Recommendations amp good recording tone direct

[Keenan Friday]

Does anyone have any recommendations for an amp with a good recording tone going direct as opposed to micd. Im currently using peavey session 500. I have used most other peavey steel amps for recording as well as walker stereo steel. I havent tried any of the tube preamps. Im amazed by the recorded paul franklin tone on the band in a box realtracks.

[mtulbert]

I use a Sarno Revelation Preamp direct into my board and love the sound that I get.

Here is a youtube link of a live gig we did a few years ago.

Revelation direct into the recording board.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5wYeUGZlZg

regards,

[Jim Fogle]

Here is a link to a YouTube video where Paul Franklin and Vince Gill talk about the setups they used to record an album together a few years ago. https://youtu.be/phDJy_IiR1Y

[John Macy]

I keep a dedicated steel overdub rig at my house. Emmons guitar into the Sarno Black Box and into a Sarno V8 and line into an Apollo interface. I couldn’t be happier...

[Dale Rottacker]

I use a Sarno Revelation Preamp direct into my board and love the sound that I get.

Here is a youtube link of a live gig we did a few years ago.

Revelation direct into the recording board.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5wYeUGZlZg

regards,

I agree with Mark... I used one for a couple years and really liked it.... You might also try a Telonic’s amp... I went DI with that for a while too and it’s very good, as was the Quilter Rackmount I had... That said, I’m back to using a mic... went with the Sennhieser MD 421ii which to my ear is exceptional. All things worth trying I think, but your ears will be your guide.

[Ian Rae]

I find the Telonics DI output very clean and quiet. It has two modeling settings and I use the more moderate of the two. Makes a good PA send too.

[Larry Dering]

Might be a bit confusing on the presets, but I use a Fender Mustang 111 v2 that handles the line out with spades. Very clean and clear with what I feel is an accurate representation of the amp. Naturally I have tweaked the settings on a 65 Twin Reverb model to my taste. Cheap amp with serious good tones.

[Les Cargill]

Since all you are actually going to use is the preamp, why not just get a preamp? I don't play steel much any more, so.... but the things I mention all work with steel, too.

I have an Atomic Ampli-FireBox. It will do a workman's job on a Deluxe, a Twin, a Marshall Plexi , a JCM800, a "Rumble" ( their pun on a name starting with D ). It will not replace these amps, but it'll get pretty close. The twin isn't that good, really...

The bad news is that you will need to change the default presets using a program connected via USB.

A few months after I bought this, variations on the Line6 Helix came out. New ones pop up all the time.

I even use it live. I still have the Steelaire, and it works swimmingly with amp sims. I also still have a Blues Deluxe and they work with it, too.

There are the Tech 21 "Character" pedals, which have also inspired the JOYO company to build "ripoffs" of them. I have a JOYO American Sound and have used it extensively live and in recordings.

[David Mitchell]

Older post I know but more times than not recording steel players show up at the studio with a small rack with just a preamp and effects unit. If they have powered amplification they leave it in the car. It's their sound and I just fold it back to them either in headphones or through speakers depending on whether live mics are being used at the same time.