Guitar Amp (Hi-Gain) Recording Problems

[Guitarsmasher911]

Hey to all you people who know alot about recording or you have experienced alot with recording with hi-gain amps. I was recording with my 5150 today....and the sound just sounded terrible after it was recorded. It sounded fine when i played it...just after we listened to the playbacks. It sounded very over distorted. I know it wasn't me ...cause i had the gain on 3. It sounded very grindy....and i had lost all my tone. We are recording through a computer program..so i don't know if that was it or not. I was running directly from my amp into the system....i don't know if that could have been it or not. If anybody knows exactly what it is going on or has experienced this problem...please help me out. Thanks!

[some_dude]

You ran a line off the speaker outs into your computer??!?!!!

Or does the 5150 have line outs?

Or did you run the preamp signal into the computer?

Or (too many or's, I know) were you using some kind of DI box?

[Guitarsmasher911]

I was running through a speaker out from the 5150 head.

[Stevo]

I was running through a speaker out from the 5150 head.

That's the problem. You might even blow something by using the speaker output. The impedance will not match the line-in on your recording device.
I suggest that you use a mic for high gain.

[Guitarsmasher911]

I figured ..that might be it. It sure made it sound like crap though. I will have to try it with a mic. Thanks for the input.

[Zerberus]

I was running through a speaker out from the 5150 head.

Get a Mic or a DI Box. You can be happy that your soundcard is still alive (if it is)

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Hehe or the amp for that matter

[Zerberus]

Hehe or the amp for that matter

True, although in my experience running into a higher impedance (line is I think around 300K, or was that headphones?) usually doesn´t endanger the amp too much on modern heads.

But that also coulda happened, definitely

*edit* now that I think about, the extreme Impedance mismatch is possibly even the reason your gear survived. An impedance mismatch effectively also lowers power output, you may just have gotten real lucky

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Uh yeah....auch...lol a new trafo hurts the wallet.

[Zerberus]

Uh yeah....auch...lol a new trafo hurts the wallet.

Yep, and usually hurts pretty bad, too

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

And for a few splitseconds the amp was in toneheaven...then pouf...man what a bummer.

[Zerberus]

And for a few splitseconds the amp was in toneheaven...then pouf...man what a bummer.

Hehe, but think of it this way: If you leave the tranny blown, then the amp will be in toneheaven forever

Talk about a good deed, sending something to heaven

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Tubeamps goes to tubeamp heaven....

[Biu]

Ouch! To a 5150 too; that pain hits me deep, man! I would go on an insane rampage if anything bad happened to my 5150 combo

[Guitarsmasher911]

So running a direct out from my amp into the P.A. board....is bad? I knew it kimda was cause of all the power coming from my head. So the best solution is to mic it..then run it into the P.A. ....then the computer for recording?

[Zerberus]

Direct out is ok if it´s taken from effects send, recording out or similar. But going from a SPEAKER output to a board or similar rund the rish of causing expensive damage

But slamming a good mic in front of the Cab is DAFINITELY the best way to record guitars, hand´s down

[Guitarsmasher911]

alright sweet ...that explains alot of my problems then

[Guitarsmasher911]

hey.....my friends are now trying to convince me that using a floor proccessor ...such as a digitech rp200 ....is going to sound better than using my 5150. I don't like the sound of digital distortion.....what do you guys think?

[dudeman08]

I have a digitech rp200 , and although it is versatile with distortion tones, i find analog footpedals to be of much better quality. The distortion on the rp200 sounds.. well.. too fake and eq'd. I love the cleans I get with the rp200. I have a DOD Death Metal Distortion pedal, and for high gain it blows anything the rp200 has out of the water!! Well, those are my 2 cents.. enjoy!

[mrid]

I was running through a speaker out from the 5150 head.

Please say no!



I'm sorry...I really shouldn't laugh.