5 Things We've Learned Recording Guitars & Amps At Home - That Pedal Show

We discuss and demonstrate ways to get better recorded guitar tones at home, following our experience during Covid-19 social distancing.
Life too short for long KZbin videos? Please see the ‘Interesting bits and go-to sections’ information below.
Welcome to the show. Last week we discussed 5 Things We Wish We’d Known When We Started. This week we’re giving the same treatment to the main things we’ve discovered following our experiences of recording guitars at home. Where does technology sit; what does it do for us and what does it stop us doing? That seems to be the main topic of discussion. So let’s have at it…
Main gear used in this episode:
Dan's gear:
Guitar: 1965 Fender Telecaster, Nik Huber Krautster II
Pedals:
• Dinosaural Optical Compressor - no longer made
• Thorpy The Bunker
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3e99zah
Australia: bit.ly/2ZrRhgr
USA: bit.ly/3j4s0By
• AnalogMan KoT
www.buyanalogman.com/Analog_M...
• Kingsley Page
kingsleyamplifiers.com/product...
• Jam Ripply Fall
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2PoxKu0
USA: bit.ly/3y0Ez7P
• Chase Bliss Audio Tonal Recall - No longer made
Amp:
• Audio Kitchen Big Chopper
www.audiokitchen.co.uk/produc...
• Grossmann FatBox Iso Cab
grossmann-audio.de/en/product...
Mics:
• Sontronics Delta 2
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2IWPbg4
• Shure SM57
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2ZtAHNm
USA: imp.i114863.net/QMVZP
Mick's gear:
Guitars: Gibson Memphis 1958 ES-335, Collings 360LT
Pedals:
• Thorpy Warthog
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2ELIE48
Australia: bit.ly/2GS31xb
USA: bit.ly/3qWCTK7
• Analogman OD-9 with Bab Bob Boost (OD-9 side only)
www.buyanalogman.com/Maxon_OD...
• Jam Pedals Delay Llama Xtreme
UK & Europe: bit.ly/333HeC6
USA: bit.ly/3I7w5QG
Australia: bit.ly/3qWpvES
Amps:
• Mesa California Tweed
UK & Europe: bit.ly/36y2BJD
USA: imp.i114863.net/DvD9j
• Victory V140 The Super Duchess
UK & Europe: bit.ly/34QcSPo
• Fender Blues Junior III - link to latest version
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2O80417
USA: imp.i114863.net/VMooA
Mic'd //really// quietly at home with:
• Sontronics Delta 2 on the Boog
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2IWPbg4
• Neumann TLM102 on the Victory and Blues Jr.
UK & Europe: bit.ly/39QWUGE
USA: imp.i114863.net/ZM00q
Main recording gear:
• Apple MacBook Pro laptops
USA: imp.i114863.net/0v00M
• Apple Logic DAW
• Universal Audio Luna DAW
• Universal Audio Apollo Twin & Apollo Twin X audio interfaces
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2UR6FjC
USA: imp.i114863.net/bMRR9
• UAD Plug Ins:
Neve 1073
Ocean Way Studios
Lexicon 480L
Teletronix LA-2A
Enjoy the episode!
Interesting bits and go-to sections…
Split-screen non-sadness: 0:00
What are we doing today? 4:13
1. An Iso Cab Has Been A Game Changer: 4:55
Discussion of Thing 1: 12:07
2. Quiet Amps Mic’d Are Better Than IRs (For Me Anyway): 16:40
Discussion of Thing 2: 31:01
3. Don’t Wait For A Bus, Add One To Your Tracks: 36:45
Discussion of Thing 3: 40:23
4. It’s Totally Okay To Use Plenty Of Pre & Post Effects: 45:28
Discussion of Thing 4: 57:49
5. Separate Tech From Playing & Practise From Performance: 1:01:50
We hope you enjoy this episode. Please subscribe to our channel.
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/ thatpedalshow
Please visit our preferred retailers!
UK & Europe: Andertons Music bit.ly/2cRvIvt
Australia: Pedal Empire bit.ly/2mWmJQf
USA: That Pedal Shop www.thatpedalshop.com/

[@albertorivera7937]

Like somebody else already commented, Mick’s solo is beautiful and melodic, and sounds amazing, a la Larry Carlton. The whole song sounds like a Steely Dan joint. Awesome job, Mick and Dan!

[@paulcollingridge8387]

Nobody, nobody can explain anything as clearly and gently as Dan... He really cares about his listener

[@ThatPedalShow]

🤓🙏

[@tonybrooks476]

I appreciate this new format will feel weird, but fro my money it feels fresh, personal and intimate. It’s working chaps. It’s working.

[@vondoom2876]

S

[@matnukin1584]

What Dan is saying near the end about practising is, for me one of the most important things playing the guitar has taught me. I’ve been playing for 25 years and the greatest takeaway from playing an instrument is learning how to listen to myself. If the hands stop co-operating, they are telling me a message: go away, it will not improve at this point. At those moments I either put the guitar down or strum an easy tune. After a break it will lock together in a totally new way. These same principles apply to almost everything: if something really difficult is occurring, walk away from it for a minute. New solutions will arise. Same thing with sleep: practise a difficult piece during the evening, sleep on it and in the morning you will have a much firmer grasp on it.

[@RandyWillcox]

Regarding cheating: frets are technically cheating! People need to knock off the nonsense about "cheating".

[@guitarsimon1]

Randy Willcox My man, you articulated that perfectly.

[@TheGgreen100]

This guy gets it. In the end, the ONLY thing that matters is how listeners feel when they hear your music. That's it. People who think music it should only be made a certain way are just there to brag and showcase talent, and have totally lost the entire point of it.

[@tonisiret5557]

Begs the question, "cheating who or what?"

[@bennycole1257]

"I thought using loops was cheating, so I programmed my own using samples. I then thought using samples was cheating, so I recorded real drums. I then thought that programming it was cheating, so I learned to play drums for real. I then thought using bought drums was cheating, so I learned to make my own. I then thought using premade skins was cheating, so I killed a goat and skinned it. I then thought that that was cheating too, so I grew my own goat from a baby goat. I also think that is cheating, but I’m not sure where to go from here. I haven’t made any music lately, what with the goat farming and all."

[@piratewhoisquiet]

@@TheGgreen100 Incorrect, it definitely matters how the players feel when they create their music, as evidenced by the series of vlogs we're currently commenting on lmao. If the player can only get that feel by playing into a single mic through an analog signal path then that's the player's prerogative. I'm guessing you haven't spent as much time on the mixer's side of the glass as on the band's. We can *see* the differences you'd never even *hear.*

[@Tomsdrawings]

This episode was such a treat! Thank you for this labour of love. The musical joy and relief radiated through enormously.

[@patrickconnelly2904]

Mick, you are so correct about body resonance. There are psycho-acoustic studies on the effect of physical vibrations going through the body. The acoustic is an example. You feel the frequencies moving through your body, and it helps us.

[@tremelo68]

Thank you TPS for continuing on for us. We need your content. Your humor and knowledge is the best thing on the internet (and one of the best things in my life, in general). Cheers. Stay safe.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thank you! Glad it’s of use to you Trem!

[@khai_nomore8613]

40 takes, and then the magic came. I think the magic is with you all of the time. This is a great vlog topic which most can relate. Two amps, two microphones and wet dry are just awesome.

[@JamieK_89]

A good way to think about the reverb on the bus technique is that it's literally just the wet/dry amp technique but in the digital world! It's blending a 100% dry track with a 100% wet track to get the best of both worlds

[@ThatPedalShow]

Exactly that!

[@Jaspertine]

And then you can treat the wet track without it changing the dry tone in any way.

[@ernestbuckley8671]

Just want to say thanks to both of you lads. I know these remote videos you`re both doing are not easy to pull off. I just discovered your channel around 4 weeks ago and have to say, its already one of my favorites. Appreciate all you guys do. Stay safe and keep up the good work.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Cheers Ernest and welcome!

[@joedabron4846]

Sounding great as ever guys, thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences, it’s such a great help facing this home recording learning curve to know that we’re all not alone!

[@ricarcorpse]

Guys. Thank you very much. I love you. I'm the rookie being blown away from the "simple" things you guys figured out. As millions around the world, I have found a love for writing, recording and mixing during this quarantine time. Stay safe and cool!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Cheers Ricardo 🤓👍

[@Jaspertine]

Two things I'd like to add: 1 - Record EVERYTHING. Always be recording stuff. Even if it goes directly in the trash when you're done. You practice playing your instrument to get better at it, practice recording to get better at it. And any time you read or hear about a new production technique, record something that uses it, just to try it out. 2 - You stack pedals to get certain sounds, don't be afraid to stack plugins. If your reverb plugin doesn't have modulation or EQ, try putting a chorus in front of it, or an EQ after it. I see a lot of people who get into DAWs begin obsessively collecting plugins that achieve specific sounds or have specific features, but even basic stock plugins can be a lot more versatile than you think if you combine them creatively to achieve the sounds you're looking for.

[@anmolatwal]

It was beautiful a show. Plays from Andy and joey and mick. Dan's been working hard taking the fears of editing. And the section with Liv, its every Dad's dream and watch her progress and enjoy it and just gallop through. Nice work there Dan. Great Solo Mick. Cheers guys!!

[@pinofredd]

I have to admit that after 20+ years with guitar i learned a lot from you both but i've got a lot of knowledge from the play of dan's daughter. It was an ispiration onestly to try to sing more and more. She as a singer has put so much of her voice in the notes of the pentatonic. Thank you again guys.

[@mobiusblues]

As always your work is brilliant! Even after many years as a musician and recording engineer enthusiasts, you guys taught me some. And to Mick, I am understand dealing with depression and anxiety and I appreciate you bringing awareness to it, hats off to you. ❤️

[@jonbradbury3843]

What a fabulously educational show. As someone who is yet to record myself playing guitar I have learnt so much from this one show. Thank you so much, great work TPS

[@Wingman52]

I watch your channel fairly frequently and just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy you guys. It think one of the things that makes watching your show so much fun is that you seem to be two very nice guys with a good dose of humility, and you are such good players. Very rare these days. Thanks so much. From Boulder, Colorado, USA.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Ah, that’s very kind, thanks Gary 🤓🙏

[@nilsx3020]

Very remarkable insights. I've recently come to take it for granted that I can play fairly loud at home in my own standalone house. By loud I mean as loud as my own hearing comfort level allows or takes me. That has led to louder levels than when I lived in an apartment, but gradually. I feel grateful not having this restriction.

[@tobyklatter]

Great show doing some home recording myself for the first time in years and this really helps. And lovely to see the Huber Dan always sounds huge!!!

[@onenotesolo256]

30.00: I hadn’t touched my 335 for years until I started recording quietly at home, and it’s my absolute fave now for recording. The 335 has that extra girth (oo-er missus) and “air” that just sounds great. The PRS 594 also sounds fantastic for recording as well. For gigs I’m generally strat or tele.

[@kjphoto]

That’s the sound of the first few Van Halen albums: Eddie’s ‘dry’ guitar panned hard left with a dripping wet dry-killed reverb hard right.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Aha! That’s what Mr Beato was talking about!

[@kjphoto]

@@ThatPedalShow kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGSokKBtfs2GnLs

[@michaeldschutte]

Loved Dan’s vlog and the song Adam Neely and co. This episode is perfect as I ordered an interface a week or two ago to start writing and recording music! Thank you guys! Greetings from Mossel Bay, South Africa!

[@mark.guitar]

Great to follow your journey. Inspirational musically, technically and personally. You both seem to have taken great steps forward in so many areas. Your frankness has helped me, my friends and students as we walk through our challenges. Knowing that others are having similar issues is really helpful, especially when they talk frankly about things that have helped and hindered. Thanks guys. Great show.

[@davidvail5959]

Your comment on 335s in the studio versus the strat live was really really lovely Mick. Thank you. Because that has been a big contentious point for me lately. There is no guitar I'd rather play at home than my Sheraton. But live, I've actually quite liked my other solid body guitars. The process of reading what's going on just as it's happening just never stops. You guys are the best. Thank you so much.

[@steverb66]

Mick channeling Larry Carlton on the 335

[@fabianericson5454]

Yeah, but also channeling himself, I felt!! 👍👏

[@JN-North.Guitars]

I started with a Marshall & Les Paul found myself in that labyrinth of recording gear and tec! lost my magic, plonked the lot in storage.....back to amp a few pedals and guitar and feel totally inspired! Great great content from TPS! Just gets better and better!

[@gianthonour]

Good to see and hear from you guys 👍

[@jcwear89]

Super helpful! Especially what you are doing in the DAW, we can all relate to that in the home environment

[@noisecode5867]

Nearly headless Mick!! HA!! love it. I can just see a translucent John Cleese strapped into a blue strat, head flopping to one side, rocking out up and down the great hall. Great show guys. Thanks!

[@garethware]

Interesting point Mick about how polarising the use of recording equipment. Was really helpful content to help the luddites amongst us understand more. Would definitely benefit from a series of this kind of stuff

[@viniciusferreira1109]

Loved this vid! Thank you guys! Cheers from Brazil!

[@johnroberts838]

Hi Dan and Mick, Brilliant Show 👍👍👍. Thank you for sharing your experiences, really enjoyed listening! Your Tracks are sounding Awesome, looking forward to hearing the finished product from you both 👍. Take care ♥️👍. Melbourne, Australia.

[@stuart_rose]

Quote of the week: “The advantage of doing it on a bus...” Yes! I’ve been experimenting with aux buses using the UA AKG BX20 Spring Reverb plug-in or the Waves Abbey Road Chambers - lush. Yeah nah, been dicking around with IRs for a few months now through the lockdown and I just can’t get into a flow with them either. It was great to hear Mick’s amps recording so well at low volume. Inspirational and informative as always chaps, thank you! 👍

[@AlOKaneMusic]

Guys, credit to you. Another fab video - some great tips and insights - and that final point is seriously important! (Can totally relate atm) Well done for making such good content under the circumstances, cheers!

[@mattwakeling9533]

Great stuff! Glad you guys are both finding tones you can FEEL as well as hear. So important as you always preach.

[@ThatPedalShow]

To me guitar tone is sound plus feel. Maybe 30 per cent sound, 70 per cent feel, controversially. Mick here. :0)

[@mattwakeling9533]

That Pedal Show hey Mick, agree very much with this. I’m lucky enough to play loud Aussie rock most weekends in cover bands through a tube amp. But practising at home through headphones with a totally different response from the instrument is not very inspiring. This video has encouraged me to keep looking at ways to make it work - thanks!

[@ParkerDeBaryshe]

Thank you guys for posting this! I’ve been having such a hard time finding inspiration and creating while at home, but this video I think is reigniting the fire! How do you guys get inspiration to create music? Thank you again for continuing to make content for all us!

[@shamsam4]

Having not played live for years, I do all of my stuff in a room in a duplex. This is a very useful video, even after the thing... Such good playing by the both of you!

[@lightinme217]

Mick your point you made about a microphone and speaker sound is definitely me all day long! I have bought thousands in plug ins Ir’s and can honestly say it’s missing that analog mic bliss that you said you have listened to for 30 years! I totally agree!! Thank you and Dan for sharing.

[@periloustemple8290]

This is all so well done and I am so appreciative - as the comments show, we all are. IR's only (maybe, mostly) worked for some of us who at the time HAD NO OTHER OPTION. Now that I have the option of my amp via isobox (home made - and helped by being in a closet), there is no question about the difference and the ease of getting there fast. Both of you sound fantastic - and so melodic. Both of your methods are great: I think what is right about Mick's rig is that the low volume gives the amps nothing but headroom - and DAW's love low level input like that. Mick's is very expressive and dynamic (b/c he is as a player) - even with those killer drives. Dan - while subtle, clever and also as expressive and dynamic - has an immediacy and boldness-with-a-lovely-smile. You are both perfect and hold your own brilliantly and musically with those big guns you dragged into the fold for this.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thank you sir! And congrats on the ISO box! Have to say I’m tempted...... Mick here. ;0)

[@hotdotdog]

Thanks Mick for the validation. I've never been disappointed with mic'd amps at a lower volume. It's more important to feel good about what I am hearing when I am playing it.

[@MrLespaul2000]

Thanks TPS some useful info there and I am looking at a lot of stuff at the moment as I have just ordered some equipment and am about to embark on this epic journey. Dan and Mick both your tracks sound great, if I can get anywhere near what you have got there I will be an extremely happy chap :)

[@joedonnelly8179]

Hey guys, I just want to thank you for your hard work! This is perfect timing for me as I’m preparing to record at home. The psychological/physical/ artistic component is so hard at home, and I’m really glad you addressed it! You guys rock!

[@ThatPedalShow]

THanks Joe. We wish you well on your journey! Some extra advice - if you find yourself worrying about stuff and getting frustrated, imagine that worry and frustration is a little angry goblin. When you feel him coming into play, just use your mind to look at him. Don't judge him. Just look at him. Look at his anger and frustration. Silly goblin. Try it. Seriously. Mick here.

[@joedonnelly8179]

That’s great! I will acknowledge the goblin, but he will have no power! Thanks again, and keep up the great work. I love your channel!

[@thiagodantas9313]

Awesome video, guys!

[@TimBentley]

Heh - I've gone the other way. This enforced quiet time has finally forced me to set up some IRs for clean and low gain that really work for me with a set of headphones and no sound in the room. Using a hardware IR box with low latency helps - trying to monitor your playing when the IR is being applied in the DAW adds too much latency for me. I still have a setup where I'm recording dry so I can tweak the IRs post-rec if needed, but I split the signal so I can also run it into my Torpedo CAB and monitor that for a low latency "in the room" sound (the CAB does room ambience as well). Finding what works for you is what it's all about - we all have different needs and parameters to work with. Love that all this varied tech is available :-)

[@MatthewSwasta]

I built a minture iso "room" to house my Bogner open-back 2X12 cab using 2X4 wall and floor cassesttes. Filled the voids with Owens Corning 703. Sealed the openings up with a layer of mass loaded vinyl, layering 1/4'' ply, and 1/2" quiet rock sheet rock...going in both directions (inside and outside the walls and floor). Decoupled whole box with rubber feet and leftover mass loaded vinyl, decoupled the cab by suspending inside the box using rubber tarp tie down straps and suspended the microphones after testing placemement and phase. Then put a lid made of all the same components and bolted down. Inside all the edges are sealed with acoustic caulk and all the cassettes have a layer of acoustic tape between before fastening together. Reduced volume levels in the room by 35 to 40 db and keeps the sometimes noisy road in front of the house from getting into my recording. Cost about $500 in materials or so (which would be about $650 now) To completely sound proof the room would have cost about 20 grand. So... I looked into the Grossmann cab and though, i have a cab, just build something. I was super worried about the sound being canny, but it turned out great with some tweaks on the mic placement. it was a great challenge. My wife complains she can't hear me playing downstairs anymore...lol

[@sidneysnottley6414]

Thank you gentlemen - Very informative.

[@andreasdavour9973]

Mick's part of Dan's piece is the best of the whole song. Loved it.

[@gordoncole2242]

Some friends and I are working on a diy ep and after years of micing loud amps in previous projects we’re trying a Strymon Iridium. It’s going much better than expected and Dan’s reverb bus trick made an immediate difference! Thanks again TPS! This blind squirrel just found another one of your nuts.

[@ThatPedalShow]

That’s awesome Gordon 🤓👍

[@philrowe6319]

Thanks so much for the show, more appreciated than usual, thank you Mick for comments at 40.32, very much trying to get my head around this tech, I hope you are ok, it's wonderful you talk about mental health. I imagine Friday TPS is something a lot of people look forward to.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thank you Phil. We just have to talk about it and normalise it. Frankly, too many suicides in my family to not talk about. Mental health issues is a term we’ve come to see as abnormal. It’s so normal it’s thoroughly depressing. HahahH!!! It’s been normal since the dawn of time. Well, human time anyway. Let’s talk about it!

[@philrowe6319]

@@ThatPedalShow negative thoughts are likely to be highlighted during this time, having dan and mick continue to release great content most certainly helps, thanks again, no pressure but your efforts are appreciated 🙏☺️

[@KristofferVad]

Just like zoom chatting with old mates. Enjoyed this tremendously... as always. Thanks TPS for persevering and still delivering insightful, entertaining content. I record at home so this was so on the money for me. My rig is set so that one switch flicked means everything is on. The least amount of prep possible to keep out that middleman. However, my production skills always let me down no matter how great the guitar tone is ;)

[@mark.guitar]

Part 4. I've used a mic'ed cab and taken a direct signal, before the amp. The cab gives me the feel while performing and the DI allows monumental amounts of messing around with re-amping etc. Lots of fun.

[@mattchurchill]

Totally agree with 'taking a great performance over a great sound' any day of the week.

[@miltonmusicacademy4555]

Wow. What a treat we got this week. First of all, special shout out to Dan & his daughter on completing their 2 week challenges... nnnnnnnnNAILED IT! Everything this week has just been... spectacular! Secondly, at the end of this video you start talking about how to 'get the studio ready/perfect for you to come in and just... record' (In a home enviroment) Unfortunatly this is 'practicly' impossible... this is why Studios will never go out of style/use. Yes, they have all the equipment and location to do it ect ect, But what your really after is the knowledge, expertese and practicality of having professionals doing their part. So that the musician/creative can come in 'confident things are ready' (as Dan stated). On a positive note however, you have definatly showed us that we can do something worthy of being sold from a home studio, If you know what your doing, what you want and have the time/patience & to actually... DO IT. Anyway, Stay Safe! Stay Alert! With Love. Milton.

[@stevey1000able]

Helix> Apollo twin> UA Neve plug in and I'm a happy boy. I get my main ideas down that way, then embelish everything with my pedalboard and AC15 miked. Im loving these shows on recording lads. It's really helping me work some things out in my home studio. Good stuff.

[@cameronhayes1804]

So true about what you were saying about how the body of the 335 resonates Mick, very interesting!

[@MrSh8ky]

Very very insightful video fellas. I hear ya on the Tech vs Performance thing...Boy oh boy, I just want to play sometimes but the tech drags me down. Keep up the great work guys. Cheers Marty from Melbourne

[@jacobwoodmusic1109]

Great video. Very informative. The Blues Jnr and Boogie tone was HUGE! Loved it. The tremolo was a great choice too...

[@DavidDyte1969]

I'll put in a word for John Lennon's direct tone on Revolution. It's a very specific sound, and a complete abuse of the mixing desk preamp, but it's ingenious and glorious.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Awesome! Using the gear to break rules, instead of trying to re-make them less well. ;0)

[@KristofferPaulsen]

I thought of that too!

[@nelsonmaciel7611]

this give a lot of inspiration to try recording myself, thanks guys, And Mick please don't give up that song its awesome can not* wait to listen ;)

[@inView-images]

Guys I have finally built up my small pedal board, dusted off my DAW and guitar and gave this a shot. Haven’t played my electric for some time, probably more than a year, and only been tinkering with my acoustic but watching this and the video of Dans daughters fist solo gave me the boot up the ass I needed to try. I can only really say Thank you. Be well

[@JamieK_89]

I built my own iso cab from scratch a few years ago and it's been an absolute life saver for recording guitars. As Dan mentioned there is a stark lack of room ambience, but it's easily compensated for with reverb pedals or plugins in the DAW. In a mix I don't think many people would be able to distinguish between real room ambience and a room reverb emulation (if used properly), so it's never bothered me. It's so essential that I can record my amp at a high volume though, so I'd take an iso cab over recording quietly any day! One tip though is to use and EQ in the FX loop of the amp. In such a small space you're bound to get resonant frequencies so it's always useful to have an EQ to tame them. I use a full band graphic EQ rack unit in the loop of my amp as it gives me much finer control, but an EQ pedal can work too.

[@kkrekula]

Yes I must say that I reacted to Mick's performance with the 335 - great playing and great sound!

[@chrisdbluesguitar3032]

Huge Thanks Mick & Dan !!! awesome show & great stuff for us self producing home recording musicians !!! very very useful & well presented guys !! hey Mick beautifully played your 335 solo {I'm a big 335 user\player!!! & also a very much old skool amp cab & mic advocate & enthusiast lol!!! } fantastic tone mate wonderful I'll be putting mics on my cabs in the spare room now !! thanks too Dan % some nice soulful playing on your Telecaster early in !!! Take care Guys all the best from Sydney Australia look forward to more keep up the great work !!! cheers ChrisD. ps yes the 335 IS very much a living breathing responsive guitar that DOES feel physically resonant in a way my Les paul doesn't

[@monkobillo5806]

Great video! I got a lot out of this one. I have a comment on 'head space': a great way to get the best of all worlds is to quickly set up a sound that inspires you to play, but not necessarily the final sound for the record, and then also record a DI signal that you can use IRs on or Re-Amp later. That way you don't have to spend ages trying to get the sound just right and then start the actual recording process already a bit fatigued. You can just jump into it. Awesome work guys!

[@19markz67]

Wow. I am lost and have never recorded. I am going to go play my acoustic guitar in my garden. Fascinating but beyond me for the moment. Thanks

[@Slaphitter]

The ES resonance is spot on. I’m just a living room player and I always play quietly. My Es-235 just gives back a lot more in those conditions compared to my solid body guitars.

[@kkrekula]

Lots of great insights guys! I learned after doing home recordings for years and finally releasing an album where I let an "internet mixing guy" mix it, that : Don't be afraid to record your guitar sound with all pedals you want, so that it sounds awesome when you play/record it and brings the best performance out of you! Otherwise you will rely on the person mixing it to be a mind reader... When I did demos at home myself, I could record it kind of "dry" and playing knowing that I would add e.g. a tape delay to the sound in my DAW. The best mixes that the "Internet guy" did was the ones where the sound on the tracks already had a good sound with all important effects on. The worse mixes were the ones where I would know myself what is missing on the tracks, but it was not easy to explain it to someone on the other side of the world in another timezone...

[@louisgerber65]

What Mick said about resonating guitars matches completely with my experience. Being a Strat and Tele player when playing with my buddies in the rehearsal room, I struggle when playing and recording at home levels. However with my Reverend Manta Ray semi hollow I feel connected even when playing completly silent. It's not about the recorded sound. It's about yout feeling when playing.

[@ollieneilson2815]

Dan, I couldn’t be more happy you mentioned Jeff Buckley, he is so so so underrated and not very well known, your daughter has amazing taste!

[@scotcombsvoiceovers]

You guys are really helping people flatten their learning curves. Outstanding.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thank you Scot. Please can we hear one of your voiceovers!? I’m fascinated by that world! Mick here

[@scotcombsvoiceovers]

@@ThatPedalShow Of course! It may take a couple of hours. I have an idea ...

[@scotcombsvoiceovers]

@@ThatPedalShow I've messaged you will audio links

[@slg9095]

Mick, I'm totally with you regarding music being a trigger. My struggles with guitar can often send me down, lack of progress, not knowing which direction to go in etc. Great video though, I've been trying some recording recently so is relevant to me 👍

[@justinguitarcia]

yeah! happy to see a lot of similar conclusions drawn on my end as well. Like Mick ive been using my 335, low volume, wet dry, to great results. additionally ive found the Ocean way plugin to be indispensable, same with the API eq when needed. I did pre order a Captor X IR box because I work late night often. I feel my journey has been similar since prior to lockdown I had a studio space that has since been closed. This has been super informative, thanks for taking this journey with us!

[@DelReiRock]

Nice to see an experienced guy saying he doesn't like IR. I never got good results with IR either and I thought the problem was with me. I am relieved.

[@ledheavy26]

Props to the drummer for using an old Boss multitrack recorder. Also an easy way to deal with phase issues itb is Waves InPhase, has saved me many hours getting phase done quickly with drums, bass, and guitars. I've put it in my recording template so I don't even have to change anything if I leave everything setup the same.

[@BadMotivator66]

what i've recently learned is that hard-panning guitar makes them perceived to be slightly less bright, and sort of melt back slightly. i am a total beginner but that's what senpai misha suggested and it worked wonders for me!

[@Adam-fz8vy]

Hey guys, great video! It's been cool following your separate home recording journeys over the past few months. Congrats on finding your own inspiring solutions! Thanks to this channel I've been (amateurly) recording through a wet/dry rig, mic'ing one quiet amp and going direct with IR's on the other. Time to see if I can use a bus with GarageBand now!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Cool! So great to hear that you’re doing stuff Adam. Happy days!

[@patrickcarroll1754]

I caught the reference, Mick. Your English wit is not lost on us. Cheers from Duluth, MN!

[@ThatPedalShow]

;0)

[@StringsOfCrossroads]

I found this extremely helpful .. really identified with your frustrations Mick with regard to feel! I think this is why I’ve gravitated to getting all my guitars in a semi hollow form. Les paul turned to a 335, tele turned into a thinline. Gretchen no f hole turned into a Duesenberg, without realising the issue til now. In addition I have also struggled with IRs bought so many. I think I will try record my amp quietly and see the results! Thanks all. Not sure if I can afford an iso cab but I also liked this approach. But I may get away with recording amps quietly. Loved the tips on mixing etc!

[@smitjanpaul]

Agility is a superpower! Well done and thank you so much for the info (Truth) you have shared the past few weeks regarding home recording. It has been immensely helpful and it has saved me so much money:). Have to order a ISO cab though...

[@Bealzeebozzo]

I have spent 40 odd years playing out of 4x12 cabs. I built a soundproof, separate studio just so that I can turn up my amps without annoying anyone next door or in the house. Or indeed the next suburb. I don't need IR cab sims because I have them physically in my studio. Old Marshall 68 Super Bass head compliments of my Dad. Other Marshall heads.A Fender 1962 Bandmaster head and a 6x10 cab. A 1966 Tremolux head.....several other 4x12 cabs and various other amps all stacked up ready to go whenever I want.

[@ThatPedalShow]

That’s the way to do it.

[@karllongbottomguitars9192]

I built a reasonably sound proof room in my loft, it's the best amp I've ever had

[@Glicksman1]

Totally brilliant, Mick and Dan. Love what you’re doing and how great it sounds. More importantly, I love how much satisfaction and pleasure both of you are obviously getting from it all. That is why we play, right? Just a suggestion, try using a little studio-quality compression on your guitar tracks. You might like it. Here’s a little trick for getting authentic room ambience with an isolation cab. Either after you have recorded the isolated track or simultaneously when recording it, place a monitor in an ambient space, whatever you like. Bathrooms with porcelain tiles are great, but it doesn’t have to be that extreme. On a separate track record the track coming from the monitor in the ambient space, and, voila, you have a track of the isolated guitar, but now also with ambience. You can use either or both tracks in the mix. Just remember to mind the phase of the mics. In a similar vein I have recorded a small amp placed inside a grand piano with someone holding the sostenuto pedal down so the piano’s strings can freely vibrate. This is a nice sound for simple, atmospheric parts. You can also do a lot with mirrors and reflective surfaces as well. As you know, the only limit is your imagination and willingness to experiment. Also, you might try recording with clones of the large-diaphragm Neumann U-47/67/87s and Telefunkens with appropriate mic pre-amps. Usually, a good bit of attenuation of the highs and upper mids is necessary when using these kinds of mics, but the unique overall presence and harmonic quality you can get is remarkable. Of course, the originals are best, but cost big, big bucks. George Martin used these mics and pre-amps along with compression to record the Beatles’ guitars, both acoustic and electric on virtually all of their tracks. Recent clones of these mics are very good and, of course, are far more affordable. Perhaps one of your “luminary” friends will lend you one or two if they have access to them.

[@davedavem]

The panning on Mick's track is something I'll come back to a lot.

[@zackguitar07]

@That Pedal Show - Brilliant as always! Don't mind the split screen episodes one bit. Mick - I LOVE LOVE LOVE your 335 tones on here! I 100% agree with you about feeling a physical connection with the resonance of your guitar. I'm becoming an almost exclusive semi-hollow or hollowbody player. My #1 guitar of the past year is a Thinline Deluxe Tele and I bought a PRS CE-24 semi-hollow last week that I'm obsessed with just playing open chords and feeling the sustain. I definitely feel like I can let myself go and not overthink with that body style. Cheers from Connecticut!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thanks Zack. I’m really digging the semi guitars at the mo. Hooray!

[@lynyrddeville]

Thank's gentlemen for a great episode, and THANK YOU so much for basically re-affirming some of my beliefs, one of which is, a speaker and a couple of mics usually triumphs. I never had to go down the IR speaker rabbit hole. I personally always found the easiest part of recording any project was to record and capture a great guitar sound, and usually 2 mics and maybe a room mic or 2 did the job just fine. Maybe it was as simple as the foresight to have my rehearsal studio/studio in an industrial part of town so pure volume was never a big issue. Maybe it was me being absolutely oblivious to the chaos the rest of the world was subject to when I tracked a buddy of mine blazing through 2 100 watt plexi double stacks dimed, in the same room as us, and yes, I had baffles between the stacks and us, and we had to take the measure of monitoring with ear buds in and ears covered with gun muffs just to hear what was going on, but the tracks went down and everybody was hap,hap,happy with the guitar tracks. The volume didn't bother me, and I have never recorded s guitar player who complained he was too loud ever. So to me, ir speakers were a non issue. It was great to watch you two discover all the glory of the simple mic'ed up speaker, and we have not even covered the fun and tones involved in mic pre selection and their effect on the tones captured. Thank you for an epic episode that I wasn't expecting to see in these depressing Covid days.

[@kjphoto]

Shawshank Redemption reference...nice.

[@lairdherron8202]

love that mesa tone. love the blended tone even more. yummmm

[@duffdunlap6705]

Pete Thorn would be a great guest to have on to talk about IR and recording.

[@ThatPedalShow]

We LOVE Pete. He’s such a stellar human, musician and of course, guitarist. But honestly, I don’t want to know anything else about IRs. Mick here. Really expensive mics, fantastic preamps, unbelievable guitars and amps and preferably a tape machine. Once you hear it, I can’t unhear it. I’m done. :0)

[@duffdunlap6705]

True. I am just amazed how people like Pete can get such amazing sounds out of the digital world. But what one hears from other people playing is so different from being the player. I have tried IRs and digital effects and amps but I do not have the patience or talent to get a sound I like. So amp, in room still what I do.

[@captainstackpeelum3473]

Also Lenny kravitz -let love rule and pj harvey could have tons of knowledge. But I’m sure those are not easy artists to get on the show

[@patrickcarroll1754]

I just wish Mick would be more stubborn :).

[@gabrielledebourg2487]

What I say about IRs is that they are a great tool, but like any great tool, the craftsman must feel comfortable with them. Every piece of gear you have should not just inspire you, but also be something you feel comfortable with. I’ve grown to love IRs, but that’s more out necessity; I can play with great tone through headphones. But, I was used to that already, having used plugins and amps with headphones before, so switching to a tube amp with load box and IR loader was an easy transition. Now, that rig, is a wonderful tool for me, allowing me to play my real rig “loud” in an apartment without bothering a single other soul. But, it was a journey getting there, I can say.

[@matabercrombie3816]

There's a great technique for finding the right blend between two mics on a guitar cab that I learned from watching one of Warren Huart's videos on Produce Like A Pro. I believe it was an interview with producer Bradley Cook. The idea is that you get your mics perfectly in phase and sounding good, then you flip the phase of one of the mics and adjust the level of that mic in relation to the other until you get the most phase cancelation (the signal sound the most thin and crappy), then filp the phase back inline and "voila" that's your optimal balance.

[@MichaelStriano]

I can’t say how much I needed this. I’ve been working on recording an EP at home and yesterday I almost threw the whole thing out, including 3 tracks that have been mastered. I’m going to try getting back to miking an amp quietly because working with IRs is killing my soul. I was so down yesterday and this gave me some hope that I haven’t been wasting weeks of time.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Hey Michael, Mick here. From one self-loather to (maybe) another, i feel your pain. I stated off thinking that maybe I was looking for something to blame to mask my own shortcomings as a player. That might be a little bit true. What was more true is that I started playing better when I brought amps and speakers back in the room. :0)

[@MiguelMorenoGP]

These times also pushed me into buying a Suhr Reactive Load I had already planned. Works great for me. I can switch any of my amps into it in less than a minute, and I can finally crank them as they want :)

[@Ttinpanama]

Brilliant vlog!

[@kalenotte4915]

I completely get what Mick’s saying about the “feel” of the amps when recording. The way I have gotten around it is running into the Suhr RL and then running back to the cab. If volume is the issue you can run an attenuator after the reactive load so you hear the attenuated signal out of your cab but the audio interface and IRS feel the entirety of your signal. Just an option for you as you cope with tiny studio recording. Great playing as always.

[@kasakka]

That sounds like a complicated setup when you could probably just run Suhr Reactive Load from one speaker output and attenuator into cab from another one if you have parallel speaker jacks. For me a loadbox is all about running into the right cab sims. For me the key tools were a good room reverb plugin (I use Fractal FAS-FX Rerverb) and the right impulse responses. The ML Labs MIKKO cab sim plugin and IRs are awesome.

[@jesseleite]

Mick, thank you, thank you, thank you. Your playing and recorded tones were lit, and it's nice to be reminded that we can make great recordings with our small combos in our living rooms at bearable volume levels. I'm not sure I can always tell the difference between IR and the real thing, but it was apparent in your recording there IMO. Just sounded so natural. But more than the sound, it's so much more inspiring playing through my Deluxe Reverb, than anything digital I've tried.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Yes to all this! Thank you Jesse!

[@patrickcarroll1754]

Mick- "I'm still a techno-phobe". --Adds E.Q, compression, reverb plugins, blends two mics, two computer screens-- Tom Buckovac- "I'm finding this painter's tape really holds my iPhone in place best."

[@ThatPedalShow]

Haha!!! I lost my shit when he said that. So, so unbelievably cool. I’d be that cool if a) I could play the guitar like that and, b) was in and out of the best studios in the world with the best producers in the world and c) Had Vince Gill’s number. Hell, I’d throw my iPhone in the river (metaphorically speaking, given the environmental connotations) and get an old Nokia, I’d be so cool. /0)

[@patrickcarroll1754]

@@ThatPedalShow Tom to Vince text..."you up?"

[@pbstacey]

Here's what's working great for me; taking a line from an attenuator on the amp into a 2 Notes speaker simulator plug-in. Monitor through the speaker, and VERY realistic mic'd speaker at the end of the amp chain in the computer.

[@bustalick335]

Got to say that to my ears Dan and Mick truly played through all the changes. And to Mick salute . You had that Larry Carlton thing going on was feeling you bruv!!

[@mal2ksc]

Yeah I wanted to chime in that he had that "Kid Charlemagne" vibe going on in full force.

[@richardcoleman9234]

Nice work guys! As a new LUNA user (been learning it during the lockdown) my favourite trick is to use 'loop record' - as many takes as you want, without stopping, without wiping the previous takes. Amazing how I knew instinctively when I 'had' it with the ability remove the tech. No doubt other DAWs have this feature also but this one stands out for me. Please keep up the amazing work, so grateful for your efforts.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Indeed they do, but it’s particularly instinctive in Luna. Mucho fun!

[@neuk01642]

Ahhhhh hello Grossman Iso Cab!!! I have one and it's simply revelatory. I love it to bits.