Amp or amp modeler

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 7:56 am

I am looking at either getting a guitar amp or modeler for studio use, (for those younger bands with the shitty ass amps). The thing is I don't play guitar, I play drums, so I don't know what amp gives what type of sound through such and such pickups. I am wanting to pick up an epiphone lespaul as a studio guitar and then either an amp or a modeler. Now I've heard that the microcab I or II is good and has a tube in it or what ever. but it doesn't say that it has a tube in it on their website. does anyone have expirence with that unit is it good enough for modeling, or should I go with an amp that I can mic. I've got lots of mics for amps and I need a gainy rock/metal sound. Example bands would be, taking back sunday, thrice, glassjaw, so on.

thanks
Bob

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:01 am

If you want a solid amp for your studio - go with any of the Boogie Rectifier series amps. They are rock solid the sound great at any level. I have my Dual rectifier I bought in 1992. Still going strong.

Stay away from Amp simulators.

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 2:17 pm

the microcab doesn't have any tubes in it. its basically just a glorified DI. I love it for recording guitar direct. However... you won't get a "live" guitar sound with it. everything will sound dry and up front in your mix.

You'll want to go with a decent mic and guitar amp but which one depends on your budget and style.
If your recording metal/hard rock I'd go with a Boogie or Marshall(I personally prefer a marshall anyday over a over priced Boogie)
for blues/classic rock I'd use a Fender (twin reverb, bassman, blues deville)

a few cheap mics for guitar would be a Sure SM57 & Kel Audio HM-1

if you go with a epiphone guitar you'll want to have the pickups replaced(Seymour duncan 59's sound nice). Epiphone pickups really suck

hope this helps

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 2:21 pm

sorry about the mic suggestions. I didn't read the part where you said you have lots of mics.

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 2:31 pm

What type of msic, at least predominantly, do you think you'll be using it for?
And what's your budget?

Nothing gets that modern rock grungy sound like the Mesa Rectifier... but there's almost NOTHING else i'd use it for.

tell us a bit more about what you hope this will DO for you.

I also think an Epiphone Les Paul, unless you're dead set on it, is not a first rate choice (to put it kindly), unless you're talking about their Elitist series.

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 11:55 pm

If you get a Marshall and want to save a little cash...the only cheap Marshall that sounds good is the VS-100 head....IMO. Other than that go with either Boogie or Marshall.

I have guys bringing in their Line6 amps all of the time and I hate em. I know people that love them to death, but I get a piss poor sound out of em.

Both Marshall and Boogie each have their own defined sound, and either one could be used for every variety of music. I actually like both and don't really favor one over the other. It comes down to what I hear in a song. Luckily, I've got a few guitar buddies that own every ype of amp under the sun. Right now I have an Orange half stack for an emo/indie rock band that I'm recording.

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 8:56 am

I am not too familiar with guitars but from what I've noticed guitar players using in emo/hardcore/metal bands is that shape of guitar and for $600 I don't think it is a too bad of a choice. Plus I am wanting to get an amp so that if a band wants a good guitar sound but has crap equiptment then I could either charge them to use it or just let them use it (depending on circumstances). I have recorded on mesa's and I love them, my buddy's got a dual rec head and it nice, in my opinion of corse, the first time I recorded some mesa's I swear it was the first time for me that I didn't need to double the guitar tracks, I enjoyed that. But not every band you record has that kind of stuff, one of the last bands that recorded had this peavey 2-12" combo amp that was connected to a zoom 505 pedal and that sucked, too much noise from the pedal. yuk. Thats my reasoning for doing this. Buy the way what about those orange amps? They just look really freakin cool.

My guitar mics include:
md421II
sm57
beta 57a
beta 56
e609s

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 11:07 am

NOTHING can beat the sound of a mic'ed amp. Period. Yeah, most emo/hardcore bands out there are using Mesa Rectifiers or Marshall JCM 2000's DSL or TSL. Orange amps are amazing. They have more crunch than balls out distortion, so I'm not sure if they'd be really useful for metal. Indie kids would wet themselves for one, though.

In my experience, amp simulators don't come anywhere close to being as good as a real mic'ed amp. They just lack so much tone, and air. I have a POD XT that I use for scratch tracks but usually end up tossing them once the real guitars are recorded.

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 4:58 pm

amp i'd recommend the fender hot rod deluxe but the pod may be a better ideia! as for the guitar nop! go for a strat!

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 5:37 pm

The Orange amp absolutely smokes for indie/emo/rock and MIGHT work for metal. We had the gain at about 50% and had enough saturation that would compete in the nu-metal world. I'm going to buy an Orange amp very soon. No matter how I mic'd it the sound was just huge!

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 5:42 pm

Also....the Orange has the best clean channel that I've heard out of any amp. I'm a guitar player, and have searched every amp for a nice clean channel and the Orange is best by far! The way it sounds coming out of the amp is similar to how any good amp would sound after EQ and effects....really smooth!

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:06 pm

Arthur, what Orange amp are you looking to get? I've only heard bands play them, never had the opportunity to play one myself.

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:24 pm

The one that is in my live room right now is a Rockerverb 50....so far my favorite sounding amp overall....I've recorded Vox, Bogner, Mesa, Marshall, Crate, Drive.....you name it....cheap to super expensive and this is the easiest amp to get a great tone out of. These are priced comparably to Mesa Boogie heads.

When tracking we used a 57 an inch from the grill at about 1/3 from the edge of the speaker. The 57 went into my Brick. Then I used an E609 on axis with the cone angled at a 45 degrees toward the 57....also about 1 inch. I had to correct the phase, but it smokes! We used an American Tele and tomorrow we are using a Gibson SG.

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 11:32 pm

Do you have any clips?

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 11:52 pm

I will tomorrow when we finish tracking guitar....I'll let you guys know because I'm pretty proud of this recording. I feel that I'm finally recording listenable tracks.

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