What amps and how do you record yours?

[Sprocket]

Shiggity's new amp topic has got me curious what kinda amps members are using how you go about recording them?

Ive got several amps that Ive aquired through "good deals" over the last two years on Craigslist, I dont think I will ever buy a "new" amp again.
Currently Ive got 2 Roland Micro Cubes, I love the damn things!
2 Sliverfaced Fender Champs(think "stereo GigaDelay"!)


Blonde Blues Jr


...and a Tweed Bassman RI


Im not a huge fan of modeling, my previous Vox AD30vt broke me of that...as well as buying new amps. So the Micro BR's modeling amps arent really what Im leaning towards for recording...so Im REALLY open to suggestions for recording what Ive got...cause I really like firing up a tube amp a lil more than I do this Micro BR.

I tried to mic my Bassman last night at a low volume with "the Sony mic" using "LIN" as the input. I was able to hear the amp well through headphones(and sitting next to the amp doenst hurt) along with my training MP3 "48" sent me...I had fun and felt at home playing along with tones I enjoy. BUT when I went to record where I was at(settings wise) I got a bunch of background noise, ceiling fan and AC mostly...and a nipped up cat raising hell through my room. I tried some noise suppression but it didnt really help, just lost some hangtime on the notes fading.
So Im curious, whatchu got and how are you recording it?
...pics/amp-porn is nice too

[dwardzala]

I have a Fender SuperchampXD (tube amp and modeling amp in one) which I mic with a Shure SM57 into a BR600.  I seem to get the best results positioning the mic about 8 inches away and off axis of the speaker.

My guess is that you may need to crank your amp up a bit to "drown" out the background noise.  If that's not possible, you could build an enclosure for your amp or put it in a small closet.

[AndyR]

I have a variety of amps knocking about, my main one being a Laney Protube 50W master volume 1x12 combo.

I got it new in 1982/3, and gigged with it for many years. It's essentially a "clone" of a single channel Marshall 50W m/v at the time - Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence, Master. It kicks serious @rse and if I was playing live I'd get it overhauled and it would be in action again...

BUT! I can't use it where we live - to get decent sounds, and avoid the problems you're having, it would have to be TOO loud...

So I converted to modellors several years ago.

POD 2.0 was my first one - stunning, but lacking a bit of clarity now, for my liking.
POD XT Live was next - very good for cleans, and high gain, but not quite there for my favourite "just cooking" sounds. It's fully loaded with expansion packs, and I still use it for my bass parts.
VOX Tonelab LE - my current one. I'm stunned by it - beats the POD XT in the areas I want it to. I believe it's got the same guts as your AD30vt had? I've not heard one of the valvetronix amps myself, but word seems to be that the technology seems to work better as a straight modellor into a desk rather than as the guts of an amp...

I've experimented a little bit with the MBR models, I think they're great, I'd have no fear using them travelling. I'm sure, with time, I could get them to do very usable tones... but seeing as I have many hours of fiddling invested in the Tonelab and POD XT, and all I have to do is switch 'em on and plug in, I always use those at the moment...

Of course, we're never happy with our kit, and I am currently watching and listening to a bunch of love for the AxeFX from several users on the Bare Knuckles Pickups forum. There's one particular guy who is producing stunning clips from it now... enough to get me interested.

I might go for an AxeFX in the future - but we are entering a completely different ballpark price-wise than the Line6/VOX offerings!

[Greeny]

I don't have an amp anymore. I gave my old Fender one to my son, as I never used it. Everything I do now is straight into the BR with the record button on! I would like (oneday) to have a Vox valve amp - just a small one - for recording and playing around with. Or maybe an Orange Tiny Terror, lol.

[AndyR]

I don't have an amp anymore. I gave my old Fender one to my son, as I never used it. Everything I do now is straight into the BR with the record button on! I would like (oneday) to have a Vox valve amp - just a small one - for recording and playing around with. Or maybe an Orange Tiny Terror, lol.

Have a look for VOX's new 4 watter Greeny - AC4TV I think it's called - I've not heard one or seen one yet, but I've heard good reports of it, and it's not terribly expensive

[Greeny]

I don't have an amp anymore. I gave my old Fender one to my son, as I never used it. Everything I do now is straight into the BR with the record button on! I would like (oneday) to have a Vox valve amp - just a small one - for recording and playing around with. Or maybe an Orange Tiny Terror, lol.

Have a look for VOX's new 4 watter Greeny - AC4TV I think it's called - I've not heard one or seen one yet, but I've heard good reports of it, and it's not terribly expensive

It got a glowing review in this months 'Guitarist' magazine. Yes... it's on the desire list!

[Sprocket]

I kinda got the impression Id have to go louder to record...thanks for the replies.

One other observation when I was trying to record my Bassman, Im able to jump the bright channel to the normal channel to get a heavier tone out of BOTH channels...so while plugged into bright #2 I installed a jumper cable in bright #1 and took the other end(that would normally goto the other channel)  and plugged it into the MBR...kind of a crude effects loop...if you have an effects loop you could do similar and use your amps preamp to record dirrectly instead of mic'ing.

[guitarron]

i use several amps- i use sm57's and sp c1 condenser(sometimes)
the signal chain is not always the same though
i am not a fan of miking amps with the mbr-maybe if i had a better stand

[Sprocket]

i use several amps- i use sm57's and sp c1 condenser(sometimes)
the signal chain is not always the same though
i am not a fan of miking amps with the mbr-maybe if i had a better stand

But dont you need some kinda preamp for the SM57???

[guitarron]

my 600 will except a dynamic mic -but i prefer to use either a mic pre
i have mackie mixer and sometime use a motu ulitralite