Guitar -> Distortion -> Preamp -> Interface/Mixer... How will it sound?

~~Lord Larehip~~ · 10-31-2014, 03:01 PM

I was trained as a recording engineer and we never take the guitar into the board direct unless the signal is clean. Generally, you play through the amp AND go into the board direct simultaneously via a DI (direct injection) box. You can distort the signal from the amp all you want as it goes to the board and then to the recording tracks but the direct signal should always be clean. Afterwards, you run the clean signal through a rack-mounted box to add whatever distortion you want and then you combine that with the amp signal. The amp signal is your primary sound so mix the two signals like 70:30 or something like that. This will give give you a guitar-from-hell sound.

Can you go into the board distorted? Yes, but the truth is, it doesn't sound all that good plus you can't change the distortion setting if you don't like it. You'll have to record the guitar track again whereas you can change the direct signal distortion all you want without needing to record it over. Direct-in distortion sounds passable as a demo but it lacks that amplifier "Umphhh!" as a finished production. You NEED that amp signal. I do bass tracks the same way even though I was taught to take bass in direct only. I like a MEATY bass sound that blows your face out and can't stand that thin direct signal sound by itself.

10-31-2014, 03:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
~~Lord Larehip~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 899	I was trained as a recording engineer and we never take the guitar into the board direct unless the signal is clean. Generally, you play through the amp AND go into the board direct simultaneously via a DI (direct injection) box. You can distort the signal from the amp all you want as it goes to the board and then to the recording tracks but the direct signal should always be clean. Afterwards, you run the clean signal through a rack-mounted box to add whatever distortion you want and then you combine that with the amp signal. The amp signal is your primary sound so mix the two signals like 70:30 or something like that. This will give give you a guitar-from-hell sound. Can you go into the board distorted? Yes, but the truth is, it doesn't sound all that good plus you can't change the distortion setting if you don't like it. You'll have to record the guitar track again whereas you can change the direct signal distortion all you want without needing to record it over. Direct-in distortion sounds passable as a demo but it lacks that amplifier "Umphhh!" as a finished production. You NEED that amp signal. I do bass tracks the same way even though I was taught to take bass in direct only. I like a MEATY bass sound that blows your face out and can't stand that thin direct signal sound by itself.