The Steel Guitar Forum

I know the best option is to mic up an amp, but sometimes I just want to throw down a quick steel track on a demo or as a placeholder.

Rather than dragging out an amp and mic I would like to record direct.

I've tried Ampire (free with Studio One), Kuassa, and the Pedal Steel setting in Toontrack EZMix2 and none of them are even close to useable, even for a demo. Too much fizz, even on the clean settings.

Has anyone tried some of the other options on the market for pedal steel? There seems to be hundreds of options out there.

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... highlight=

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=328367

I started the first post is in response to some comments on the second one. Some good info in there.

Doug

Joseph Carlson wrote:I know the best option is to mic up an amp

Uhmmm, who said ? Mic'ing vs direct is a process .


Many will obviously prefer one over another but thats not saying one is BEST . It may be BEST for them.

Plenty of discussion threads on this subject.

I've always been satisfied just going into the DAW with a really good high quality studio preamplifier. Your volume pedal should have two output jacks. Send one output to your guitar amp if you like just for monitoring purposes if you are use to hearing your amp. Send the other output of your volume pedal into a high quality preamplifier that outputs to your DAW by either PCI, USB, FireWire, Thunderbolt, etc and set your levels and record flat into your DAW with no eq or reverb. Then when you go to mix equalize the tone and and reverb, delay, etc. Some soundcards have a low enough latency that you can monitor effects in real time as you record but most devices struggle with all the processing that is necessary.
If you do it as I have described above latency will not be an issue. Here is an example of my EMCI steel I plugged directly into an Audient id14 USB interface and did it as I described. When it's recorded flat and boring the sky is the limit when you start to mix. You can get lost in your options. I don't use amp Sims. Most of them are too noisey for my taste. Most of the time I use only stock plugins that came with the software. What you hear in this demo is plugins that came with Steinberg Nuendo software.


https://youtu.be/G5dNO4cuDUk

Direct tone used in a song here.

https://youtu.be/fw39GnGhWls

If you have a modern interface with internal digital pre's, I think the best bang for your buck is the Sarno V8. It will sound even better going into a nice mic pre, but still sounds very good as a line in to just about any interface. Something cheaper might just leave you feeling underwhelmed enough to never use it.

Here's one. I think you can test it out for free. I really like it for guitar but have yet to run thru it with steel. It's VERY tweakable with lost of clean & overdrive choices. As I remember it's mostly based on Dumble and Fender type circuits. Click >>> https://www.scuffhamamps.com/

I don't think a steel needs an amp plug in unless you are looking for a effect.

I like a free plug-in called Boogex by Voxengo. You can get a very nice clean sound that adds space and brightness. The plug-in also has EQ and a vintage reverb built in. Easy to use and adds the "amped" character.
I own a couple of purchased products that don't perform as well. I keep going back to Boogex.
Seems to me like most of the simulators are going for the crunched/distorted/overdriven Marshall sound. This can do that, but can also be used to sound clean and defined.
What the heck - it's free... give it a whirl.

I was never a big fan of direct steel until I got Brad Sarno’s V8 tube pre, and now also the Telonics direct out. Especially when used with a great preamp, both sound great! My main overdub rig at my house is the V8 into a Neve pre and I use it all the time. I take my Telonics to sessions and gigs and everyone likes the direct out on it. YMMV....

John Macy wrote:My main overdub rig at my house is the V8 into a Neve pre

Same thing here with an old 1073 channel strip. I like the EL8 Distressor after the Neve too.

John, have you compared the V8 xlr out into the back of the Neve vs the 1/4" out of the V8 into the front of the Neve? I haven't yet, wondering if you prefer one over the other.

I posted on some other thread about the Amp sim I've been using a lot, recommended by Tommy Detamore, the Bias amp from Positive Grid.

It's actually pretty happening, I like it. But I also acquired a Urei LA 610 a while back, and it's become my default pre for all steel tracking.. As John and others have mentioned I think a decent pre is pretty important in getting a good amp-sim sound. In fact, I can bypass the sim altogether with that LA 610 and it's not bad. I'm convinced that some judicious use of the LA 610 comp is an important part of the equation, or at least MY equation. LOL...

Not a plugin, but the Kemper Profiler is the best amp sim I've heard. Super flexible.

Brett, I really like the mic level XLR out into a mic pre, but even the 1/4” line level out straight in is impressive!