How you record at home with pro results?

What did you use? Small amp? Big amp and attenuator? Preamp into board? Software?

All of the above. It really depends on the role of the guitar in the piece you're recording.

I use Sonar Producer Edition & ProTools LE software to record/edit on, and most of the time I put down scratch tracks using Amplitube (since it doesn't make any noise to wake everyone up). I simply run the guitar directly into the instrument in of my RME Fireface (which has speaker emulation and a limiting stage) and use the Amplitube plug-in. This gives me the freedom to tweak the type of amp model in the plug-in. I do the same for bass tracks.

When I really want to get serious, I tweak out my Mesa Boogie, Fender Blues Deluxe, or even a Jazz Chorus with a Line6 Pod... Then mic them with either a pair of condensers (Rode NT5s) or a SM57...through a Joemeek preamp or into the RME's mic pres. I've tried Marshall (big & small), BadCat, and various other amps as well....usually for parts where I'm not sure of the tone I'm looking for, I'll just try different guitar/amp combinations on separate tracks. If the guitar tone is part of the primary focus (the lead or a strong secondary part) then the mic'd amp is preferred, but if I'm just trying stuff out, the plug-in method is so much easier to setup and can effective emulate "classic" amp setups. I've kept a number of tracks with the plug-in... it's generally when I want something "special" (aka "big" or "wall of sound" or "screaming" or "wind being pushed by speakers") that I'll whip out the amps and start stereo mic'ing.

I've found that mic'ing in stereo will give the guitar a wider soundscape than just a mono track....I've also gotten some great tones recording the same part with different tones L-C-R in the mix. I saw a "Classic Albums" with Metallica the other day, and they talked about the tone for "Enter Sandman," and I was surprised how much layering they did to get that big menacing wall of sound tone. I saw another documentary where Joe Walsh talked about how all most of his parts on the "Hotel California" album were through a tiny Fender Tweed.

It just goes to show you, that pretty much anything goes in the studio.

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Lately I've been goofing off with the Line 6 Tone Port UX2––it's cheap, and it sounds good, and its exceeding simple to use... once you get your software configured!

Of course, you probably wouldn't want to use it for professional recording, but its a great piece of hardware/software for doing quick demos and the like.

The included GearBox sofware, which models a bajillion different amps and effects, is just really fun to use... the pre-sets leave abit to be desired (as I hear about most of Line 6's products,) but with a bit of tweaking you can get some really great tones going direct in.

I originally bought it just as a USB interface, intending to mic my amp (which I still intend to do,) but I've gotten kind of sucked into all the possibilities of the GearBox software.

Paired with a decent set of monitors (I bought the M-Audio DX4s,) it's a very decent set-up for home recording, for a price tag of less than $400... not bad for just having fun!

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Good going with the Line6 UX2.... I dig the VU meters. The one thing I don't like about the Line6 software/hardware is that once you "commit" to a tone and put it on "disk"... You can't really change your mind. They did just come out with a VST "plug-in" for other recording software, but you have to have your Line6 gear plugged in to use it (which is kind of a hassle if you're recording on ProTools or using a more advanced sound interface), and it's an additional $200. Also, you can probably get most of the same tones using Amplitube or another plug-in and not have the hardware limitation (granted those plug-ins sometimes cost more the the Line6 gear).

But if you are just putting down some quick stuff, the Line6 stuff is great. It lets you do some experimenting that isn't really possible in the "real" world. It lets a lot of people hear what certain amps sound like for the first time.

A test we did in the studio comparing plug-ins vs. amps a few months ago revealed some surprising results. Pushing air through a speaker has a quality that plug-ins have not been able to model.... even mic'ing an amp that has a modeler in front of it had that "realness" to it....particularly in the high end and in certain mid registers. Also, and most importantly, the pre-amp that the mic is going through can make or break the recorded guitar sound....and also make it blend with the rest of your "live" tracks. I'll take just about any amp mic'd running through an Avalon 737sp over the sound of a modeler.

I've done freaky stuff were I've taken the output of the DAW with a direct recording of the guitar (through RME's great limiting instrument pre-amp), and ran it through a mic'd amp...tweaked the amp while looping the track, and re-recorded the "processed" track. I've gotten the most amazing tones that way.

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I'm using the line 6 toneport UX1. Nice set up for the price. I use a decent set of wireless headphones with it.

It really is a lot of fun with all the choices of sounds you can play around with. I especially like the Fender amp models. Sure miss my Fender Deluxe Reverb, but this is a good substitute.

I've got an inexpensive mic coming tomorrow(Shure PG57) so I can try miking the amps I have. Never tried it, so should be a fun learning experience.

Picked up Guitar Tracks Pro which I'm just starting to fiddle with.

Not trying to get Pro results with these tools, but these will help me get started.

An SM57 is actually a great mic to record a guitar amp with.

Guitar Tracks Pro is basically a watered down version of Cakewalk's Sonar....and it's definitely possible to get professional results from it. Particularly if all the tracks are "live"

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Hey there,

I got the Tone Port UX2 recently and I have no clue how to use it! I got everything set up on my computer. Everything is downloaded and I can open the program, but I don't know how to start recording? I can't figure it out, there's not just a button you hit to record, well not at least that I could find easily. My friend is using her guitar and I'm doing vocals. We plugged both the guitar in and the mic and we could hear both of us, we just have no clue to where to go from there, I've read the intruction manuel up and down, But I still don't know where to go from there, it's all kind of jibberish to me, A lot of stuff I don't know about. Can anyone please help us out?? I got this thing and it was really expensive and I don't want it to go to waste ya know, the guy said it was really easy to use, but so far that is not the case! So any help would be great! Thanks soo much!

What kind of computer are you on? What program are you running? Are you running GearWorks or Riff Tracker? If you go to the Help Menu there is tutorial.

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I have a Toshiba/Windows XP. The software it came with is GearBox & Live 5.2.2. And its a Line6 Tone Port UX2. I've gone to the Help menu and read the tutorial, but It still didn't help. Got any ideas??

Unfortunately, I don't have Live. I think it's possible to go to the Line6 Website and download RiffTracker, which is a very basic recording program. I primarily use Cakewalk's products to do multi-track recordings. They have a few relatively inexpensive products like Guitar Tracks Pro or Cakewalk Home Studio that are fairly simple to use and will work with a Line6 interface.

I think fundamentally the problem you are having is getting the UX2 to work with Live (which is not made by Line6). Can you open up sample songs in Live and see what settings they used?

Are the videos on the Line6 Website of any help?

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