Help me record my amp in silence.

[YamiFrankc]

Hello.

Recently i started recording at least once per week, but as I record late at night and my bedroom is next to my parents and my sisters bedrooms I cant use my amp, im stuck with guitar rig.
Been looking around and found many possible solutions, but I wanna hear from you that have more experience.

I have a Carvin V3M amp and my recording interface in a Presonus Audiobox. The amp as a Cabinet Voiced Line out, but my interface only has mic and instrument input; the speaker output is not bypassed anyway.

My first though was a isolation cab, namely the Randall Isocab, but I read that it still can leak sound(and i might need to buy a nicer mic)

I found the Two Notes Torpedo Live, which seems to be just what I want, but it is very expensive for what I do right now.

Then, I found the JDX Reactor(http://www.radialeng.com/jdx.php#) and H&K Redbox (http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RedBox5), apparently both would work for me because they take the amp output and convert it to a signal suitable to use with my interface.

Apparently I still need a dummy load in order to record silently, something live this maybe? http://corvus-audio.com/loadbox.html

Is what i found (DI box and dummy load) the best option I have, or is there something else?

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

You are correct. Unless your amp has an internal dummy load which will enable you to use it without a speaker attached, you will need to use an external attenuator with a load setting.

Easiest way to do this is with a THD Hot Plate. Run amp > Hot Plate set to Load > Line out into your interface

Then download and install TwoNotes FREE Wall Of Sound plugin. Run your direct track through that. Problem solved.

I have the Randall iso cab. It only attenuates 29-30dB which is NOTHING when you have a valve amp. I improved the bleed on mine as well as the inherent boxiness by lining the inside with Auralex foam; I also use an Auralex GRAMMA to control bass leakage and wrap the iso cab in sound proofing blankets. This gives me about 50dB of attenuation now. I jam the iso cab into a closet and you can literally watch TV whilst I am tracking in the same room, the volume is cut down that much.

But using an iso cab is a whole different ballgame in terms of engineering, fiddly bits, and production.

 

[YamiFrankc]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

Thanks!
The THD Hot Plate seems cool.
I still would need a DI box as it outputs Line level and the recommended usage of my interface is not to use line level, right?
http://youtu.be/04h4oVm0_tM?t=3m46s
Here it says the Audiobox looks for mic level signal.

 

[dominus]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

All you need is the dummy load. The cabinet voiced line out will plug into your interface. Alternatively you could run a line out from the effects send into the interface and add plugins for power amp simulation and cabinets. There's a few different solutions for that.

I like the Tom Scholz Power Soak. You don't have to buy a specific model to match ohms to the amp, it has a switch that lets you select it.

 

[Lampy H]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

I wanna get one of these.

View attachment 58669

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

Why don't you just use either an "in the box" solution such as guitar rig or the OEM stuff in logic, or an analog solution like a sansamp. Either of those options sound pretty good. If you absolutely have to have the sound of your amp, use the other solutions for late night recording and then either reamp during the day or simply rerecord the ideas that you got down and arranged the night,beforw

 

[YamiFrankc]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

The main reason is that, besides that I like the sound of the amp, it is getting literally no use at all I would like to use it and not feel bad for wasting money no something I don use lol

Sent from phone...

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

Amp sims can be a great help for writing; I use them all the time when working on new songs; then I strip off the sims and use the DI for reamping just as gibson175 described.

 

[YamiFrankc]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

Looking at it that way, reamping looks like a good option.
Options I seem to have seem toeall be around 300-400. Soei will look closely...

Sent from phone...

 

[uOpt]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

I have a Redbox and a Palmer speaker simulator, and a Scholz powersoak.

I didn't go and record all this stuff yet, but a few remarks I can make:
- the redbox needs a load, but the palmer will do
- the scholz powersoak on the lowest setting still is loud enough that you can't do power amp distortion while people sleep on the other side of an American cardboard wall
- I am too lazy to wire up the redbox. I might have tried it in the 90s but didn't record
- people are very hyper about the Palmer. I like-ish the sound but as I said I didn't really play with it. The raw power of the moving air is missing

 

[soupcon]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

See if you can find a sequis mother load used. Much better than the Palmer.

 

[dominus]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

I'll just say this -

Never use an attenuator's line out. It's just not going to give you that great of a signal for recording. Use it *just* as a load to not blow up your tube amp.

If you have an emulated line out on the amp, try using it and seeing what it sounds like. (After adding the loadbox of course!)

If not (or you don't like the tone) use the Effects Out jack and run that into the computer and add a power amp sim and cabinet sim there. You can get amazing tones that way. I haven't used a cabinet in years.

 

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

Normally I'd be on here screaming BOOGIE for gear but in this one particular case my friend:

The Rivera Rock Crusher Recording is the answer:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...e=&network=g&gclid=CLj8nqD-8MECFcpj7AodKWgAQA

You don't even need a cab. Just find the speaker recipe online and dial in the speaker frequencies into the EQ and you are set.

 

[dominus]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

Normally I'd be on here screaming BOOGIE for gear but in this one particular case my friend:

The Rivera Rock Crusher Recording is the answer:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...e=&network=g&gclid=CLj8nqD-8MECFcpj7AodKWgAQA

You don't even need a cab. Just find the speaker recipe online and dial in the speaker frequencies into the EQ and you are set.

I had a regular Rock Crusher. If you're going into the computer (and the OP *is*), why not just add the IRs for free rather than paying an extra $400 to EQ them in yourself?

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

Sounds like that much money just to be able to use your amp is a waste IMO. Just using this for demo's and such? I'd stick to amp sims or sansamps/ pods whatever for this use. Never heard anything good coming out of a line out of an amp, regardless of what is in the chain.

My opinion? Block some time during the day to record or find a suitable quiet solution for your needs. Take your $300-$400 and save that up towards better recording gear for the future.

 

[YamiFrankc]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

This has been getting so many answers and I thank you all for that .
I will wait some time before buying something, wait for a sale or cheap used ooe.
But what kamanda~sd says is true, rigth now I'm only starting\learning to record to use that kind of money on it

Sent from phone...

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

I'll just say this -

Never use an attenuator's line out. It's just not going to give you that great of a signal for recording. Use it *just* as a load to not blow up your tube amp.

S Never heard anything good coming out of a line out of an amp, regardless of what is in the chain.

I beg to differ with both of these sentiments. This is a mix I threw together in 20 minutes using the following chain:

gtr > amp > line out > DAW > impulse response

and

gtr > amp > hot plate > line out > DAW > impulse response



Very raw/quick & dirty but it proves that you CAN get good results using the line out from your amp or attenuator.

 

[YamiFrankc]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

That sounds very good.
Not only the guitar tone, the music I also like.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

Thanks!

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Help me record my amp in silence.

Sounds like a line out to me...all preamp, super crunchy, stiff/stale. If that's what you like then by all means, go for it! I think even a pod or modern amp sims will get you there or better. Once again, if your just demoing and stuff that's totally fine (I've got some pretty bad pod tones on quick demos myself), I'm just saying don't spend your money to achieve that.