[linux-audio-user] Direct In

[John Bleichert]

On Fri July 25 2003 5:54 am, Chris wrote:
<snip>
> I am something of an old-school rocker, not so much of a
> digital-techno-looper (although that stuff sounds fun too).  I am
> curious to hear how you guitarists out there handle your sound.  Do you
> all go direct in now?  Or do some of you still mic your cabnet?  I still
<snip>

As I mentioned in my previous post, since I can't really use my amp in my 
apartment, I use an FX pedal that has a great rectifier-emulation setting for 
distortion and/or repugnantly titanic crunch. Whenever we get together to do 
'real' recording (a friend has about 10 acres, we can make all the noise we 
want) I mic my amps at a decently (or indecently, depending on your viewpoint 
;-) loud level and play/record 2 separate tracks, one for each side in 
stereo, maybe more, time permitting. Plugging direct actually works pretty 
well for the rhythm tracks, but not all that great for leads. I really dig 
the warm, feedbacky sound I get from my Boogie tube amp and it can *not* be 
replaced by an fx pedal.

So, to answer your question, at home I play quite a bit plugged into my PC 
through an FX pedal and use the monitors (plugged into my mixer) as my amp. 
Once I have my own house and a proper studio where I can shake the walls all 
I want, I'll probably stop plugging in direct and mic my amps.

That said, I record tracks for people all the time with my fx pedal, convert 
them to wav and send them off on the internet for them to use as they see 
fit. Direct does have it's uses, but for a metalhead or hard rock fan I can't 
see the use in playing clean into a PC and then adding effects. If it's not 
crunchy while I'm playing, I'm not entertained, but of course that is 
completely arbitrary. I have a few jazz/blues playing friends who do all 
their recording clean.

JB