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beezerk
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
29118 Posts |
 Posted - 04/02/2012 : 17:42:11
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I'm having trouble getting a nice sound on my laptop from my guitar amp.
The amp itself sounds amazing but transferring that across is where I'm getting bad results.
The amp has a usb out which sounds awful on the laptop unless I turn the mic input down to 10%, even then I'm losing all the bite from the amp and it sounds kinda muddy as though the amp is in the next room, even a clean channel sounded horrible when recorded on the laptop.
I ain't tried the headphone out yet from the amp as this is supposed to be studio quality.
I've also tried using an SM57 through an M Audio fast track usb unit, again it sounds just like the other usb recording.
I'm using Audacity so I'm not sure if better software will record better or if it's an eq thing or what.
My Roland SPD-S coming into my mic socket however sounds superb, no problems at all there.
I'm going to do a recording test to tomorrow using the same riff and amp settings...
Amp usb into laptop usb
Amp mic into laptop mic input
SM57 into M Audio usb into laptop usb
SM57 into M Audio usb but using the headphone socket to my laptop mic input
Failing that I'm ballsed.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated  |
http://photobucket.com/albums/c41/beezerkdrums/
Let's go Eskimo! |
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beezerk
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
29118 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2012 : 17:59:42
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Hmmm, I've read reports about the M Audio unit having a very poor pre amp, specially when used with an SM57.
Got some condenser mics but the SM57 was what I wanted to use  |
http://photobucket.com/albums/c41/beezerkdrums/
Let's go Eskimo! |
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TrevCircleStudios
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
348 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2012 : 18:28:12
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In general terms recording direct without a speaker and a microphone tends to give you pretty flat, lifeless results. That is compounded if you are using a digital model of an amp rather than a real valve amp.
Again in general terms, dynamic mics tend to need quite a lot of gain to sound their best. Lower cost interfaces like the one you have dont tend to provide enough clean gain for them. That may be causing you an issue but to be fair, that could also be a number of issues ranging from mic placement to the sound of your room.
So what you are doing at the moment is the equivalent of carving an ice sculpture wearing boxing gloves with your hands tied behind your back. None of this is to say it isnt possible to get a passable sound with what you've got. It's just gonna take much more work that it might ordinarily take to get there. |
You can't polish a turd!
www.circlestudios.co.uk |
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beezerk
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
29118 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2012 : 19:00:09
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Heh heh cheers mate.
Do you think condensor mics would work better with this IO unit or am I better off flogging it and getting a small mixer? |
http://photobucket.com/albums/c41/beezerkdrums/
Let's go Eskimo! |
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TrevCircleStudios
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
348 Posts |
Posted - 05/02/2012 : 00:00:41
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| A condenser should work better as it doesnt need so much gain. In any case I wouldnt buy a small mixer. Unless you are spending quite a lot of money they arent going to do anything nice. If you are going to spend some money just buy a better quality interface. |
You can't polish a turd!
www.circlestudios.co.uk |
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bERb
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
2327 Posts |
Posted - 05/02/2012 : 00:03:16
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| Awaits phone call !!. |
The Geordie contingency. I feel sorry for people who don't drink because when they get up in the morning that's as good as they're gonna feel all day!. dw, yammy x2 ,TD8, sabian,zildjian,paiste, protection racket.stella artois, red wine, gin & tonic (lots). |
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rockdrummerzero
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
2021 Posts |
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beezerk
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
29118 Posts |
Posted - 05/02/2012 : 11:05:55
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I'm not keen on using pc based guitar effects RDZ, I just want to be able to get what's coming from my amp onto my laptop without it sounding cr@p  |
http://photobucket.com/albums/c41/beezerkdrums/
Let's go Eskimo! |
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beezerk
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
29118 Posts |
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beezerk
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
29118 Posts |
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teethmeister
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
939 Posts |
Posted - 05/02/2012 : 20:15:28
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Not sure I agree with what's been said above. An SM57 is a great mic for a guitar cab. There should be no problem with level - you are close miking a guitar cab, there should be oodles of signal. Forget direct or headphone outs. Real speaker moving real air in a real room will always sound best - it sounds great to your ear, right?
Can you monitor what the mic is picking up? Ideally with really good isolation headphones. Move the mic around the speaker - near the surround, near the centre, in between. If there is more than one speaker then try each one - they will sound slightly different. If it is an open back cab, try the speaker from behind. Find where it sounds best. Ideally have someone move the mic while you play and listen on headphones in a different room. Failing that, stick a finger in one ear and move your other ear around the speaker cones until you find the sweet spot. Put the mic there.
In an ideal world, you might add a condenser mic further away for a bit more room sound to mix in, or as a second close mic on a speaker cone. But I wouldn't use one as the only close mic.
Use the M-Audio pre-amp. Use an XLR to XLR cable. Set the input gain as loud as you can without getting extra distortion. Set the output level (I'm assuming it has separate input gain and output level) so that the signal into the laptop is nice. Always make the most gain as early in the signal chain as you can. Connect it via USB to the laptop. Avoid the laptop mic input like the plague.
Seemples. |
http://www.mattnolancustom.com/ |
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beezerk
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
29118 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2012 : 07:27:49
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Thanks a lot for that info Matt, I have some shure earphones I can use for isolation and I'll have a blast moving the mic around.
It's really annoying as a mate of mine is getting a very very good sound using a large condensor mic through an Alesis amp with usb out. |
http://photobucket.com/albums/c41/beezerkdrums/
Let's go Eskimo! |
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rockdrummerzero
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
2021 Posts |
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beezerk
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
29118 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2012 : 12:45:03
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A bit of everything, I mainly set the amp to either thrash or sludge metal settings but I dialled in a nice clean tone and some other ones at the weekend, shame I can't get them onto my laptop as good
I'm in the North East btw. |
http://photobucket.com/albums/c41/beezerkdrums/
Let's go Eskimo! |
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beezerk
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
29118 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2012 : 20:19:09
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Big up to Teethmeister, just did some test recordings using the USB, Headphone out and SM57 using the audio interface.
First two weren't bad but each had faults, the miced recording was brilliant, a massive improvement.
Ended up with the mic halfway across the speaker and as close as I could get it without touching the grill.
The input signal to the interface was much higher, funny how a couple of inches can make a difference   |
http://photobucket.com/albums/c41/beezerkdrums/
Let's go Eskimo! |
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teethmeister
Advanced Contributer
United Kingdom
939 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2012 : 21:27:10
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quote:
Originally posted by beezerk
Big up to Teethmeister, ... , funny how a couple of inches can make a difference
I'm only 6'4"  |
http://www.mattnolancustom.com/ |
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