When recording, are you guys using effects or adding effects later with plugin (or reamp with Fractal effects)?

sarge

sarge

Power User
Just curious how everyone's workflow is with the III when recording.

Are you typically recording with the Axe FX III effects at record time?

Are you recording dry (with amp sim but no effects) and adding effects later via plugin?

Are you recording dry (with amp sim but no effects) and adding effects later via re-amping through the Axe FX III?

Are you recording completely dry and simply re-amping the whole thing later (amp, cab, effects and all)?

I try to balance the tone advantage by using everything fractal vs the ease of a plugin while I am mixing. In the end I always find that even though it is more difficult to tweak things in the mix when using fractal effects, the sound benefits outway the ease of using plugins.

Just wondered what others were doing with there III
 
Most of the time I record with amp + cab from the Axe Fx III and then add effects via plugins in my DAW. I like the extra control it gives when mixing.

I used to record a DI for re-amping. But I stopped doing that because I have some perfectly fine tuned presets that don't need further tweaking now.

If I want to play the effects live I recreate them in the Axe afterwards.
 
I generally record just the Amp+Cab (or drive, or whatever effect needs to be placed before the amp), but I add reverbs or delays via DAW plugins. I find useful being able to tweak ambience effects later in the mix phase, rather than having to re-record a part because it has, say, too much delay.
 
Depends on the track, sometimes I like some vst stuff like EchoBoy, other times I like the Axe internal stuff, neither better, just different. I usually just mess about until soemthing sounds cool, no formula really.

So many cool ways to make music these days, it’s almost overkill from options, but a cool problem to have!
 
Too many cool toys and tools out there not to fool with as many as you want..especially as DSP and computer power continues to grow and evolve....thank Jah I don’t really need to deal with “workflow” anymore...if I had an actual project to complete I’d prolly fold
lqdsnddist said:
Depends on the track, sometimes I like some vst stuff like EchoBoy, other times I like the Axe internal stuff, neither better, just different. I usually just mess about until soemthing sounds cool, no formula really.

So many cool ways to make music these days, it’s almost overkill from options, but a cool problem to have!
Click to expand...
 
You could always send both the full wet signal and the direct guitar input to your DAW at the same time. That way if you get it right with the wet signal, great! Or if you want to reamp and tweak til your heart's content later, you can do that too. Best of both worlds. :)
 
Last edited:
bradlake said:
Too many cool toys and tools out there not to fool with as many as you want..especially as DSP and computer power continues to grow and evolve....thank Jah I don’t really need to deal with “workflow” anymore...if I had an actual project to complete I’d prolly fold
Click to expand...

I remember when I was starting out and wanted, say a compressor. Well that meant saving up $100 or so and trying to find one of those cheap half rack ones, which sounded good, but you could just process one track, unless you could afford to buy several lol

These days it’s crazy how much we can do... want a comp on each track in the box ? You got it.... want an emulation of classic studio gear ? Take your pick....

Ten instances of a CLA-2A and it doesn’t cost more than your car ?, instead just $29 for a Waves plug-in? Great times
 
I try to get it right on the first recording, but then I also record a DI track in case I don't like it and want to reamp later. I'm not doing professional albums at the moment, so usually my recorded takes are fine, but sometimes it's nice to tweak some amp or effects settings if something is really annoying (too much delay or reverb, etc)
 
I record both the DI and the full amp + effects. The nice thing about using the USB is you can edit effects on the fly with reamping. You can also punch in effects live... So switch to a high feedback delay at the end of a solo , or punch in a chorus / flanger in between a solo etc.
 
if the effect is part of the "tone" or performance, then i record with it, like a dotted 8th delay or a reverb pad that reacts to how i'm playing.

if the effect is to "color" the sound or help with the mix, i tend to add it later, either reamp or just run the track through the effect.

i think these are standard practices.
 
I like to have as much flexibility at mixdown as possible. Unless I KNOW I have a patch exactly the way I want it in the final mix (rare), I typically record everything up to the cab and leave post-cab effects for mixdown. I also always record DI track, cause you never know. If you've got the DI track in your back pocket, pretty much all options are on the table at mixdown.
 
Everyone is different, but I like to set up my presets with all effects running BEFORE the amp, just like my real pedalboard and how I run it through my amps. I run everything in mono so I get separation when I mix. Sometimes I’ll tuck in a stereo delay or reverb in the DAW while mixing if a guitar needs to take up more space while still retaining its panned spot in the mix.

Try using a Looper at the front of your preset. Play the part and adjust your source tone while the Looper runs so you’ve got something killer going into your DAW. When the source tone is great, I find that a little goes a long way when adding effects with plugins.
 
I am far from a professional. I usually record a reamp track along with my full signal chain. But I seldom use it to change the amp or effects after the fact.

Instead, I use it to insert silences in the right spots to eliminate handling noise. This is because, if I am recording with delays and reverbs, I don't want to squeak a string or hear noise due to a high gain setting, and hear it 17 times.

I also may pitch or timing correct various things. Then I use the fixed reamp track to print a new and improved full signal chain track again.

This also allows me the chance to listen to the performance without the mistakes, and determine whether I am happy with it.

I would have never survived in the analog age......
 
rodzimguitar68 said:
I am far from a professional. I usually record a reamp track along with my full signal chain. But I seldom use it to change the amp or effects after the fact.

Instead, I use it to insert silences in the right spots to eliminate handling noise. This is because, if I am recording with delays and reverbs, I don't want to squeak a string or hear noise due to a high gain setting, and hear it 17 times.

I also may pitch or timing correct various things. Then I use the fixed reamp track to print a new and improved full signal chain track again.

This also allows me the chance to listen to the performance without the mistakes, and determine whether I am happy with it.

I would have never survived in the analog age......
Click to expand...
This totally works, especially if you’re pitch correcting a part or don’t mind taking the time to print a re-amped signal. If it’s mainly to tighten up the performance, I’ve seen producers record a DI along with the amp signal and group them so they can make edits using the DI transients and they don’t have to print a new re-amped track. I’ve done that before and it makes editing a breeze.
 
York Audio said:
This totally works, especially if you’re pitch correcting a part or don’t mind taking the time to print a re-amped signal. If it’s mainly to tighten up the performance, I’ve seen producers record a DI along with the amp signal and group them so they can make edits using the DI transients and they don’t have to print a new re-amped track. I’ve done that before and it makes editing a breeze.
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm using Logic Pro and group my reamp and signal chain tracks set to remain tied together in this same way. After I've recorded a part, I'm using the full signal chain to listen to where the noisy sections are showing up, and when I comp the tracks, I am making the same changes to the DI track. Sometimes I also just record a silence and have it in my take folder, so I can splice dead silence into the gaps of the part, and then, I can print a new full signal chain take again, without handling noise or gain noise begin recorded before the first note. Again, if I've used delay, I'm also eliminating all the repeated instances of that sour note or noise by doing it this way.

I used to edit comp takes with the wet signal, but then I realized, if I've made a mistake in track A, and I comp it with a good note from track B, I will still hear that goofy note repeated in track A, if it was done with copious amounts of delay.

Cleaning up the source DI track itself is the only way I can fix sour notes, and all of the subsequent echos of it.

Incidentally, I renewed my Avid monthly subscription for ProTools. I am totally on a kindergarten level in protools. In logic, I'm about 8th-9th grade level. I was going to ask a silly question on the forum - how do I set up multiple tracks, and link them, so that they record enable simultaneously, and if I create multiple playlists for comp editing, all the other linked tracks will also have the same numerically identified playlists?

Specifically, I want to create 3 guitar tracks every time I record a part. I want a reamp/DI track, I want an AMP&CAB only, and I want a full signal chain track. The DI, and Amp/Cab will be mono. The full signal wet will be stereo.

If I play the song through, 3 times, and start comp editing from the playlists, I always want my 3 tracks to move in unison, so identical edits are made automatically.
 
Last edited:
I came from the 11 Rack to the AxeIII ( a huge step up ).

Luckily all my previous recordings had a DI track so I just re-amped my old stuff through the Axe. It's for this reason I ALWAYS record a DI track. You just never know when it may be needed in future.

I use the DI to capture the performance which at times I've used in other compositions. Recording the wet signal only would not have left me with that option.
 
Last edited:
I print everything. I dial my patches and practice my parts. It’s more important to capture a good vibe and performance than try to make things sound too, soulless. I might eq a bit to fix the mix but that’s about it.
 
I typically record output 1 with my planned sound wet with all AxeFx amp/cab/effects being recorded, but I always have a dry DI signal as well in case I want to reamp or just use VSTs to achieve a different sound later. Sometimes my patch will have separate clean and dirty or similar outputs (typically 1 and 3, I use 2 for my in the room 212) but I still use DI. I generally know the sound I want so I don't often go back and use the DI, but I always want that option.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom