Have you ever listened to the sound of a guitar amp direct without running it through a speaker cabinet? It sounds terrible — thin, buzzy, and trebly. This is why guitarists always want to use a speaker cabinet. But recording an amp through a cabinet isn’t always practical. Fortunately, thanks to today’s guitar modeling plug-ins, you can record your guitar amp direct, and use the software as your “virtual cabinet.” This can work very well, since you’re still getting the response and tone of the amp, yet you don’t need a microphone or cabinet, allowing for better, more authentic results without any muss or fuss — or volume complaints.
Connect the line output (NOT the speaker output) of your guitar amp head to your audio interface. If you’re amp doesn’t have a line output, check out load boxes designed for this application, such as the Rivera Rockcrusher, Torpedo Reload, or Radial HeadLoad, among many others.
The line out provides the raw, direct tone that sounds buzzy and trebly — the sound of an amp with no speaker. Now instantiate a guitar modeling plug-in that gives you independent access to its speaker simulations, such as Native Instruments Guitar Rig or Positive Grid Bias. When you run your guitar through the speaker simulation, it will sound as if your guitar signal is passing through a cabinet again. In fact, this can be even more flexible than miking a cabinet, because you have the ability to change cabinet types at will, and can pick the best one for your track. Think of it as “re-cabineting” rather than “re-amping.”