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GMC Forum _ Recording _ Recording A Real Guitar Amp + Toneport?

Posted by: Fran Jan 31 2008, 11:05 PM

Hi all,

I've been recording lately using my toneport GX, doing it like this:
Guitar > Wah > Toneport.

But I wonder if I could record my real amp sound, using the amp's line out into toneport, so it would be something like this:
Guitar > wah > Amp > Toneport

I'm thinking of choosing just a preamp model in gearbox, so that it makes sense, because it would sound awkward if it went from my amp to another model amp in gearbox.

Could I do that? Would I be able to control volume/gain/reverb with my real amp?
Could this setting damage the toneport GX? blink.gif (it's just a 15W amp)


I want to try this because sometimes I get certain tones with my amp that I have a hard time to model in gearbox.
Thanks! wink.gif

Posted by: Bogdan Jan 31 2008, 11:58 PM

Yes you can do this...Just connect the line out (or DI out ? ) from amp to line in in toneport....Than you will be able to control everything on amp except volume I think, and choose just the cab in toneport wink.gif

It wont fry your toneport no worry..If you use DI out (or line out)...Don't try connecting it to extension speaker out or something though wink.gif wink.gif

Posted by: MickeM Feb 1 2008, 11:53 AM

Another option is to put a DI box between the amp and your toneport.

Especially if you have a tube amp you can connect the "speaker out" into the DI box which will send signals to both the cabinet and a line level signal to your computer.
This will be just like miking up your amp - with "speaker out" you'll get the real sound of the amp instead of just the pre amp as with line out. If you have a solid state Line out is just the same.

Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Feb 1 2008, 12:35 PM

If you connect guitar>amp>toneport you'll get more dynamic and concrete sound.

You can amplify as much as you want because TP has a soft limiter, and unbalanced instrument inputs - it can't be damagde... but...I wouldn't test its strength to the limits.
When you see in Gearbox that the sound is clipped roll off the volume a little.

As for the Speaker out connecting, as MickeM said, I would recommend it ONLY if you have a DI box. In other case, don't play with fate...

As for presets - don't turn on the preamps if you wanna good sound IMHO. MAYBE and I say maybe a cab simulaiton, but they too tend to damage the sound, rolling off dynamics and smudging it. Try to keep it as bypassed as possible.

The way I do it guitar>pedals>amp>toneport and keep the toneport 100% bypass. It's the best way. No preset on the toneport is as good as the amp's.
Use the presets on the TP only when you don't want to bother with turning on the amp etc... wink.gif

If you're interested to get a better sound by somehow "enhancing" the signal with your amp and then going for the preamp section of the toneport this will not happen...

Posted by: Fran Feb 2 2008, 12:38 AM

Thanks a lot!

I will try bypassing everything then, so "No preset" then, I didn't know you could choose a total bypass setting, that sounds perfect to me.

My amp is not valve, it's just a solid state 15 W amp, with a headphones/line out.

Ivan I see you mention the sound being clipped, I notice that on toneport sometimes, when I play there's a tag that lights and says "Clipped". I didn't know what it was. So I should avoid that? Ok. The problem is that sometimes when I choose a tone, it sounds very low to me in reaper, sopmetimes I can't hear it over the backing... so I increase the volume.

I'm afraid that the final mix might sound too low when I render it to mp3...

I guess I don't understand why some tones sound so loud and good, while others sound good but VERY VERY low even if I set the volume and gain to the max...

Thanks for all the input I'll try that total bypass as soon as possible smile.gif

Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Feb 2 2008, 02:54 PM

It is all matter of balance really. If you take a look at some audio meter you'll see that a signal peaks bellow 0dB. If the signals goes to high it will get clipped or cut out. When this occurs, the wave peaks of audio signals are cutoff, and that is not what we want. We want to be able to hear to whole wave, because the clipped signal has a very harsh sound to it. Try to clip a signal and then loop it on the place where you see the peak is not a curve but a straight line and you'll hear what I mean.
The bottom line is: When you record something, record it so that you have a healthy signal. You'll do this by going through every amplifying stage sepparatelly:

1. Check your amps volume while looking at the VU meter on the Gearbox panel. If the sound is clipped roll off the volume on the amp, if the sound is too low push the volume a bit more. The general rule is that you'll have a healthy signal when the loudest sound from the guitar can almost but never reach the clipping barrier.
2. Check your volume pot in gearbox while checking the audio meter in your host app. Repeat the same process like before.

This way you get a healthy signal that you can produce further.


Posted by: Fran Feb 3 2008, 02:49 PM

Thanks Ivan, I'll try that smile.gif

Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Feb 4 2008, 12:10 AM

No problem, glad to help smile.gif

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