-Cabs. I have an ISO-Cab from Jackson AmpWorks. It has a Celestion Gold inside and drops the volume 30dB. It takes a very loud amp down to conversational levels. If you put an ISO-Cab on a foam isolation pad so it isn't vibrating the structure, you could probably use your amp.... Another option....

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I will mention Waveform Free, which will load just about any plugin you can find. As Natanael_I says, there are quite a few free or inexpensive DAWs out there.

I like Waveform because it is very simple to use but can do a deep dive if you want to go there.

https://www.tracktion.com/products/waveform-free

 

There are lots of free amp sims available too. I have Native Instruments Guitar Rig 5 Player, IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5 CS, Voxengo Boogex, and I've used Ace and Peavey Revalver 4 (free version comes with a Valve King I think or maybe a Classic).

All are free and there are some good sounds there.

 

TONS of good free plugins of all types. Native Instruments, IK Multimedia, Arturia, Izotope, U-He and many others have free software with a variety of functions.

 

Pro Tools is good but not the be-all-end-all

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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