Do Pro Users Record the Axe-Fx through a mic pre?

When recording an album what output do you use?

  • Balanced outpus into the DAWs interface

    Votes: 27 24.5%

  • Balanced outputs into a mic pre...

    Votes: 13 11.8%

  • S/PDIF output

    Votes: 24 21.8%

  • USB output

    Votes: 45 40.9%

  • Other

    Votes: 1 0.9%
  • Total voters
    110
DFauvre said:
Has anyone tried running the guitar through the Hi Z instrument input of a high end mic pre and then into the Axe-Fx II?
A mic pre may be unnecessary, and, I want to know what the pro guitarists with access to the best audio engineers do on their albums.
Click to expand...
A guitar is not a mic and therefore does not require a mic pre. The pros do not do this.
 
A mic pre would have been already been included in the chain used to capture the IR, so you as Chris says you would not do this.
 
I need to experiment with this in the near future.
Currently using spdif out and it's latency free due to my interface dsp monitoring. Recording is simple but in the future I plan to record dry signals with everything so that's not going to cut it.
Currently I have this issue where my spdif level seems low. It's almost locked at -6db . I'm not sure of this is an spdif thing or not as it's the first time I've ever used that connection.
I've found that when I record in Cubase (24/48khz) via spdif the playback sounds different to me. A little duller.
I was thinking it might have something to do with the fact that I don't have a guitar in front of me twanging away while i listen back.
 
  • Like
Reactions: J.C
Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
ok cool. i'm not qualified to answer. :)
Click to expand...
As are about 98% of all AFX users, and even fewer forum regulars, I'd wager, given that the vast majority of musicians are not 'well known' by most definitions. We probably have a few local celebrities who post, and I have seen one or two name artists post publicly but it is rare. So I'd guess nearly all the data you get from this poll is noise.
 
I think that "pros" record DI signal and then reamp it with various methods, including analog.

When it comes to DI and analog reamping, one key characteristic of signal chain is noise floor. You need it as low as possible.

Now I'm going to say something that may be considered sacrilege...

Axe FX isn't a great interface for "pro" recording. Actually, it's not even good. According to the official specs, it has dynamic range of 110dB. I measured it myself, and got an even worse value, around -109 dB. That's not good. That's okay, passable, but not good. A good low noise humbucker noise floor level may be around -110 dB. For good recording you must have an interface with lower noise floor than your source. A good interface must be better than this. Great interfaces are closer to 120 dB. And that's just A/D. I'm not sure how good Axe's D/A converters are, but I assume they ate about the same quality. If they are, and if your interface is about the same class, then you are losing quite a lot by recording via analog, your sound gets quite distorted and colored by all these conversions. So for higher fidelity, you should minimize that, and record via digital from Axe.

So I guess when people say S/PDIF sounds "harsh" or "dull" it's actually the other way around. Their analog chain distorts quite a lot.

You may like the distortion, of course, or just be used to it. But it is what it is.

Sorry, and don't shoot the messenger.
 
All great feedback...and if anyone at Fractal is following this...what do the pro guitarists working with the top audio engineers do?
 
Pro guitarists go to pro studios where they record DI and then engineers reamp that using 1000 amps, mics, preamps, cabinets, compressors, and combinations thereof, then they process it all ad nauseum and combine differently processed and recorded tracks until they think it sounds good enough, whatever it means to them. Then mixing engineers change that until THEY think it's good. Then mastering changes that again.

All of this has nothing to do with what's available to mortals. Just connect your Axe whichever way you think sounds best and record. :)
 
DFauvre said:
what do the pro guitarists working with the top audio engineers do?
Click to expand...
Who cares? Even "top audio engineers" do things differently from each other. Stop obsessing over this and just use your own ears. [Facepalm]
 
The true "pro" process, in simple terms, is this - spend countless hours and dollars to capture every nuance of instrument and performance and then flush it all down the toilet to make it sound just like the other band that's in vogue this week, only a bit louder, in crappy iPhone earbuds.
 
Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
A guitar is not a mic and therefore does not require a mic pre. The pros do not do this.
Click to expand...

Mic preamps are mentioned with regard to guitar because traditional recording process involves a miced cabinet. This has nothing to do with Axe.

On the other hand, if someone likes how a particular preamp colors the sound, why not.
 
vangrieg said:
Mic preamps are mentioned with regard to guitar because traditional recording process involves a miced cabinet. This has nothing to do with Axe.
Click to expand...
actually, the specific question of this thread is if "pros" run the guitar through the hi-z input of a mic pre first and then into the axe.

it's not necessary.
 
Last edited:
If there really was any big secret that made any kind of a difference it would be common knowledge by now anyway......

Good feedback on the spdif. Your right, people say it sounds harsh. Maybe it's just more accurate.
 
It really depends on lots of factors.

A mic preamp or DI or buffer is no different that using a stompbox in front of the Fractal.

It's all about achieving the results you want.

No one but you can say if it is necessary or not.

I've got an Avalon 737 that makes everything I run through it better :) I haven't tried tracking with the Fractal with it yet though; it does have a hi-Z in.

For bass guitar, I use an active Aguilar tube DI or A-Systems tube DI (both $$) to track in front of the Fractal. I've used both for so long, continue to do so.

Edit: when I use my vintage EH Big Muff fuzz I run a buffer after it too:

guitar -> Muff -> buffer -> Fractal or Amp
 
vangrieg said:
The true "pro" process, in simple terms, is this - spend countless hours and dollars to capture every nuance of instrument and performance and then flush it all down the toilet to make it sound just like the other band that's in vogue this week, only a bit louder, in crappy iPhone earbuds.
Click to expand...
Maybe he wants to know what these mythical "pros" are doing so he can avoid it. :p
 
i wouldn't run the output of the axe into a mic pre, because the axe runs at line level and a mic pre does not. wrong tool for the job. there's a reason that mic pre's exist and that's to take the output of a microphone and turn it into a line level signal. use the line inputs on your audio interface from the analog outs, or go via usb or spdif. i can't hear a significant difference between analog and digital in this scenario, so i choose to go analog and then i'm not forced to use 48k in my projects.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom