Let’s say you want to record a guitar track and you love the way it sounds coming from your amp. You try and plugging your guitar to your computer and recording it but it just doesn’t sound the same. So what do you have to do now? You straight up record your guitar amp. But, before you can record guitar amps, there are some points you need to consider.
Guitar Amp Selection
If you are a professional guitarist or take it seriously as a hobby, then most likely you’ll have different amps around. Remember, a multi speaker cabinet will sound different from single speakers even when controlled by the same head. If you plan to use multi-speaker cabinets, it is advised to raise them off the groud to get rid of potential phase cancelations.
Also consider speaker size. A small speaker size will start to distort if turned up too high but a larger one will give a more defined sound.
Single Mics/Amps
Mic placement
When you record guitar amps, mic placement is huge. Placing the mic in the center will get you the most defined and brightest sound. As you move further away, the tone sill become more warmer and mellow. There isn’t a ‘best position’ when you plan to record guitar amps. The tone all depends on the type of song you are recording so play around with the positioning.
Mic selection
This all comes down to your budget. You can either get dynamic mics, condenser mics or ribbon mics. It all depends on what sound you are also trying to achieve.
Monitors
This is important. Your recording is going to sound like crap if you’re listening to it through low quality speakers. The KRK RP5′s are a home studio favorite and still work well with monitoring guitar recordings. They are also pretty cheap.
These are just a few factors that affect how you record guitar amps. Play around with different amps, mics, positions etc.. and see what suits you best for how to record guitar.
