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Here's my take (I'm a sound eng)
most importantly note ..... If it sounds good it is good
Tech stuff
If you want to record direct ,
the device you plug your guitar into should be med to high input impedance (approx 100Kohms or so)
this is the electric guitar sound direct just like your amp gets
[the device I plug into (a Soundcraft mixer) has an i/p Z of only 10Kohms but sounds fine with my
guitar plugged in so there you go ......see note above]
Your macs 3.5mm jack line input is lowish impedance (approx 20Kohms)
Tech stuff end
But does it sound OK to you ? see note above
If you are concerned about the sound (thin , anaemic , noisey ,or distorted etc etc)
borrow a DI box and small mixer off someone and plug
Guitar to DI to Mixer to Mac input
and record some of that
then compare the 2 recordings
or borrow a USB input device with a proper HiZ (Z = impedance)
'instument' input (not the same as line or mic input
and do the same comparison
you'll soon see if you need to buy something to help you out !
get back to us man cos there's a lot of options
as you see from all the above good answers
what ho !
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01-23-2011 08:39 AM
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Hey,
These days digital pocket recorders are becoming really popular. I don't know about you but I like to create high quality recordings without having to carry too much stuff with me at my gigs...
What do you guys think?
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They're grand, for what they do. It's all about expectations. Will it be good enough for you and your intended audience? That's really all that matters. Don't fall into the trap of gear snobbery. Also- whatever recording medium you use can be greatly enhanced by mastering-whether you do that yourself with some software or give it to a pro to master for you. You'd be surprised what a set of professional ears in a good room can find and correct for you, at very reasonable rates.
Originally Posted by franamico
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Do you want limitless Sound-on-Sound? Then Korg SR-1 SOS is an option. Originally Posted by franamico
Do you want multitrack? Then Boss Micro-BR or Zoom H4N is an option.
If you don't need S-O-S or mutitrack, then they are all usable. Two with a good reputation is Olympus LS-11 and Sony PCM-M10. The latter is very good for the traveller - uses AA batteries (or rechargables), have very long bettery life, are smal and easyly pocketable, the built in mics are not protruding and thus not particualarly vulnerable. It takes standard micro SD cards up to 16GB. Both records directly to WAW and MP3 (some recorders record only to WAV). Direct MP3 recording is useful for space saving when one doesn't need the ultimate sound quality. It also makes it easy to convert your old vinyl records to MP3 for your iPod.
One thing to check is the battery life. For example, the Tascam DR-100 is excellent - apart from one very annoying detail, the short battery life (max 4-6 hours). The Sony PCM-M10 runs up to 45 hours one a set of AAs. The Korg SR-1 is a joke on batteries, it should always be used with a power adapter (that may not be a problem if it is always used at home).
I have a Sony PCM-M10 and use it for about everything - recording myself playing, recording interviews in my office, transferring vinyl LPs to MP3, playing MP3 files with phones or through any radio, car stereo etc., recording sounds for use in slide shows when on holiday. The recorded sound is very clear, even with the built in mics. I also like the way it handles.
For multitrack or home practice, I use an old and now discontinued Boss BR-860 which has some of the same layout and menues as the Boss Micro-BR except the BR-860 is much bigger. I often record a Band-in-a-Box track or music from a CD on it and then record myself on another track (and yet another, and yet another - if I overdub myself).
With the modern small digital recorders, the sound quality is generally excellent -and even better if good external mics put in the right places are used. With these recorders, shortcomings in sound is more often the result of less than favorable room conditions or less than optimal mic placement.
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"good" is subjective, so i say experiment. mic your amp with different placements and different mics, do the same with your actual guitar, get direct signals going through whatever preamps/di's you got, and mic your room as well.
then listen very carefully, solo them or blend them to taste. there are all sorts of gremlins that can pop up if you do all of the above at the same time, but that will just educate you more in as an engineer. or you can try them one at a time, or a couple at a time. nothing like experience through experimentation.
you are bound to find something you like, and will inevitably learn a lot in the process.
best of luck!
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An assumption here is you're playing a hollow body or semi hollow body instrument designed from the outset to be an electric guitar. However, if you're playing an acoustic archtop, there are some other things to keep in mind. One of them is that the instrument is designed to throw the sound.
So for true carved top instruments or guitars that have had electronics added, you may be able to get some very nice tone getting away from the instrument. Worth experimenting with.
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Found this video recently:
I found it very useful as it cut right to the sound i had wanted. I got decent results with XY, ORTF, and spaced pairs, but that exact configuration (spacing, angles etc.) from SoundPure really did it for me. It was the perfect balance of projection and intimacy.
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