Mic Amp vs Direct

[doghouseman]

Do you guys think that mic-ing amps is always better than going direct?

Going direct is convenient but in terms of tone, isnt micing always better?

 

[corliss1]

Yes. Micing is always better as you get the actual sound of the amp, and not just a preamp/emulation.

 

[swervinbob]

Total amateur here, but I do think that there's a certain thing going on with the amp/speaker/mic thing that is hard to replicate. But I also think it really only matters if you have some kind of solo guitar intro type thing where the guitar really stands out. In a full mix, I have a hard time hearing much of a difference if I actually know it is direct.

 

[Jakedog]

Direct lines from guitar amps used to seriously suck goat nads. Lately they’ve been getting really pretty good. I haven’t tried the one on my Marshall origin yet, but reports have been good enough that I want to.

 

[vhilts1]

Generally.....

You want to mic when you want the sound of the amp and the speaker and room...and....there is little to zero chance of feedback from the mic


You want direct when you have feedback concerns and/or you just want the sound of the amp circuit

 

['64 Tele]

I got one of these a while back to use in the studio as I wasn't getting the guitar sound I was hearing onto the recording.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MicNoMo--friedman-mic-no-mo-passive-cabinet-simulator

 

[3-Chord-Genius]

I use nothing but amp sim plugins these days for recording. I can get great amp sounds that way. Last time I miked an amp was a while ago, and it sounded... okay. I think the amp sims sound better.

 

[Axegrinder77]

Do both! Find your blend. If it's all one way, you have your answer anyways .

 

[Wallaby]

Are using Cab & Mic IR's considered direct, or mic'd ?

 

[scelestus]

I have always preferred a mic but have recently started going direct with a Tone Master DR. I believe the impulse response was recorded with a mic off the grille a bit in a nice room, giving it a little of that air.

I think a lot of new DIs are like this, so it's probably worth it to test a few out.

 

[klasaine]

Used to be. Not any more.
I've been pretty surprised lately, especially within a track.
Here, tell me which is a mic'd amp and which is an amp plugin ...

 

[beyer160]

As with most things in life, the answer is "it depends".

Are you an experienced engineer with an awesome sounding amp in an awesome sounding room with some awesome mics and a rack of high end preamps feeding a high end interface? If so, miking the amp is definitely the way to go. Sims have gotten much better in the last decade, but the ones I've heard recently are still kind of flat and generic. Putting mics on an amp lets you create a unique guitar tone for your recording.

Have you never miked an amp before and you have a Line 6 Spider in a tiled bathroom with a broken $10 Radio Shack mic from the '70s plugged into a junk interface? In that case you'll probably want to record direct (but not always).

Your situation is probably somewhere between these two extremes.

I always record mics along with a direct line I can manipulate with amp sims later. Pan your mics left, your sim right (with 5-15 ms of delay)- why not have your cake and eat it, too?

 

[Vondre]

I recently got a Benson Vinny and loaded Torpedo Wall of Sound into my daw. It's pretty awesome even with the "free" cabs. getting a pretty good tone through it, definetly comparable to micing. But it does sound different. The best thing with DI is that you can record at bedroom levels no problem.

 

[Paul G.]

40 years of Walkmans, iPods, home-produced recordings, live bands that don't give a crap means nobody cares. Fuzzy? Fizzy? Flat? Compressed? Doesn't matter. Plug your Katana/Line6/Mustang right into the PA. Nobody cares.

 

[swervinbob]

Are using Cab & Mic IR's considered direct, or mic'd ?

I consider it direct. To me, the key to all direct recordings is the impulse responses. I've seen videos where people take the old POD 2 and use modern impulse responses and get usable tones.

 

[Thin white duke]

I'm building my pedalboard to go direct, i actually only need an I.R. pedal, i've got all the rest, effects, preamp and D.I.

I'll probably buy a small FRFR cabinet to use it as a personal monitor if needed...

I'll play this way as many times as possible.

 

[Wallaby]

Thanks.

Some of the unfavorable responses about using an amp line out or direct made me wonder if in those cases the signals were "pure amp tone" with no additional treatment. Which I believe WOULD sound pretty bad!

Like that one time I tried the headphone out from my attenuator. It wasn't good and I never tried it again, but it made me understand the importance of the rest of the output chain.

Without cabinets, speakers or mics it was flat, way too "present" and in your face, and just harsh.

I consider it direct. To me, the key to all direct recordings is the impulse responses. I've seen videos where people take the old POD 2 and use modern impulse responses and get usable tones.

 

[985plowboy]

Are we recording, or are we playing live?
Bigger question, do we like the sound of the amp??
Biggest question, does the sound man have any idea what he’s doing???

When we play live, I bring an amp that has an XLR out the back and let the sound man have at it.

If (and it’s been a long ago and limited experience) I am in a studio I’d bring my best amp and put a microphone in front of it.

 

[3-Chord-Genius]

My opinion is that guitar amps (tube, solid state, digital... doesn't matter) are becoming a thing that is only needed for jamming at home by yourself, or possibly rehearsing with a band. For recording or playing live, direct to PA or DAW with digital emulation of some sort, be it plugins or a digital device like Line 6, etc., provides great tones and is the most practical way to go. Want to record with a loud tube amp and an SM57 in front of it? Be prepared to annoy everyone within earshot, and unless it's isolated you are also risking damage to your own hearing - for no improvement in tone over going direct.

It's a different world now - up until the 70's, bands would blast multiple full stacks on stage because PA support wasn't what it is today. The next big change is what I pointed out in the previous paragraph.

 

[ping-ping-clicka]

Do you guys think that mic-ing amps is always better than going direct?

Going direct is convenient but in terms of tone, isnt micing always better?

mic-ing an amp, one of my favorite players is miced and uses a cab effect when going direct.