Recording Electric Guitar Direct Or Mic

Recording the sound of your electric guitar by miking your amp is a great way to simulate studio quality sound.

Recording electric guitar direct or mic. Also known as a di these humble rectangles are one of the most misunderstood pieces of gear. Electric guitar might be the first instrument to come to mind when recording direct. What all direct boxes exist to do is convert a hi z or high impedance line level signal to a lo z mic level signal. And it was the primary mic he used back in his days of recording zeppelin and hendrix.

The one other ribbon mic in particular that has been used on countless recordings over many decades is the beyerdynamic m160. The electric guitar pickup. However this will require expensive equipment like a quality amp microphone and potentially sound dampening equipment or material. A microphone on your guitar cab or combo s speaker captures the air movement produced by the drivers and introduces your room s tone into the recording how much room depends on mic type and placement.

When recording an electric guitar the amp is the instrument as far as the mic is concerned and mic position is important. Decide between mic recording or using a direct box di. According to legendary producer eddie kramer. Similar to acoustic guitar recording an amp and di can each play a crucial role in the final result and recording both if possible can provide some cool options.

Tools like spire studio s verb 65 are a great way bypass your amp leaving less in the way between you and getting your ideas. While a lot of sound comes direct from the speakers as you d expect a significant level is also emitted from the back and sides of the box via panel vibrations.