Recording guitars with Radial J48 into Fast Track Solo

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by Elnico50

Would this Focusrite 2i2 be an improvement on the Avid Fast Track? Or "different but the same"?

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Scarlett2i2

I suspect anything is an improvement on the Solo, but if you like Apogee or UAD product they both make nice stuff including small desktop interfaces. Apogee also makes a nice portable interfaces like the Duet.... which has both it's own DI and a phantom powered Mic preamp if you want to use an external powered DI box (but you should not need to, and I'd really start by going into it's own DI). Pro DI boxes get used when you have no DI inputs, where you need to split both to a local monitoring amp and recorder or where you want transformer isolation to help with hum problems... (any usually my first choice for a handy DI box to have would be to start with a good passive DI box). Or even the Apogee Jam/Jam 96k if space/portability is a premium and ll you want to do is track guitar with a small compact/portable unit and are happy to listen to the output using say headphones off your Mac's built in audio. Personally I'd go for the Duet, and it is also usable with iPhones/iPads if you want to be even more portable. You do need a full version of Pro Tools 9 or higher to work with it or any other non-Avid interface.

[Elnico50]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

I suspect anything is an improvement on the Solo, but if you like Apogee or UAD product they both make nice stuff including small desktop interfaces. Apogee also makes a nice portable interfaces like the Duet.... which has both it's own DI and a phantom powered Mic preamp if you want to use an external powered DI box (but you should not need to, and I'd really start by going into it's own DI). Pro DI boxes get used when you have no DI inputs, where you need to split both to a local monitoring amp and recorder or where you want transformer isolation to help with hum problems... (any usually my first choice for a handy DI box to have would be to start with a good passive DI box). Or even the Apogee Jam/Jam 96k if space/portability is a premium and ll you want to do is track guitar with a small compact/portable unit and are happy to listen to the output using say headphones off your Mac's built in audio. Personally I'd go for the Duet, and it is also usable with iPhones/iPads if you want to be even more portable. You do need a full version of Pro Tools 9 or higher to work with it or any other non-Avid interface.

THanks, this is good advice. Seemed so simple to me to begin with.... I wasn't happy with the sound plugged directly into the Avid. Very woolly and unnatural... so I figured get a good quality active DI say the J48 or the new Neve ...the J48 made a difference but the signal's just too hot.

Don't want to roll off the guitar volume as trying to capture the natural sound of the guitar with volume pot dimed. I play and record rock and usually mic my Marshall JCM 800 and Engl amps. Here's my last recording, was mixed by Mike Fraser ... and yes I micd up my guitar cabs with a 57 straight into the Avid Fast Track Solo lol

https://soundcloud.com/nick-miller-2...-universe-full

Right now I don't have my amps (they're in Australia) .... so doing my best to capture guitar parts as high quality and close to original guitar sound as possible. I thought the J48 would do the trick but looks like a better interface is the way to go.

Here's two clips (had to convert to mp3) - one is direct into the Solo, and one with the J48. You can hear the clipping on the heavier chords. To me , it's not a volume difference, the tone with the J48 is improved IMO. Just the clipping on the heavy chords.

But as our friend posted earlier, if 15db pad is needed and signal's still too hot then something aint right somewhere.

http://k003.kiwi6.com/hotlink/hhruc3..._pro_tools.mp3

http://k003.kiwi6.com/hotlink/pzw0nb...ial_J48-01.mp3

Gah this seems like it should be so simple lol. Guitar into pro tools, best sound and natural and uncolored as possible.

[mesaone]

Elnico, you may have said so earlier but I'm still unclear. Have you tried engaging the pad on the J48, and if so are you satisfied with the tone (versus running guitar through the J48 with pad disengaged)?

[Elnico50]

Originally Posted by mesaone

Elnico, you may have said so earlier but I'm still unclear. Have you tried engaging the pad on the J48, and if so are you satisfied with the tone (versus running guitar through the J48 with pad disengaged)?

Yes am already engaging the 15dB pad on the J48. There's no clipping on "normal" level guitar parts, just the meaty and nasty stuff.

But I want to get this right the first time, don't want to spend hours recording then realize the sound's going to be really hard to mix into something useable because I've used the wrong tool

[Darryl Ramm]

I hope you are monitoring this though a guitar sim plugin. I'm hearing a lot of discussion about "best sound" and that is not always obvious to judge what that means with a dry signal (well you OK you probably don't want lots of hum).

If you are not using one, go grab a copy of Positive Grid Bias Deskstop. And try tracking with and reampng with that. And then compare DI inputs once you have a wet tone you like.

[Elnico50]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

I hope you are monitoring this though a guitar sim plugin. I'm hearing a lot of discussion about "best sound" and that is not always obvious to judge what that means with a dry signal (well you OK you probably don't want lots of hum).

If you are not using one, go grab a copy of Positive Grid Bias Deskstop. And try tracking with and reampng with that. And then compare DI inputs once you have a wet tone you like.

Wet tone? Wouldn't it make sense to reamp with as close to the original sound of the guitar as possible? Eg playing the dry guitar back through an amp so the dynamics, pick attack and playing resemble the guitar plugged straight into the amp? And mic'ing the amp?

If one uses a plugin or amp sim as the reference, that could completely throw one off due to the plugins' EQ and coloring of the sound.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by Elnico50

Wet tone? Wouldn't it make sense to reamp with as close to the original sound of the guitar as possible? Eg playing the dry guitar back through an amp so the dynamics, pick attack and playing resemble the guitar plugged straight into the amp? And mic'ing the amp?

If one uses a plugin or amp sim as the reference, that could completely throw one off due to the plugins' EQ and coloring of the sound.

Dynamics? Pick attack? Ah you really need to get out more and try a good amp sim And even if you will reamp though a real amp, and that is all great, and may well soudn better, you will likely benefit a lot from having access to amp and cab sims when you need them, or to blend in with your live amp/cab.

You really want some way to get a wet signal to help you judge the dry signal. If you don't have an amp with you then find a sim plugin. Whether you use that all the time to track with or not us up to you, but I could not imagine trying to track/monitor dry... talk about being "thrown off".

[Elnico50]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Dynamics? Pick attack? Ah you really need to get out more and try a good amp sim And even if you will reamp though a real amp, and that is all great, and may well soudn better, you will likely benefit a lot from having access to amp and cab sims when you need them, or to blend in with your live amp/cab.

You really want some way to get a wet signal to help you judge the dry signal. If you don't have an amp with you then find a sim plugin. Whether you use that all the time to track with or not us up to you, but I could not imagine trying to track/monitor dry... talk about being "thrown off".

Yes totally agree there - I use amplitube or Scuffham S Gear to track. The recorded dry track is what I'm most concerned with

Just realised I have an iRig HD.... apparently can plug straight into mac and record to PT up to 96Khz.... and is similar to the apogee jam... and has a gain control

This could be all I might have needed all along. Just need the USB cable for it to plug into the Mac which I left in Australia

[Darryl Ramm]

OK cool, we are all on the same page.

I would try out the iRig HD, and if that does not work look at a higher end interface and/or attenuator.

Picking up an attenuator or two may not be a bad idea, they are always handy to have in the toolkit, and they are small since you are traveling.