Spider v recording

[travisbrown85]

Sooo... I've been using my spider v 240 for a couple months, and I've finally got some really amazing tones after tweaking it for days , now I'm ready to record some riffs, I'm using Mixcraft 7 pro studio , been using it for a while now , I'm running the USB from my spider v to my computer, easy peasy, so the only issue I have is im not getting the same tone/sound I here coming from my amps speakers, it's thin and weak, I gotta go through and tweak a bunch more tones. Why am I having this issue? It's very frustrating.. should I be using the xlr out to my recording interface? Should I be using the cubase free software that came with the spider v?? Please help!! Thank you

[GodSlaYeRz]

I'm using Cubase LE as DAW on my PC.

The output sound is a bit different from what I heard from AMP.

I thought it's usual. Did you use Monitor Headphone or Active speaker when recording?

[travisbrown85]

i just purchased some audio technica m50x headphones, seems to help out a lot, i used the presets i had and tweaked them a bit to sound to my liking on my headphones, did a sample recording and i think ill be good, still not exactly what i hear out of the speakers but better than it was, i just thought that since the spider v had FRFR speakers in it you would get a good flat sound so what you hear would be what you get in the recording sense 

[guitardad123]

i just purchased some audio technica m50x headphones, seems to help out a lot, i used the presets i had and tweaked them a bit to sound to my liking on my headphones, did a sample recording and i think ill be good, still not exactly what i hear out of the speakers but better than it was, i just thought that since the spider v had FRFR speakers in it you would get a good flat sound so what you hear would be what you get in the recording sense 

Headphone sound and amp sound are always different since they are right on your ears. No matter if you use monitors, powered speakers, powered wedges. The internal speakers are not exactly full range type either like the headphones. Extended range just over normal guitar speaker limits from what I know. That is to be able to use the internal cab modeling with the amp. Many other amps or modeler units require a full range sounding amplified system. Guitar speakers with amp and cab modeling never play nice with one another. Creates a colored sound. 

[travisbrown85]

Thanks!!! I appreciate the explanation! ðŸ‘🻠So really I should be mixing my sound through my headphones to get a better accurate sound before recording?

[guitardad123]

Thanks!!! I appreciate the explanation! So really I should be mixing my sound through my headphones to get a better accurate sound before recording?

I use headphones when tracking and monitors when mixing what I have recorded. You can mix with headphones, but they won't always translate the project mix to other devices as well as flat sounding reference monitors. It's hard to mix with headphones without a reference. I do the same with nearfield monitors. Get some pre recorded artist cd or wav tracks (uncompressed audio) and see how they sound through your phones, or monitors. Get your ears used to that if you will. Mix at low volumes. Don't crank anything past conversation level or you will be tweaking mixes every day. Take breaks and rest your ears.

 

Setting presets up with headphones is also not the best idea either. The amplifier will move air differently than the headphone drivers. That final output can really vary so patches created for playing a gig at gig volumes may not translate as well. 

 

On my XR18 mixer I have to us a filter on the higher frequencies. I cut anything over 8K for a warmer less hissy tone from the direct outs. When recording I Leave things as is, and eq in post when mixing.

[travisbrown85]

Awesome info, thank you!

[fflbrgst]

For recording through USB, use headphones or your monitors to adjust the sound.  For live use, adjust your patches with the amp's speakers.  I prefer miking the amp's speakers for recording anyway, think it gives a better overall sound, but I understand that some people do not have the capability (either lack of a mic, or the volume issue).