Recording Steel With ProTools

Paul King · From: Gainesville, Texas, USA

Today I did a session and the guys lined out of the amp into the board. I thought the sound just did not satisy my ears. Is there a better way to record with ProTools? Would a mic in front of the amp been better? I walked away knowing I sounded nothing like I do live. Not as clean and sure not as good a sound. There may be other opportunity down the line and just want some pointers from you guys on what you do in the studio.

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

Paul, there have been a lot of threads about recording steel direct with many approaches, including using processors like the Line 6 Pod, Peavey TranstubeFex, Roland GP 100, Genesis 3 and so on, or going direct but through studio processors like compression or EQ units. One thing that makes a tremendous difference in sound is the impedance match or mismatch between the steel pickup or volume pedal and the interface to ProTools (mixing board, etc.) If the impedance isn't correct, it can sound terrible, sterile and thin. Sometimes the answer can be a simple as using a decent direct box to convert your signal to a low impedance mic level, or finding a portable processor you can dial a good repeatable sound into. Reading and experimentation really pays off here. Best of luck in the pursuit!
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Paul King · From: Gainesville, Texas, USA

Thanks Mark for the reply.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

It isn't how to record a steel with "Pro Tools". It could be any recording studio program and it would present the same issues.

As Mark has mentioned there are many ways to record, none are right or wrong. An engineer can prefer one way and another a different way.

I'm going direct, right now, with a POD X3. I've recorded other ways in the past and some I liked and some I didn't.

When an amp is miked, the microphone used and the placement of the microphone relative to the speaker can make major differences.

I read an article from a major studio engineer (not a country music studio) and he used 4 microphones (each on a separate recording track), placed at different points relative to the amp's speakers, to "mike" an amplifier for the lead guitar.

mtulbert · From: Plano, Texas 75023

Paul,

I am in Plano and use Pro Tools and go direct all the time. However, it may not be the best solution for you. If you like we can certainly get together and try some different methods of recording into Pro Tools that would give you the right solution to get what you want to hear during the recording process.

Let me know

Mark
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John Gould · From: Houston, TX Now in Cleveland TX

Just to throw my 2 cents worth in I have done a ton of recording both ways and I feel that miking the amp gets a better sound at least for me. Something about the speaker breathing and the mic picking that up sounds more pleasing to my ear.
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Paul King · From: Gainesville, Texas, USA

Thanks Mark for the kind offer and for the other comments. When you guys talk about going direct do you mean leaving your amp completely out of the recording?

mtulbert · From: Plano, Texas 75023

When I use the term going direct, I usually mean using a preamp and bypassing the amplification stage. Some boards have the ability to take the instrument without any outboard gear and to some that could be the main going direct concept.

There are so many ways to do it these days you should go with what sounds best to you. For example John prefers micing the speaker. I think the most important thing is that you are going to play better IMHO if you like what you hear.
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Infinity D-10 Justice SD-10 Judge Revelation Octal Preamp, Fractal AXE III, Fender FRFR 12

Dennis Detweiler · From: Solon, Iowa, US

I've recently gotten into home studio recording and still experimenting. However, I do steel tracks for an area studio and have tried direct to board via a processor. The engineer and I didn't like it. It wasn't my sound. He and I prefer using a mic'ed speaker. He has tried a few different mic's and prefers a Sennheiser. I've tried several of my speakers. Each of my four 1501's has a slightly different sound in midrange. I've narrow it down to a reconed JBL D-130F. The engineer adds some tube preamp in the final mix and it sounds great.
In the studio, I use a Revelation, TC-350, Carvin HT-400 and JBL D-130F. Live, I use the same electronics with one or two BW 1501's.
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John Macy · From: Rockport TX/Denver CO

My Sarno Octal V8 has a transformer balanced output so is interfaces perfectly...what a great way to go direct...
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Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

Paul, I've recorded a few times at Smart studio here in Texarkana and was satisfied with my tone by going direct into board, no pre-amp or nothing. Only drawback from that setup is I don't like the tone I get into the head phones. There is probably a lot of variables in headphones, the mix etc.

I've also tried direct on my home studio and the line out in the amp sounds much better to me than direct or putting a mike on amp. I guess it all boils down to personal preference. By the way, I have used a Nashville 112 and my LTD and got same results.--Henry
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Jeff Valentine · From: Colorado Springs, USA

Paul,

Happy Thanksgiving! I record people, including myself, in Pro Tools all the time. Like everyone is saying, there are many ways to do it. I'm able to get what I think is a great sound going direct or by using a mic on the amp. Sometimes it's hard to get the engineer or producer to do something they're not used to doing. If you do go direct I'd highly recommend using a good tube preamp with a little bit of delay. You'll usually have to turn the reverb off and let them feed you reverb in your cans. Using a mic on the amp is great if you have a really clean signal path. That's the way they recorded us the last time we did a Nashville session. Give me a call if you have any questions. I'd be happy to tell you anything I've learned from doing it.

-Jeff

Paul King · From: Gainesville, Texas, USA

Thanks for all the advice. Jeff, I hope you and the family are doing well. I bet the US military is keeping you busy playing. Hopefully you can make it to Texas for the next show.

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

Thanks to Mark Tulbert, I have got off the mark with Pro Tools 11. Mark put me onto Presonus equipment for the digital interface. I would not have considered this gear but it is incredible.

I much prefer miking an amp to having the line out or even worse - DI. I find the dynamics and colouration of the sound coming out of the speaker (for me at least) beats the sterile sound of the line out any day. But - we all hear things differently.
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Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

I agree with everyone about doing it either way. It think it often depends on the engineers skill level and how experienced they are with recording steel. On steel, I go direct more often than not. I do a lot of fiddle and it's also difficult if the engineer is not experienced with fiddle. More than once they seem to have an attitude that country fiddle is supposed to be some kind of bright, scratchy, sawing sound and then after you start playing they comment "you play more like a violinist than a fiddle player". (you fiddlers know what I'm talking about)

Paul - I've heard you play and I don't think you'll have a problem sounding good. Keep in mind that if you do mic an amp, the mic is not hearing the same thing you do at your distance. The engineers will add effects to enhance the track when they mix..... So again, it comes back to the engineer in the end. I hope the session you are referring to sounds better for you after it's finished.

I might add, I depend on the other session guys, engineer, producer ( I say producer meaning the person calling the shots, which is usually the one who's record I'm playing on. "Producer" seems like more of a big time, high $$$ session term that wouldn't want me anyway).... to tell me if I'm doing okay, because it never sounds good enough for me, and I always think I could do better.

Don Sulesky · From: Citrus County, FL, Orig. from MA & NH

I just did a session on Thursday using my Sho~Bud Super Pro and the engineer used both a mike and line feed to his board with Sonar.
To me it sounded as pure and natural as playing live.
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