Recording pedal demos through interface?

[Grubb]

I get frequencies and pass filters, I've done studio stuff with bands before, it'd just be great to be able to record a pedal and have it sound semi- realistic.

Pass filters are pretty much non-negotiable IMO for getting pedals to sound natural and at their best. I'd start a HPF at 250Hz and while there can be some flexibility, I'd go no lower than 125 Hz. Similarly I'd be looking to roll off high end with a LPF somewhere between 7kHz and 10kHz, depending on the particular tone. You'll be mostly getting rid of junk frequencies and keeping the bulk of what your pedal is actually doing. I can't remember if you were the person mentioning Reaper, but ReaEQ (VST effect) is easy to set for this purpose, one instance can do both your HPF and LPF at the same time.

 

[BurntFingers]

That's my first port of call.

150hz and 10khz. Removes rumble and hiss, then adjust from there... For guitar tones at least.

After much dicking around there's no substitute for micing a cab in either sound or feel, so we're back at square one. Which is fine.

 

[Danbieranowski]

That's my first port of call.

150hz and 10khz. Removes rumble and hiss, then adjust from there... For guitar tones at least.

After much dicking around there's no substitute for micing a cab in either sound or feel, so we're back at square one. Which is fine.

I suppose another option is the 6 band eq pedal to carve out some of those issues. Otherwise, standard amp sims and some dynamic eq or multiband compression targeting your problem areas.

 

[rmfx]

After much dicking around there's no substitute for micing a cab in either sound or feel, so we're back at square one. Which is fine.

This has ultimately been my conclusion as well. Amp sims can help a LOT, and I have definitely not tried them all to know which ones are the best, I just find it easier to throw a mic on my cab and move it around until I'm happy.

You're using a HPF after the amp/cab sim, correct? Figuring you are, using it before will be pretty useless.

 

[Grubb]

You're using a HPF after the amp/cab sim, correct? Figuring you are, using it before will be pretty useless.

Actually using one before the amp works great, especially the HPF. Means that the amp isn't chewing on too much low end. I just about always run some kind of pre-EQ to clean up the signal before it hits the amp.

Also I don't wish to offend anyone on this thread, but using a high quality IR created by experienced audio engineers using high quality microphones in a controlled studio environment is going to give you far superior results to micing your cab at home with whatever you've got in 99.9% of cases. If you aren't getting noticeably different results with pro IRs then there's something up with your process that would be worth reviewing.

 

[BurntFingers]

It depends on the objective surely. If I want a tone that's ready to record with minimal work from me then yep, an ir can be great. Plug in, load up the amp sim with an ownhammer v30 4x12 and you're away.

But if you need something to replicate the sounds of a pedal, and the feel of an amp, then they don't cut the mustard. No 2 ways about it and this is paid for IRs like ownhammer not some random crap.

IRs have their place but it ain't pedal demos.

 

[Grubb]

It if you need something to replicate the sounds of a pedal, and the feel of an amp, then they don't cut the mustard. No 2 ways about it and this is paid for IRs like ownhammer not some random crap.

Nothing can give you the feel of an amp (or more accurately the cab) in the room because there are a bunch of psychoacoustics in play and the way our ears and brain perceive sound is different to the way a microphone receives sound. IRs and microphones can both only give you the sound of a recording, not the feel of the direct experience.

Statements about the usefulness of IRs for pedal demos will tend to reflect the preferences and workflow of individuals rather than any objective fact about IRs. I hope you find a method that works for you, I'm looking forward to hearing your demos.

 

[Danbieranowski]

If volume is a problem, amp sims and IRs are an excellent solution, albeit time-consuming because you have to find the best sim/IR combo for the pedal. That being said, I have yet to find a setup as universally accepting of pedals as a clean tube amp through a cab. A jillion excellent records have been made with a 57 pointed halfway between the cone and dust cap. The classics never die.

 

[BurntFingers]

If volume is a problem, amp sims and IRs are an excellent solution, albeit time-consuming because you have to find the best sim/IR combo for the pedal. That being said, I have yet to find a setup as universally accepting of pedals as a clean tube amp through a cab. A jillion excellent records have been made with a 57 pointed halfway between the cone and dust cap. The classics never die.

True dat. Nah the volume is the easiest part. This wasn't meant to be an IR vs mic'd amp debate, I was looking for a simpler solution to recording pedals but alas simple doesn't equal better in this response.

Like you said, pointing a 57 at a 4x12 is just a great way of capturing guitar sounds. And it's a lot more fun too.

 

[BurntFingers]

Fuzzboy demo


Today's experiments with cab recording. That's a link up there.

 

[Grubb]

Fuzzboy demo


Today's experiments with cab recording. That's a link up there.

Gets two thumbs up from me. Sounds as good as it looks, I particularly love the knob selection. I'm going to use one of those larger knobs for a Triangulum build soon. Starve control was giving nice synthy farts

 

[mdc]

If you're looking to go fully in-the-box, Kuassa's Amplifikation Lite and the God's Cab IR pack from Wilkinson are a more-than-adequate sounding setup for demo recording. The Kuassa amp sim is free, has an IR loader, and has an extremely uninteresting/neutral clean channel that makes a great pedal platform. Good excuse to break out the amp-in-a-box pedals you've built and try them out as always-on pedals.

You may find weird impedance issues popping up if you're plugging a guitar directly into an audio interface (like, why do all these distortion pedals make my signal quieter instead of louder sorts of things) and a DI can help with that for sure. Another option is to run a buffer at the end of your chain like a boss pedal or something that will keep your signal consistent and your output impedance low.

 

[knucklehead]

Just got my Mooer Radar today - I'll let you know how or if it plays well with the Evo 8