MegaDTSX

I'm new to recording guitar. I've played for years and I'm wanting to start recording this weekend. Years ago I streamed different things on Twitch.tv (a gaming stream website) and bought one of these, a Xenyx 1002 mixer. It goes into the recording jack on my soundcard with a crappy stereo cable to 1/4 jack, which I'm assuming is not good at all when it comes to quality, but I may be wrong which is why I'm posting this.

I was reading through the audio interface sticky and saw the Saffire 6 audio interface. Would this be worth my time to get when it comes to sound quality of a recording?

I am using a Mesa Mark V combo amplifier and have a Shure SM5 and a Sennheiser e609 mic and would love any advice you guys can give when it comes to this issue.


Also when it comes to recording the tone of a rhythm guitar for a good mix - I know its best to record mono and double track panning hard left/right, but when it comes to gain settings or general EQ to stand out in the mix - what is best?

Arch1119

The e609 is a great start, the reason that using an actual recording interface is better, is because well it's designed and intended for what your going to use it for. When recording you need to have not only good mic preamps(which focusrite, who makes the saffire 6, is known for), but you also need good Analog to Digital convertors which an interface will have built in. As far as recording a good tone, you have to mic a good tone, meaning play around with the mic position and get as close to the tone you want with having to EQ or do ANY processing. Never try to "fix it in the mix."

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MegaDTSX

Thanks, and yea I know about getting a good tone first and foremost (thats where the Mesa steps in :p )

I've tried recording with that cheap mixer I have and I keep getting a nasally "off in the distance" sound from my mics no matter where I place them and that's why I decided to make this thread.

MegaDTSX

Does anyone else have any advice or anything on recording or if its worth my time to get an audio interface other than my current mixer? I'm at work and have nothing better to do right now then ask here :p

MatrixClaw

The conversion on the Saffire will be miles ahead of whatever junk soundcard is in your computer. You'll also be getting preamps that are vastly better than what's in the Behringer mixer you're using. You should notice a pretty big jump up in quality; after the Saffire, you won't notice much of an upgrade in sound quality until you hit the $2000 mark.

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MegaDTSX

I've basically read this same thing so I guess Ill be buying it tonight.

MatrixClaw

Doesn't make sense to have a $2000 amp and then be recording it through a $100 mixer!

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MegaDTSX

$100? It was $75!!! Haha.


But yea, sounds completely idiotic amirite? At least I have good mics already. I just really hope I notice a big difference in clarity

lockwolf

But by that logic, it doesn't make sense to record it through a $200 interface either :p

Though, the Saffire is miles better than the Behringer mixer :p

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MegaDTSX

I'm just hoping it really cuts through in the mix better than it did with my current mixer. Everything sounded muddy no matter what I did or where I placed the mics.

lockwolf

It will. I'm just kinda laughing at that a little :p

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MegaDTSX

Lol feel free to :p


I'm really new to recording, but I've played guitar for a long while now.

lockwolf

Don't worry, thats what we're here for. If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask em. Just do me a huge favor and when it seems like a duh question, google it first. I don't know how many times someone has asked something on here and its been a simple plug into google and theres your answer.

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rokket2005

If you havent already bought the saffire, get a focusrite scarlett 2i2 instead. Slightly cheaper, but is usb 2.0 vs. 1.1. If you are going to be doing any recording with multiple tracks this will make your editing so much easier. It's preamps are also great, if not better than the saffires, but it has a few less features than the saffire.

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MatrixClaw

No pads on the inputs pretty much kills it for me. The inputs on those things are really hot (+10-55db), and using it for DI input is pretty useless, unless your guitar is pretty low output

I've tried the Scarletts, though, and the preamps and conversion are both inferior to the Saffire line IMO Also - My friend just bought a Saffire 6 last week from Amazon and it said USB 2.0 on the box... I don't know if they have two different versions, but the one he has definitely isn't 1.1.

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MegaDTSX

Bought the Saffire 6 last night. I hear literally zero difference in it and my Xenyx 802 mixer.

Here's a quick riff that shows how the tone still sounds kind of nasally and like its too low despite me turning the gain up on the Saffire just below clip levels and the amp is turned up how it should be/settings sound great live.

http://tindeck.com/listen/filj

I'm playing through an Ibanez S520EX w/Dimarzio pickups into a Mesa Boogie Mark V using an SM51 mic on that clip, but I have nearly identical results with the Sennheiser mic or combining the two (and putting one further back, messing around with it).


Also keep in mind this is not a panned track I linked, its just a raw clip of the recorded guitar before any DAW EQ or anything else.

MegaDTSX

Just in case that first link didn't work, I also uploaded the clip to my profile.

chaosmoon

That really doesn't sound too bad.

Do you mean you're using an SM57? How is it positioned in reference to the speaker cone in that clip?

MegaDTSX

Touching the grill and kind of pointed towards the center of the cone but off to to the bottom right of it.


I just included another clip which is eq'ed in Cubase of the opening of Metropolis Pt 1 (with no added vibrato) as a test. Hows that one sound? I'm very tone deaf today for some reason.