Is it just me or do cab sims and DI recordings sound like..

[scottosan]

Lets say not good.

I'm not trying to be a tone snob or anything. I like clips as much as the next guy, but some of the recordings are just doing no justice to some of the pedals.  I mean they have a brittle top end and no warmth.  I'm actually scared to make some of the pedals I've heard clips from even though everyone claims to be good. I mean how many of us play through cab sims instead of amps?

Don't take this the wrong way, I'm just wondering everyones opinion.

[Khas Evets]

I agree. Especially for making samples of boosters, which work their magic on tubes. I've yet to hear a great dsp emulation. On the other hand, they're convenient and quick and produce a passable sound in a pinch.

[Paul Marossy]

I mean how many of us play through cab sims instead of amps?

I hear what you're saying, but for "quiet" recording, cab simulators can work well or at least OK. I'll agree that soundclips often don't represent the way a circuit really sounds very well.

[bwanasonic]

I'm allergic to most *direct to PC* clips myself. But OTOH, say I have a nice pedal, and a nice guitar, and a nice tube amp, and a nice microphone, and record a nice soundclip. It would be just as irrelevant to a kid with a cheap guitar and a cheap SS practice amp. Particularly when you are talking about gain/OD/distortion FX, variables like tube vs. SS, passive vs. active pickups, amp settings, it makes a finding a useful frame of reference difficult. That's why I think it's vital to have an example of both the straight and *effected* signal, and to list the equipment used for the clip.

Kerry M

[NaBo]

Obviously the quality of cab sim/DI recordings depends heavily on the dude's sound card.  I'm sure if someone poured their money into a computer as opposed to guitar gear, they'd get better results.  Either way, I'd rather have some clue as to how a circuit affects the signal from a crappy sample, than have nothing at all to go by.  ODs, Distortions, Fuzzes, etc probably will sound like crap, and definitely won't sound the same through an amp.  But personally, I'd never build stuff like a trem without hearing the min and max rates, or a delay without hearing the max time/repeats or general 'quality'.  I don't require people to hit the studio just to help me get a clue as to what im building.  I'm actually just grateful they took the time and bandwidth to help me out to whatever extent their sound clip does.

My two cents anyway...

[MartyMart]

I agree in general with your sentiments scotto but ... I've got very good results with my Marshall JMP-1, which has "cab sim" outputs, based on the "Palmer" cab sims I think, which are highly regarded.
Anyway, it records well and is as "close" to a miked amp as I've ever heard, after all it is a real "valve" pre-amp and therefore reacts in he correct way !!  ( unlike my POD !! )

EDIT : that is, JMP-1  going through a mackie 8 buss/balanced outs to MOTU sound card, so it makes a big difference in quality I guess ....
also the JMP-1 channels can be "EQ'd"
BTW  anyone built the ROG condor ?  comments ?

Marty.

[Eb7+9]

Obviously the quality of cab sim/DI recordings depends heavily on the dude's sound card

... and on the type of capacitor used in front the A/D converter ...

I say, don't let Marketing Aimed At Bored Bedroom Guitarists ruin the world any more !

... burn your fecken PODs !! burn your fecken PODs !!        ...  :wink:

[RDV]

I look at sound samples like I do TV. If you don't like a program, don't watch it.

RDV

[StephenGiles]

Every so often (translate that into Spanish!) on a Sunday afternoon, my wife is out at her monthly sing - and my neighbours are away for the weekend - at the same time. This gives me a chance to turn my amp up to 11 with a mike in front and record something. Believe me that sound is very difficult to simulate, that of a speaker frying under the volume.

But otherwise a simulator sounds OK through headphones up loud.
Stephen

[Paul Marossy]

To me the bottom line is that any soundclip, no matter how it's recorded, will not be truly representative of how a particular circuit will sound with your amp, your guitar, your other effects, your style/technique, your guitar amp, how you EQ your stuff, etc., etc.

I like how runoffgroove/home-wrecker does their soundclips - they tell you what equipment is used and how it's recorded. I'd rather have some kind of soundclip than none at all...  :wink:

[gotdabluz]

Every so often (translate that into Spanish!)

de vez en cuando

[RDV]

...ass?

RDV

[mojotron]

To me the bottom line is that any soundclip, no matter how it's recorded, will not be truly representative of how a particular circuit will sound with your amp, your guitar, your other effects, your style/technique, your guitar amp, how you EQ your stuff, etc., etc.

True, I have to agree... However, what I have done for effects sound clips - and I have not recorded clips for a while - too busy building, testing.... so I need to get some done. BUT, what I have done is I run my effects into a Beringer V-Amp Pro (using by-passed, or the cleanest non-amp sim settings - ussually just a bit of reverb and a 1x12 or 4x12 cab sim) then into a Roland VS880 digital recorder, then I make MP3s from the recorder output.... The sound is much more like a studio recording. Sometimes I run in some drum tracks from a BOSS drum machine - which sound a little stiff - rhythmically - , but pass for real drums most of the time....

Also I have run my TubeWorks RT2100R (which is a kind-of tricked out and has some really nice mid-60's Mullard 12AX7s) amp's line-out into the V-Amp Pro in bypass mode - using just a cab-sim; with the Roland recorder it sounds just like my amp run through one of my cabs. This gives me a tube amp sound w/just the right amount of signal buffering....

When I get to recording cllips for my pedals I will try one of the cab sims I've built and see if the method of recording is any different. I think I can by-pass the Beringer all together and go right into the Roland... Although it won't be until next week at the earliest before I can get to it, I'll give it a try and post what I get.

I think some of Fulltone's mp3s (the one for the '69...) are about the best I have heard for giving you an idea of the sound of the effect... I have always thought having a 2 or 3 mic (I like SM57s) approach sounded best when the right person (not me :oops:) was running the recording+mics. I am just not that good with mics, but I think the V-Amp(in by-pass mode)->VS880 has been an excellent alternative... at least for recording guitar stuff...