G UITARTRACK S
Re-amping for Perfect Tone
Re-amping is a two-stage process. First record a
dry guitar signal through a direct box. Then route
the signal out of your recorder, through a re-amp
box and into your amp, which you mic to capture
the tone. Since the basic guitar performance has
already been captured, you’re free to focus on
getting the best tone possible.
Preamp
Recording Interface
Line Level
(Microphone To Preamp) XLR
Guitar
Amp
Guitar Level to Amp Input
ReAmp
Box
When tracking guitars, you need to be
aware of a variety of things, including mic
placement, compression and equalization
(when tracking with them), effects and other
variables that will affect the recorded guitar
tones. After all of that, there’s also worrying
about the actual performance!
One solution for focusing on the guitar performance while tracking and worrying about
getting the best tone later is “re-amping.”
Re-amping is the process of taking a previously recorded signal and routing it back to
your guitar amplifier, where it is recorded
again using a microphone. This process
allows you to pay more attention to the
actual performance of the guitarist and not
have to concentrate on getting the “perfect
tone” at the same time.
To re-amplify a guitar track, you will need to
record a dry, unprocessed and unaffected
track. To do this, use a direct box; your
signal path will travel from the guitar out to
the direct box input, then out of the direct
box thru jack to the guitar amplifier input.
This allows the guitarist to hear their normal
sound from the amp, while you record a dry,
direct tone. The XLR output on the D.I. is
routed to a mic preamp and into your audio
interface or recorder, where it is recorded
onto an audio track. You can simultaneously
mic up the cab and record the guitar to a
separate track as a reference or as a keeper
track, but the main goal is to capture a
squeaky clean direct track that you will use
to eventually achieve the tone you want.
To re-amp the signal for your final guitar
track, take a line level output from your
recorder to a re-amping box and route it
from there into your amplifier. Dial up the
tone you want on the amp, place a mic
where you want it and record this signal
back into a new track on your recorder. This
is the track you will use when mixing down.
The re-amp box converts the balanced line
level signal to a usable, unbalanced guitar
level, since guitar amps are not compatible
with line level signals. There are a number
of re-amping boxes available that make the
job easy. Two of my favorites are the Reamp
from John Cuniberti and the X-Amp from
Radial Engineering. Either model will pay for
itself time and again in your recordings.
One thing I like to do is take the direct signal from my recorder – in this case, Pro Tools
– and send it to my re-amping box and
amp. I select a portion of the guitar track,
set it to play back as a loop, turn on my
guitar mics and go into the room with the
amp wearing a set of headphones. The loop
plays back continually, allowing me to try
different mic placements and amp settings
and hear the changes through the phones.
This also helps me prior to recording a
band’s tracks. I record a quick part from the
guitarist, set it to loop and go move the
mics around. This avoids having the guitarist
play over and over again, potentially wearing himself out before tracking. You can use
the same idea with guitar amp modeling
software – record your guitar track direct
and later apply the modeler to get the
exact tone you want. Re-amping also allows
you to record using modeling software late
at night and use a real amp later when you
won’t disturb anyone else.
These are just a few examples of what re-amping can do for you in the studio. Other
ideas include trying different guitar cabinets
on a song as well as experimenting with
tones, EQ settings and effects, without having to commit to any particular sound too
early in the process.
Most of us have ended up wishing we had
played through a different amp on a song or
questioned why we used so much delay when
tracking. With two devices – a direct box and
re-amp unit – we can avoid having to live with
a recorded tone we want to change.
Mike Picotte
Senior Sales Engineer Mike Picotte has worked for
Sweetwater Sound in Fort Wayne, Indiana, since 2002.
He owns Surreal Records, Inc., and records and mixes
professional records. He is currently producing and mixing
a record for the band Teays Vein entitled Hollywood
available in early 2008. You can contact him at 800-222-
4700 ext. 1268 or mike_picotte@sweetwater.com.
