# Recording Electric Guitars Direct



## Nate Johnson (Aug 30, 2020)

I'm a guitar player that abandoned playing in bands and eventually ditched all my electrics in favor of steel/nylon strings. However, I've got a project in mind that definitely motivates me to snag an electric again. My weapon of choice is (and will always be) a traditional Strat. In this day and age I'd prefer recording direct (no amps) and utilizing the myriad of software amps and pedals that exist. The last time I fooled around with this concept, I remember being supremely annoyed by noise interference from pickups being too close to computer/electronic sources. I need to be able to sit in front of my computer just like I would be with a midi keyboard.

1. Any suggestions or thoughts as to how to combat this noise? Should I be putting some sort of magical DI box variant (something from Radial) in between the Strat and audio interface? 

2. What's everyone's favorite software guitar amp and pedals emulation these days? I've got Logic, so I'll naturally spend time with the stock stuff. The next option would naturally be Guitar Rig. But I'm sure there's a zillion options out there!


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## Technostica (Aug 30, 2020)

Noiseless pickups!


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## Nate Johnson (Aug 30, 2020)

Technostica said:


> Noiseless pickups!



Probably a good idea!


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## Technostica (Aug 30, 2020)

Quite a few Strats come with them as stock including some Mexican models:
Fender Deluxe Roadhouse Stratocaster


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## Collywobbles (Aug 30, 2020)

tomorrowstops said:


> 1. Any suggestions or thoughts as to how to combat this noise? Should I be putting some sort of magical DI box variant (something from Radial) in between the Strat and audio interface?



Hi there! Turning your chair and finding a "null" will sometimes work to alleviate the noise from single coils. As far as noiseless pickups go, I don't personally own any, but I know that some folks do not like their sound at all, so I would recommend trying some out before buying if possible.

It might also be a good idea to make sure that there aren't any underlying grounding or noise issues with your guitar and/or setup in general.



tomorrowstops said:


> 2. What's everyone's favorite software guitar amp and pedals emulation these days? I've got Logic, so I'll naturally spend time with the stock stuff. The next option would naturally be Guitar Rig. But I'm sure there's a zillion options out there!



Guitar Rig 5 falls firmly in the "jack of all trades, master of none" category. It's a good entry point and will make sure that you can get some ballpark tones for most styles. I would advise against buying it outright, as you can get it with some of the NI bundles and the standalone price is too high. If you do end up getting it at some point, the presets are generally pretty bad imo, so try to make your own patches.

S-gear by Scuffham Amps is great for the blues/country/rock type stuff. There is a free trial/demo available on their site. 

Mercuriall's Spark and Euphoria are another two of my favourites and they cater well towards the more marshall-ey rock stuff. Trial versions are also available for those two. Pete Thorn did great demos for both of these on his Youtube if you want to hear them.

For modern metal/high gain stuff, check out NeuralDsp. Some of their packages (Archetype: Nolly, Cory Wong) definitely cover more ground than their "image" would have you believe. They also offer trials for all their stuff so be sure to check them out as well.

Plugin Alliance/brainworx also have a bunch of amps (with trial versions of course), but personally I haven't really gotten along with any of the ones I've tried. Other folks seem to like them though, so by all means check them out too.

There are obviously tons of other options, but these are currently at the top of the food-chain as far as I'm concerned. Highly subjective of course, but that is why all the recommendations have demo versions available (please, do not take my word for it!).


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## Nate Johnson (Aug 30, 2020)

@Collywobbles - thanks for the detailed suggestions! I don’t think any my previous guitars had noiseless, I always remember swapping out pickups for the Duncan Antiquities. But for sure I’m out of touch with todays options! 

I’m digging through old sessions on my harddrive to remind myself where I landed tracking guitars direct. The noise isn’t bad as I remember. IIRC my last Strat was some weirdo Mexican that I never altered, so for sure I’ll mess around with whatever I get next. I really wish I had kept my beautiful American series strat from 2002. Along with the other 20+ guitars I’ve owned!!

Software amp/pedal sims will be fun to try out as I’m sure they’ve all come a long way since my last go around.


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## SupremeFist (Aug 30, 2020)

Guitar Rig is very dated and bad-sounding these days. I record with a Helix (and reamp if I want with the Helix Native plugin, which is a cheap add-on if you have one of the hardware devices). But the inbuilt Logic amp sims are really not bad!


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## Nate Johnson (Aug 30, 2020)

SupremeFist said:


> But the inbuilt Logic amp sims are really not bad!



Yeah that was my impression! I remember being surprised anyways


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## easyrider (Aug 30, 2020)

IK Amplitube is a hoot...it has some of the best Fender amps in the Market, 

Guitar Rig needs an update...

if you can’t get a decent sound with Amplitu then something’s not right...


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## telecode101 (Aug 30, 2020)

..


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## DimensionsTomorrow (Sep 19, 2020)

It’s pricey, but I really like the Strymon Iridium (and the Flint). Not a ton of models, but all of them are really classy.

I haven’t bonded with the high-end modeling stuff I’ve tried like Neural DSP and Nembrini for some reason.

One really quirky virtual amp that I like a lot is the Klevgrand Stark. It’s not too pricey and has some good sounds (although I lean more toward jazzy and vintage tones than heavy distorted stuff).







I have a US strat (my first guitar from 1991) and Japanese tele, but I’m really jonesing for a baritone guitar at the moment. The new limited run Squier Paranormal Series Baritone Cabronita Telecaster (“The Lowrider”) is calling to me. I love P90s and the price is perfect. I need a new guitar like I need a hole in the head, but I will be ticked if I miss out on this as it’s perfect for my needs.


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## Nate Johnson (Sep 19, 2020)

DimensionsTomorrow said:


> It’s pricey, but I really like the Strymon Iridium (and the Flint). Not a ton of models, but all of them are really classy.
> 
> I haven’t bonded with the high-end modeling stuff I’ve tried like Neural DSP and Nembrini for some reason.
> 
> ...




That might be the perfect solution right there! Like you (surprise) I look for more jazzy/vintage sounds. Thanks for that recommendation!


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## DimensionsTomorrow (Sep 19, 2020)

There’s a demo version I believe so worth giving it a try. While you probably won’t make this mistake, for the longest time I wasn’t opening the pluginin stereo mode in Logic, so I couldn’t take advantage of the built-in stereo imaging function.

Klevgrand occasionally does sales, but their stuff isn’t all that pricey if you don’t feel like waiting until Black Friday.

I think you’ll really like it. It kind of reminds me of a digital version of those quirky old tube amps from the 1960s. In fact, I just sold this old Kay from the 1960s recently. I still have the ‘70s Vibro Champ and that really cool old ‘70s Japanese transistor amp, which has a great Spaghetti Western meets Sonic Youth vibe to it (it feeds back in a beautiful way when you set the built in spring reverb tank to full).


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## Living Fossil (Sep 19, 2020)

For cleaning up recorded E-Guitars and E-Basses i use RX a lot.

When it comes to Amp simps, i used to use the Amplitube stuff a lot (with all those expansions), however, i basically completely replaced it by some PlugInAlliance stuff.
Favorites are: Fuchs OS50 (best clean sound i've heard ITB) and the Chandler GVT.
For Basses, their Ampeg SVT-VR is the first one that makes me really happy.

For some vintage tones, i also like the Fuse Audio Labs F-59

I think you can get a good sound out of different constellations, however, these mentioned ones get me there much faster...


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## DimensionsTomorrow (Sep 19, 2020)

Living Fossil said:


> For some vintage tones, i also like the Fuse Audio Labs F-59



That looks interesting! I didn’t know that one.

I love tweed tones. I used to have a Fender Japan Tweed Champ with a built in spring reverb. Kind of a rare amp. Wish I hadn’t let it go. Another great tweed sound I shouldn’t have let go was the first generation Catalinbread Formula No 5. Such a nice tone on that pedal. Living in Japan, virtual amps are sadly much better of a fit than real amps (both in terms of noise and space). My pedal and amp collection has really shrunk, which reminds me I should put up a few more things on the auctions. 😢


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## NekujaK (Sep 19, 2020)

Just to add to the myriad of virtual amp choices, another really great one that I keep coming back to is the trio of boutique PRS amps from Waves. Their older GTR amp sims should be avoided, but the PRS stuff is the real deal.

As for pickup noise, the 60hz hum is a common artifact of single coil pickups, and when I record my Strat I usually just rotate my chair until I find a position where it becomes silent. I've never had to resort to any other measures.


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## doctoremmet (Sep 19, 2020)

DimensionsTomorrow said:


> Spaghetti Western meets Sonic Youth vibe


That sounds awesome, just reading it. I am now imagining Teenage Riot with a Morricone arrangement, and it sounds good it my mind!


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## DimensionsTomorrow (Sep 19, 2020)

doctoremmet said:


> That sounds awesome, just reading it. I am now imagining Teenage Riot with a Morricone arrangement, and it sounds good it my mind!



Crap. Now I REALLY want to buy that baritone guitar. 😂


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## telecode101 (Sep 19, 2020)

..


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## Stringtree (Sep 19, 2020)

My Focusrite ISA Two is a great way to get full-flavor tones into the DAW. 

The yellow Radial reamp thingy is amazing getting noiseless signals into the amp, which I then mic. 

Lots of good answers here. I love my Tele, but its simple pickups are really good antennas.


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## Loïc D (Sep 20, 2020)

Living Fossil said:


> For Basses, their Ampeg SVT-VR is the first one that makes me really happy.


Best secret tip : use it on guitars 
My last track features a Tele recorded dry (closely watch the peaks!) into PA SVT.


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## GtrString (Sep 23, 2020)

A Boss NS-2 is the secret weapon for noise w/single coils. The buffer in it also works well with direct recording. About 50$ used.


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## TravB (Sep 23, 2020)

Be wary of "instrument" inputs on computer audio interfaces, many of them are weak/inadequate. The DI suggestions here are good, just make sure whatever input used has at least 1M Ohm impedence. Doing so puts the proper load on the pickups so they react and "feel" like they do when plugged into a real amp.


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## olsontex (Sep 23, 2020)

Nate - you sound just like me. I was never exclusively an electric player but the tonal compromises of incorporating an acoustic in a bar band setting were below my personal Mendoza line of acceptability. When I migrated away from bands and started performing as a solo singer/acoustic guitarist, my electrics went in the closet and I never looked back... until I stopped performing and started recording and producing my music. 

My recordings still aren't fully reflecting the tone I want for either acoustic or electric guitars so please take my comments with the mindset that I'm far from being an expert. However, I have managed to generate clean electric guitar recordings that sit well in my mixes.

Pickup Hum/Buzz - I ran into this problem with a custom outfitted with double coil pickups and it was unresolvable in the tracking phase. I was able to remove most of the noise through a combination of precision frequency cuts, tediously removing silent sections from the track (in increments as short as 1 second), and Izotope RX 7. I've had no problems with my Telecaster, Steinberger, or Line 6 Variax so I'd concur with the earlier poster who mentioned the problem is likely pickup specific. I had the same results through my Babyface Pro FS as I did through my previous entry level Focusrite so at least in my case it wasn't interface or DAW related.

Fingers and Hands - I can't emphasize enough the criticality of focusing on picking and fretting technique. This was a major problem for me when I first picked up the electric again. I'm pretty sure I had gone at least a decade without using a pick and I no longer had the picking precision to cleanly play a lead. Strumming or chunking chords felt almost as alien after years of exclusively finger-picking. Even though I was the only one in the room it felt absolutely humiliating and demoralizing. I knew how to play guitar in my sleep so what the heck was happening! Fretting chords wasn't challenging but because it's so much easier on an electric I found myself getting lazy with finger placement and arc, and that sloppiness generated audible fret buzz and unintentional muted notes in my recordings. I stopped recording for a few weeks and went through almost beginner level exercises to regain muscle memory. As an acoustic player I'm sure you are intimately familiar with just how exposed you are as even minor mistakes can't be covered up. I found the same to be true for electrics in a recording scenario.

Virtual Amps - I've tried a majority of them and have determined that the ones I like the most (and recommend) in order are Scuffham S-Gear, Neural DSP Archetype: Cory Wong, and Nembrini MRH810. I'm a Presonus Studio One user and I've even found their stock Ampire (latest gen) to be more effective for certain applications than a lot of the more expensive commercial options. My tone is predominantly clean and when I incorporate dirt it's more overdrive than distortion. These amp recommendations are based on this tonal preference.

Outboard (Re-amp)- I'm still in the early stages of adopting a hybrid setup. For the exception of a Roland Jazz Chorus 120, I jettison all of my amps and cabs years ago. I try not to think about it because what I considered functional at time is now sought after in-demand gear. I don't know how well suited this amp is for re-amping but I aim to find out in the near future. The logic of re-amping to bring in a bit of analog warmth makes perfect sense to me, no different than the benefit of tracking through outboard preamps, EQs, and compressors. 

Outboard (mixing, mastering, tracking) - I am convinced at this point that there no reason to mix outside of the box. I'm still undecided on how beneficial it is to master with outboard gear and that might be simply a matter of not having the right outboard gear for mastering. I am equally convinced of the tonal limitations of tracking entirely in a virtual realm. How convinced? All I have is a Grace Felix preamp and an AEA TRP preamp, and I've only used them on the vocals and acoustic guitars of my last three recordings. I tried it out on a whim because I wanted a darker and more atmospheric tone that I thought my ribbon mic might provide. The contrast of using these preamps vs. simply routing mics through an interface was immediately clear. I am highly optimistic that using less transparent and purposely built units for recording will be even dramatic (currently evaluating 500 series options). 

I don't know yet if it will make a big difference for virtual instruments or summing purposes but I bet a hybrid approach for tracking electric guitars would be beneficial. A majority of my plugin spend has been on channel strips, transformers, preamps, saturators, compressors, and EQs that emulate iconic analog gear. I'm fairly happy with the results of using these plugins on virtual keys, synths, and orchestral instruments. It's a controversial topic on certain other boards and my comment would be met with ridicule there. On VI it seems people maintain a more open-minded perspective.

One last comment. I don't use a hardware D.I. box but it makes sense that it could improve your recordings. If you plan to stay in the box, I do have a "better than all other options" virtual D.I. recommendation. Kush makes a plugin called REDDI that is designed to serve as a D.I. for bass. I've used on a large array of instrument types (including vocals) and I love it.


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## SupremeFist (Sep 23, 2020)

Fwiw the Helix boxes (including, I believe, the HX Stomp) are all excellent DI interfaces, having switchable impedance amongst other things.


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## Sleeper Hold (Sep 23, 2020)

I have a mexican Fender Telecaster with noiseless pickups and I can confirm that they are already very helpful on their own.


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## elpedro (Sep 23, 2020)

i use the strymon iridium, it sounds great and takes pedals really well. I used amp sims before that, but found latency and timing issues annoying and time consuming to fix. I also like the two notes CABM (cab sim)with the captor(loadbox) as a solution to record my real amp silently. (The all in one version of that is now the new captorx). The iridium is close, and a lot easier to use, but sometimes I just need the interaction with a real amp, nothing beats “riding the tubes”, so I’ll use the two notes stuff.


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## Mr Mindcrime (Sep 23, 2020)

Regarding Amp Sims .... I too have quite a few and the one I'm using now is S-gear by Scuffham Amps. I just love this sound. It's not a heavy, metal type of sound (those days are behind me). I avoid Guitar Rig at all costs.

My main recording guitar is a Strat with a humbucker and two single coils. I play into the DAW through an RME UFX. 

No noise at all.


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## Nate Johnson (Sep 25, 2020)

GtrString said:


> A Boss NS-2 is the secret weapon for noise w/single coils. The buffer in it also works well with direct recording. About 50$ used.



oh wow, I remember those haha. Man oh man the NS-2. Haven't thought about that one in a while. I might have to pick one up again!


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## Nate Johnson (Sep 25, 2020)

Loïc D said:


> Best secret tip : use it on guitars
> My last track features a Tele recorded dry (closely watch the peaks!) into PA SVT.



wow - nice work on Il Magnifico! You definitely captured the Italian spirit - the bass guitar work even reminds me of Goblin.


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## MartinH. (Sep 25, 2020)

TravB said:


> Be wary of "instrument" inputs on computer audio interfaces, many of them are weak/inadequate. The DI suggestions here are good, just make sure whatever input used has at least 1M Ohm impedence. Doing so puts the proper load on the pickups so they react and "feel" like they do when plugged into a real amp.



How do I find out if my interface's input is adequate? It's a Focursrite Scarlet Solo I think. But there are several different versions of it I believe.


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## Nate Johnson (Sep 25, 2020)

@olsontex - thank you for that - I haven't stopped to think about picking up a pick again. I used to have a killer trem-picking technique, which I'm sure I've lost the edge to. 

Thanks to all of you for the recommendations and general wisdom! My biggest 'problem' right now is finding a guitar. Since when does every USED Strat I want cost $800-$1000? Sheesh. Not even USA stuff. Someone needs to hook me up with a 60's reissue in a cool color for like $500 tops.


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## jcrosby (Sep 25, 2020)

SupremeFist said:


> Guitar Rig is very dated and bad-sounding these days. I record with a Helix (and reamp if I want with the Helix Native plugin, which is a cheap add-on if you have one of the hardware devices). But the inbuilt Logic amp sims are really not bad!


Funny. I just started a new project yesterday after not working with guitars for a bit... I was sure I was gonna settle on Softube's Vintage Amp Room. Surprisingly I preferred Logic's Amps on almost every track. Logic's Amps also have a nice easter egg I discovered...

The Amp Designer has a really nice clean (non-amp) preamp called... what else... _Clean Preamp_  Bass Amp designer looks to have an Avalon-esque DI emulation called _DI Box_. Both have some tone settings and DI box sounds nice if you push the boost. After chaining the _DI box_ into a few different logic amp models Amp Designer won out and ST wound up on a single track out 6. The amp spring reverbs are actually pretty damn good as well..

I really didn't expect this. I'm kind of surprised I preferred these over ST. The difference wasn't even subtle... ST was kind of brittle in comparison.


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## Monkberry (Sep 25, 2020)

I'm also a fan of the Neural DSP Cory Wong amp sim as well as the Plini model for clean to overdriven sounds. Most amp sims have a noise supressor built in so you can address the single coils by setting the sensitivity and threshold. You could also get Izotope RX8, which even offers an guitar/amp buzz reduction tool but the intro price is $299, so unless you need all the other treatment options it's a bit steep. I also still like the Amplitube Fender 2 Collection on occasion. I'm a firm believer in noiseless pickups for recording as it just makes the trip in easier.


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## Crowe (Sep 25, 2020)

I use a Harley Benton Truetone on neglectable settings as a pre-amp/amp sim which I then reamp in either Guitar Rig or Amplitube. Sounds fine.

I haven't noticed much hum, to be honest so I don't know about that.


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## jsnleo (Sep 26, 2020)

Guitar is my main instrument and I've been a professional guitarist for many years. I'm a big nerd when it comes to guitar gear and have been buying boutique guitars, amps, cabs and pedals since 2010. I now still have about 10 boutique amps and a few boutique cabs and I've played countless boutique ones. I used to mic the cab all the time but then I switched to Suhr Reactive Load and then Reactive Load IR. I'm tired of buying IRs so I got a Universal Audio OX and I was pretty happy with it. Then I got a Kemper and also an Axe-Fx III and felt pretty happy too. But then I bought a few Neural DSP plugins and recently I barely use my amps or Axe-Fx III. It's that good. But if I want overdrive tones, I'll still use my amps. I'm quite surprised how technology changes everything nowadays.


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## Rex282 (Sep 26, 2020)

Nate Johnson said:


> @olsontex - thank you for that - I haven't stopped to think about picking up a pick again. I used to have a killer trem-picking technique, which I'm sure I've lost the edge to.
> 
> Thanks to all of you for the recommendations and general wisdom! My biggest 'problem' right now is finding a guitar. Since when does every USED Strat I want cost $800-$1000? Sheesh. Not even USA stuff. Someone needs to hook me up with a 60's reissue in a cool color for like $500 tops.


Well you don’t have to get a “Fender” Fender you can get a Fender G&L.I got a Legacy and love it.The Alnico V PU have the vintage glassy timbre and the dual fulcrum bridge is better than the American standard IMO especially for.a Beck fan like me. I think you can get one new for around $500 I got mine on Craigslist for less than half that.


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## Nate Johnson (Sep 27, 2020)

Rex282 said:


> Well you don’t have to get a “Fender” Fender you can get a Fender G&L.I got a Legacy and love it.The Alnico V PU have the vintage glassy timbre and the dual fulcrum bridge is better than the American standard IMO especially for.a Beck fan like me. I think you can get one new for around $500 I got mine on Craigslist for less than half that.



oh cool, I'll look into that - thanks! Makes sense, given that I always mod the hell out of my strats anyways. I reeeeallly don't like the 'vintage' bridge.


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## Kony (Sep 27, 2020)

Nate Johnson said:


> My weapon of choice is (and will always be) a traditional Strat.


Reminds of the time a guitarist threatened to hit me with the neck of his guitar. I said "is that a fret?" (I'll get my coat )


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