Recording Electric guitar?

Discussion in 'Beginner's Q&A Forum' started by Shashank007, Mar 25, 2007.

  1. Shashank007

    Shashank007 Extremist

    Till now I was recording my electric guitar by using an socket converter and pluging the guitar directly into into the microphone jack of sound card. But the problem I am facing is that the signal is very week and some frequency are not even recorded. Can anybody suggest me a better way to record.
     
  2. .:SpY_GaMe:.

    .:SpY_GaMe:. New Member

    u cant listen to what u play when u record on ur electric via pc

    try mic-ing the amp
     
  3. Shashank007

    Shashank007 Extremist

    Spy_Game I can listen what i play . I used audacity.
    Mic-ing the amp will I think, record surrounding noise.
     
  4. thehundredthone

    thehundredthone Well-Known Member

    You'll need some form of preamp. Either a dedicated preamp like the Tech21 Sansamp or your Zoom on a clean patch, or the line out of your amp.
     
    notty_lad likes this.
  5. loyal

    loyal New Member


    Shashank007

    Couple of things i would like to mention here.

    1) A guitar amp scoops/fills out certain mid frequencies produced by ur pickup
    ( a pickup produces a muddy tone ), This is compensated by Amplifiers pre-amp and equalisation. if amplified clean without compensating which is in your case of plugging the guitar directly to your sound card you would find certain frequencies are not reproduced properly or sound way differently.


    2) Characteristic of AMP cabinet, if you are using a closed back amp ( more likely ), this will produce more bass and will have some reverb/resonance. Most guitar amps use custom speakers with a emphasis on Mid-frequencies. This will dramatically change the tone.

    3) socket converter that you have mentioned could be the cause as well, a cable will effect the tone of the guitar, used shielded/screened cables. all cables will have some capacitance ( longer the cable more the capacitance ) which will suck up your high frequency response.

    4) Weak signal, pickup's output is weak ( cant help it unless u use active electronics onboard as pointed out by others a pre-amp will help !!), check ur soundcard's setting ( some soundcards come with a 10x ( 20dB ) amplification.

    You are left with 2 possibilities.

    (1) guitar-->Guitar AMP--line-out-->Soundcard
    (2) Mic the Guitar Amplifier ----------- Preferred method

    If you mic the guitar amp you will be able to harness the tone to its max potential ( asuming u have a good mic ) however u will have to play fairly loud and place the mic close to the guitar amp's speaker. This will give u high SNR.

    The first option will lack cabinet/Guitar AMP's characteristic tone in ur recording while it will provide u immunity to surrounding noise/acoustic interference.

    To give u an idea how bad it sounds check my recording of Amazing Grace on soundclick ( this was recorded with a setup as mentioned in 1 with a effects processor in the loop ), it has no sustain, reverb nor the tone that i heard while playing, this is not WYHIWYG (what you hear is what you get ). If your recording software can compensate all this great!!!! ( i wonder :think: ).

    https://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=680669
     
  6. Keoraf

    Keoraf Keyboard Player

    I'm a keyboard player, so i don't know much about this, but my friend is a guitarplayer and he records his guitar using his guitar effects pedal through the digital in and out, obviously you need a soundcard with a digital I/O!
     
  7. UjSen

    UjSen *#!EVIL*!!

    just connect a processor or a pedal, it'll boost the signal.
     

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