Once you’ve written that great new song, or have worked out the most face-melting shred solo ever, you may want to record what you have created so you can use it to make more music or share your playing with others. For decades, guitarists who wanted to record their songs and solos had to pay for expensive studio time to make high quality recordings. Today, it’s possible to make high quality recordings from home without spending thousands of dollars.
While the advantages of a professional studio recording in terms of overall quality are surely evident, there are certainly obstacles to obtaining studio time that are too much for many musicians to overcome. These obstacles include the expense of studio recording time, scheduling conflicts with the studio, scheduling conflicts with other musicians, and even problems with nerves for those who have never recorded in a professional studio before.
The solution is obvious — record your music at home. At home you can record when it is convenient for you, it only costs you the price of the equipment you use and you will be able to relax and get your best stuff on the recording. The question then becomes, how can you get professional quality guitar recordings at home?
Today musicians all over the world are finding that the best answer to the problem of recording their guitar music at home is to use their computer, laptop or tablet to do it. With a few hardware purchases and simple software additions, it is possible to turn your home computing equipment into a home recording studio and produce studio quality recordings for a fraction of the price of working in a professional studio.
What You Will Need to Start Recording your Music
Before you turn on your webcam and go live on social media, or start taking video with your iPhone, this is not what we mean when we say you can use your PC, laptop or tablet to record your guitar. While sharing on social media sites like Instagram has become a viable outlet for many musicians to reach listeners, what we’re talking about is the use of a Digital Interface or DI (also called an audio box or converter box) to literally turn your laptop, desktop computer or tablet into a home recording studio.
The DI or digital interface is the hub of the modern recording studio. Even professional studios use them to process analog audio signals into digital information that they can then use in their Digital Audio Workstation. The Digital Audio Workstation or DAW is a program that you download to your computer or tablet that gives you unbelievable recording and mixing capabilities. In fact, the Digital Audio Workstation programs available for home use, like Pro Tools and others including PreSonus Studio One, Apple Logic Pro, or Ableton Live are fully featured and can produce studio quality results on your home computer, including laptops and iPads.
The Digital Audio Workstations put an incredible array of features at your fingertips and, believe it or not, are surprisingly inexpensive, often causing less than $100.
Three Options For Recording Guitar
As the hub of the modern digital studio, the digital interface has inputs where you can plug microphones, instrument cables or a direct line from your amplifier. The signal is converted to digital and runs out to your PC, Mac or iPad through a USB where it is recorded in your Digital Audio Workstation program. This gives guitar players three ways to record their guitar music.
Plugging Your Guitar Directly into a Digital Interface
Your audio interface will have multiple inputs for instruments or microphones that you can use to record guitar, bass, drums, vocals or keyboards. When you plug your guitar directly into the input on the DI converter box, it allows the signal to pass from your guitar through the interface to your computer, Macbook or iPad. To get the kind of electric guitar tone that you would get from an amplifier you will have to use an amplifier simulator, which is software that is usually part of your digital workstation software package.
Most Digital Audio Workstations have built in amp simulators that allow you to choose from an array of tonal possibilities including vintage British or American amplifier voices, various emulated cab configurations (1×12, 2×12, 4×12) and a variety of guitar effects like distortion, chorus, reverb and delay. Today, many companies make amazing amplifier simulators that are used by professionals instead of traditional amplifiers that can give your home recordings a professional sound, even on a budget.
Recording With Microphones
Most guitar players have worked hard to get the ‘sound they hear in their heads’ to come pouring out of their speaker cabinets. Doing so, they have likely invested in effects pedals, a pedal board, usually multiple amplifiers and even specific cabs to get the sound they want. The best way to get that sound to translate onto your recording is to record using a microphone. The problem with recording with microphones is that it can require additional work and expense of soundproofing an area in your home, but if you can do it, it can be a great way to get the sound you are looking for.
Your digital interface will be equipped with inputs that can be used for microphones as well as instruments and line-in recording. Recording with microphones is really as easy as plugging in the mic, placing it strategically near the acoustic guitar or speaker cabinet you are recording and performing your music. However, because microphones can add background noise, it is advisable to line the walls where you are recording with soundproof material and to record your guitar at a pretty high volume when using a mic.
When recording with condenser microphones you have to be sure to use the right kind of microphone and that you use it in the correct way. It is preferable to get a rugged, sturdy, high quality mic with a high SPL (sound pressure level) making it capable of recording clearly at high volumes. Low quality mics will cause your sound to break up at higher volumes. It is also important to learn the right way to place the mic to get the best tone from your cabinet. In terms of sound quality, mic placement can make a huge difference.
Direct Line-in Recording
On modern amplifiers you will often find an output option on the back that is labelled something like ‘line out’ or ‘emulated line out’. This allows you to run a direct line from your amplifier to your interface and record your rig without micing up. If you are looking for a specific tone be sure that it is an emulated line out. An emulated line out will have the tonal characteristics of a specific style of amplifier and cabinet that will sound great. Also, the lineout will carry any modifications made by guitar effects pedals to your signal just as if the signal was coming out of your speakers.
Whenever you record your rig, whether it is with a mic or through the use of a direct line, it is really important to work with your settings until they sound exactly the way you want them to sound. Many people record using a generic tone thinking they can tweak the sound during the post production process. While a digital workstation will give you a wide array of tools to use to customize your tone, it is always best to have your sound the way you want it before the red light comes on.
Using a Digital Audio Workstation
A Digital Audio Workstation allows you to track, mix and modify your recordings, creating music of near studio quality at home. You start by connecting your interface to your computer and setting up your rig (guitar, amplifier, pedals) the way you want. If you are using your rig with guitar pedals, then you will either want to mic up your cab or connect a direct line to your interface as described above. Otherwise, you can plug your guitar directly into the interface and use the simulators built into the Digital Audio Workstation. Either way, you can easily get a sound that you will love.
Once you are all connected, you open the workstation program and get to work. Start a new song, open up tracks and record your playing. You can record guitar, bass, drums, use drum simulators, a drum machine or keyboards. Some software packages allow you to play your bassline on a standard guitar and then convert the sound of the track to bass. As you record each track, you can listen and play along during playback. Once you are finished recording, you can then get into the track as deeply as you want, adding effects and modifications until you get the exact sound you want.
Using a Digital Audio Workstation can be challenging for those who are new to the technology, but there are lots of video tutorials online that can show you exactly what to do. Manufacturers of digital interfaces, like Presonus, want you to succeed when using their products, and have created a series of videos that can walk you through the entire process from beginning to end.
FAQ’s
Can you record guitar with a condenser mic?
Yes, you can plug the condenser mic into your audio interface and use the condenser mic to record an acoustic guitar or mic up your amplifier. Many interface converter box bundles come with microphones for recording, studio quality headphones, connector cables and software.
How do you record guitar over a backing track?
Your digital workstation allows you to record and mix multiple tracks. If you are using a pre-existing backing track, you can feed it into your workstation and open a lead track to solo over it. Or you can use multiple track recordings to create your own backing tracks.
Can I plug my guitar directly into my computer?
Yes, but not without some kind of device to convert the guitar’s audio signal into a digital signal. For this you can use various types of preamps with USB or firewire connectivity to send the converted signal to your laptop or iPad. With Mac and iPad, you may need to find Apple specific adaptors to plug the preamp into your device. To process the signal, you then use an amplifier simulator that will have presets as well as the ability to tweak the tone to your liking through the use of guitar effects simulators. Those who have not used these in the past will be amazed by all of the effects and tonal options that are available to you.
What is the easiest recording software to use?
Pro Tools is the industry standard when it comes to recording software, and anyone who is serious about producing studio quality recordings will want to acquaint themselves with it, but it is quite a bit more expensive than other options. When you purchase a digital audio converter box it will usually come with a recording and mixing software system that you can use to get started. Some highly ranked DAWs that you can find online (or are included when you purchase that company’s DI) include Presonus Studio One, Image-Line, Ableton, Apple Logic Pro and Cockos Reaper 6, all of which can be purchased without an interface for less than $100.
Do you need a digital interface to record guitar?
Not necessarily, but a digital interface or converter box can make recording a lot easier, and they are really not very expensive. It is possible to record your guitar using your PC or Mac’s internal microphone or with a mic that you can connect to your device, but the quality will generally be inferior to using an interface.
