Recording Guitar Amp

[meadeam]

First, if this has been covered, feel free to refer mt to another post.  I'm new here, and did a quick search, then got lazy and decided to just post

 

I am looking into a pocket studio type solution that will allow me to mic a guitar amp with reasonably good results.  Doesn't have to be perfect, as I only have an el Cheapo dynamic mic at this point anyway.  The Tascam DP-004 is just about what I want, but I think I would have to buy a mic pre-amp as well.  Please correct me if I am wrong, I do not know much about this.

 

Is there another pocket studio type device I can look at that is similarily priced, and would handle external mics?  I know the Tascam 8-track version of the pocket studio does what I want, but it is rougly twice the price.

 

I'm really sold on the pocket studio solution.  I love the idea of a stand alone device that can multi track and I can take it anywhere.  I just want to be able to close mic  my guitar amp when I am at home.

 

Thanks!

[meadeam]

Cool, thanks.  So is it correct that dynamic mics do not need a preamp to work correctly?  I have a  dynmic mic (not a 57) that I would like to start out with. 

[LayneGreene]

you'll likely need an adapter to plug your dynamic into something like the 004, and I'm unsure if you'll get enough gain without a preamp to get a useable sound. unless it's one of those karaoke mics with a 1/4 plug on it... check out the zoom H4N, it has preamps on it, they're actually not half bad either. it's priced only slightly high than the 004 (at least what I'm seeing for canadian prices anyway...) I think the H4N also works as an interface if you wanted to do any commuter recording too. I've used one before with pretty good results!

[LayneGreene]

If you had bothered to take more than just a cursory look at the DP-004, you'd know it not only has a mic/line input for your cheapo dynamic mic, it has it's own built-in stereo condenser mic.  You'd also know the DP-004 has been replaced by the DP-006, and that neither the 004 or the 006 has any onboard effects like reverb - which you might want if you'll ever add vocals.  You'd have to go up to the 008 for effects.

 

P.S.  It may be out of your price range.  But, you should also take a look at the Zoom H4.  As a digital 4-track hand-held recorder, it pretty much has it all - high-rate sampling, effects with mic and amp modeling (you may not even need your guitar amp), phantom power for external condenser mics, its own high-quality stereo mics - the whole shebang.   http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h4/

Really? Not even a line in? lol 

[meadeam]

If you had bothered to take more than just a cursory look at the DP-004, you'd know it not only has a mic/line input for your cheapo dynamic mic, it has it's own built-in stereo condenser mic.  You'd also know the DP-004 has been replaced by the DP-006, and that neither the 004 or the 006 has any onboard effects like reverb - which you might want if you'll ever add vocals.  You'd have to go up to the 008 for effects.

 

P.S.  It may be out of your price range.  But, you should also take a look at the Zoom H4.  As a digital 4-track hand-held recorder, it pretty much has it all - high-rate sampling, effects with mic and amp modeling (you may not even need your guitar amp), phantom power for external condenser mics, its own high-quality stereo mics - the whole shebang.   http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h4/

Thanks for the recommendation on the H4, I will look into it.

 

I did take more than a cursory glance at the 004;  my inexperience in this area is why I am asking questions.  I realize it has built in mics, but I didn't know if they would be appropriate for close micing a guitar amp, or if I even need to do that.  I have never recorded anything other than band practice with a single-track hand held recorder. 

 

Thanks for your help everyone.

[TapperMike]

I'm not familiar with the tascam.   Many of these smaller units have a trim control specifially for guitar/line input. When going direct from an electric guitar (not amp) you'll often need a direct box.  Some inexpensive multi track recordes do have a guitar in that operates as a pre and voltage conversion.

 

Inexpensive mic'ing of amps has never worked well for me.  The amp often isn't the only thing in the room making sound and even wtth a very focused mic some of that background sound enters the mix. The cat, sounds from the street or nieghboring apts etc, etc) Applying a noise gate afterwards may only do so much.

 

Even as far back as ten years ago guitar dsp muliti-effect units were doing (and still doing) an amazing job of amplifier emulation.  For all the talk of tube love or this that the other.  Year after year amp sims have made fools of die hard "real amp tone" afficieanado's  Granted not all multi-effect boxes are not created equal.  While I love the tone that comes out of my Korg Pandora mini. I hate the noise.  There are plenty of these super guitar effects on the market.  Quite often you can simply download the virtual unit and run it in series from guitar to computer/(i device)/ to your hardware deck.