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Buster Beefcurtains · Posted - Mon Sep 17, 2001 5:29 pm

Why is it that when you record using the line out on your guitar amp it always sounds like s***?? I have a Mesa Boogie Dual rectifier, so that's definitely not the problem.

Graeme · Member Location: Spain

A lot of this depends on your definiton of s**t. If you like dirty sounds, then using the LO is not really going to work for you. On the other hand if you are into clean country and jazz sounds, then it might. Since you own a Mesa Boogie and not a Fender Twin, I presume your personal tastes fall within the first category :-)

I can think of a number of reasons for your problem;

1 - the LO is a (relatively) clean signal, taken from before the power stages

2 - the loudspeaker will also modify the sound of the output (guitar amps are not exactly renowned for having flat response speakers

3 - You are not getting the 'room reaction' which would be present when playing the guitar through the amp in the normal fashion (particularly when playing loud).

MERRICK · Posted - Tue Sep 18, 2001 12:19 am

Hughes and Kettner Red Box is what I use to go from speaker out to XLR to board. Very nice. Always connect the speakers to the through jack though as a power section running without a load can burn out. Other DI Boxes can work too. I just prefer the K@H. (I'm not affiliated with them)

Syntrillium M.D. · Location: USA

Hello Buster. Graeme pretty much said it all...it's really a matter of taste.

A DI box for a die-hard marshall/mesa-boogie guy is NEVER going to sound right; not without micing the cabinet. BUT, with the creation of things like the POD, now you can actually achieve some of the grit and dirt through LINE OUT (and still retain that actual character of those amp heads and cabinets)

DI Boxes (as Merrick mentioned) are typically 'users choice'. I've used a variety myself (including H&K) and I would say that those are some of the best...But again, if I were used to a 70s Ampeg, that simply wouldn't cut it.

Experiment and see what you're comfortable with. You can always trying adding some distortion (light) in Cool Edit to drive the signal a bit or add a little room ambience to give that 'too clean, direct sound' more depth.

---Syntrillium, M.D.

Buster Beefcurtains · Posted - Tue Sep 18, 2001 6:04 pm

Hold up here. What exactly is it that a DI box does? I'm new to this stuff. XLR board? Thanks for your replies.

Graeme · Member Location: Spain

A DI (Direct injection) Box is most often to be found in studios. It is primarily used to match the levels and impedance of the mic input of the desk to the output of amplified instruments.

The 'line output' found on some amplifiers is similar but not the same, as it almost certainly will have a fairly high impedance (usually around 10K Ohm) compared to the desk input - which would normally be much lower.

However, the use (or not) of a DI Box doesn't really have that much bearing on the question you originally asked. It is possible to DI from across the loudspeaker terminals but, although this will include any distortion produced by the amplifiers output stages, it is still not the same sound as you are hearing when you play the gutar.

For that you will need to mic the amplifier and include some of the room sound as well.

motorhead_6 · Posted - Tue Sep 18, 2001 9:09 pm

Using a line out from an amplifier sounds like ****. Why ask why?

jonrose · Location: USA

Graeme · Member Location: Spain

Graeme · Member Location: Spain