Subject: Re: [linux-audio-user] recording guitar interfacing
From: Jason (hormonex_AT_yankthechain.com)
Date: Thu Nov 29 2001 - 05:52:30 EET
On Wed, 28 Nov 2001, Ross Vandegrift wrote:
> > 1) Guitar output is not really line level, and the impedance is wrong
> > too. This is a fancy way of saying that guitars are really only meant
> > to be plugged in to guitar amps or direct boxes. You might have a hard
> > time getting a good level from the guitar into the soundcard. It might
> > work OK, try it and see if you like it.
>
> Interesting, I didn't know this. Many guitar amps also have a "Line level"
> output jack. Are these jacks actually line level?
That depends on how strictly you define line level. I've found that the
line outs on Line6 amplifiers sound pretty good and give a good solid
level, but for the most part,
even though you do get correct impedance, it's best to run guitar amp line
outs into a preamp if possible, just to get that extra bit of "oomph" if
you need it. Although, for the most part, if you're going to record an
amp, you're better off just micing it, because it will sound 1000 times
better.
>
> > There are two solutions to both of these problems:
> >
> > 1) use a "speaker emulator" or "amp emulator" like a SansAmp or a POD
> > or something similar,
>
> Do these do much more than some frequency filtering? Can't help but
> think this would be just as easy (read: cheaper) to do in software...
Sansamp is actually a guitar preamp with a line out designed for
recording, and teh POD uses some fairly convincing digital models of
various analog circuits. both of which are higher quality preamps than
enything you're going to get in a soundcard, and therefore worth the money
if you want quality recordings.
>
> > To connect a dynamic mic: either connect via a mixer using an XLR
> > cable, or if you absolutely must use the "mic input" of the
> > soundcard, get an XLR to 1/4" adapter with an impedance-matching
> > transformer. These are $20 or less at radio shack. You can then
> > connect to the soundcard using a 1/4" to 1/8" mono adapter.
>
> I'm curious as to the necessity of the impedance-matching transformer.
> I use a Sony dynamic mic (sorry, don't remember the model number) and
> plug it straight into my soundcard's Mic in jack and don't hear anything
> bad I wouldn't expect to hear from a soundcard's Mic pre. What am I
> listening for and what's the difference?
Pro quality mics are low z, most consumer mics are high z and therefore
don't require an impedance transformer for consumer quality preamps such
as the ones found on most sound cards.
> (of course it's possible that my SBLive's Mic pre and ADC are so bad
> that it wouldn't make a bit of difference ::-)
probably not. Have you ever tried just recording the sound of the card
with nothing plugged into it? it sounds like a Steve Reich composition.
> > Search the google archives of rec.audio.pro to see what the big
> > boys think of the cheap mics.
>
> Most of the threads I've read on r.a.p go like:
>
> if (cost < 350)
> return "Sucks!";
> else if (cost < 500)
> return "Not so bad";
> else if (rand () < (RAND_MAX / 2))
> return "Good";
> else
> return "Sucks!";
<rant>
There's not much that I find more irritating than microphone snobbery. You
can get perfectly fine mics for under $200. There's a lot to be said of an
electric guitar sound gotten by sticking an SM57 right up against the
speaker grill. Sure I'd give my eye teeth for a matched pair of Earthworks
TC40k's, but that doesn't mean thtat those microphones are going to be
appropriate in every situation. I'm always noticing when I look at the
gear listings for recording studios that they seem to have spent tens of
thousands of dollars on old tube microphones and antique neumann
condensers, and yet they don't have workhorses like shure SM81s or more
than one RE20, or they've decided that for some reason having a D112 is
the only kick drum mic you'll ever need so long as you have a wide variety
of large diaphragm condensers available. In most circumstances, those
10000 dollar microphones just aren't as useful as an RE20 or a 421 or an
sm81 or a
grip of sm57s and maybe an AKG C3000 or C535 for vocals. if you're
interested in a good all purpose, versatile microphone an EV ND757 or the
AKG C535(my personal favs and the only two micophones that I actually
carry around with me to make sure that I have them available) and a few
SM57's are going to get a lot more mileage than
spending all your money and your kids inheritance and taking out a second
mortgage on some telefunken relic that breaks if you look at it crosseyed,
and doesn't sound all that great digitally anyway.
Seriously, for a homestudio owner, it's more important to find mics that
sound good with your equipment and with your voice if you sing, than it is
to spend a bunch of money on the kinds of microphones that highly paid
engineers get paid large amounts of money to to talk about. In most cases,
those really expensive mics will only serve to reveal flaws in the
performance anyway.
</rant>
-- YankTheChain.com - You can pretend we're not here. That's what I do.,
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