Logic studio 9 and what it can do with guitar

[palmerc2]

I am thinking about purchasing Logic Studio 9 because I've been playing guitar and want to expand what I can do.....cost isn't an issue

If any of you guys are familiar with guitars + amps I have a Schecter guitar and a Line-6 Spider III amplifier. This particular amplifier has built in effects, doesn't logic studio as well?

So my question is, how would I go about hooking up my guitar + amp to my computer to run through Logic Studio? If I am able to do this, I wouldn't add any effects to my amp for the purpose of fully utilizing the software - and what it has to offer. Cuz after all, software is much easier to update then an amp - I just got the Spider III used, and now the Spider IV just came out with more effects.

Anyways, on the amp, it has an "audio out" which I am not too familiar with audio jack sizes, but I do believe it is a 1/4 inch connecter....right below the little screen on the top right, where it says "pod-style out" then has a photo of some headphones.

CLICK HERE FOR IMAGE

After connecting the amp + guitar, what are my possibilities? Crisp recordings? Effects?
I am mainly interested in playing punk, punk rock, rock and metal (The Offspring, Avenged Sevenfold, Slayer, etc)

Thanks!

 

[rcanpolat]

hmm - i know exactly what your trying to do but there are some things you need to bare in mind.

ok firstly you'll need some form of interface to connect your guitar to your computer. i would recommend line 6's toneport ux1 or ux2 - they are very cheap to pick up and come with pod farm software or gearbox software.

now - by the nature spider amps aint that great (i own a spider 2 212 series but i dont use it now, i have a professional rig now) - they sound ok..ish when your running them through their own speakers etc but the moment you decide to hook it up for direct recording its going to sound a bit naf

all guitar interfaces such as line 6's toneports are capable of taking a di signal. a di signal is basically ... imagine taking your electric guitar and plugging it straight into your computer and bypassing your amp. the sound of your guitar at that moment is called a di signal. this is the sound that your spider amp hears and distorts, effects and amplifies etc

within logic studio there are plugins such as the amp designer (and within garageband too on your mac) these are amp emulators meaning they re-create the sound of real amps, cabs and microphones - these emulators will generate a much better sound then your spider will when plugging it directly into your computer because emulators try to emulate the natural characteristics of tube amps (proper professional amps) where as your spider is happy being digital and not using tubes.

so to get a raw professional tone i would bypass using your spider amp and just buy and interface and plug in and use the software with that to generate your tones. the flexibility of software is amazing meaning in only milliseconds you can swap from sounding like your plugged into a classic fender amp into a full on marshall metal stack

try using garageband if you have never dabbled in DAW's such as protools or logic. its a good ground to begin on. some freeware DAW's that exist are Ardour 2 and there are hundreds of plugins on the internet to generate all sorts of effects, reverbs and distortions and amps which would sound better then the spider amp

a great place to learn and ask questions about audio production is the andy sneap forums here: http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/andy-sneap-151/

i have been a member for around 5 years and i've learned almost everything from the lads there, and andy sneap himself comes on to chat, he has mixed records for machine head, arch enemy, megadeth etc.

if your wondering im a musician for 9 years, im a producer and an audio engineer so i was once in your position years ago

 

[palmerc2]

wow that is an amazing reply A+++++++++ !!

I've looked into your recommendation and I believe the UX1 will fit my needs perfectly. As an audio engineer, would you recommend this set up? Is there a different brand besides Line-6 you would recommend? Or is their POD studio a strong product? On one of the features on their website of the UX1, it says "Up to 24-bit/96 kHz recording" is that good quality? I'm impressed that I can go from guitar, UX1 to computer.

So really, I can put my amp aside and hook it up directly to my iMac, and record....that is pretty damn cool! I'm still just amazed at how easy this is gonna be, the possibilities will be endless...As you know the Spider series has different effects like reverb, delay and chorus flange (my favorite)....its my favorite because of THIS VIDEO right here, ah-mazing.....

As you said: "the flexibility of software is amazing meaning in only milliseconds you can swap from sounding like your plugged into a classic fender amp into a full on marshall metal stack" sounds amazing, do programs (such as logic, garageband, etc) do a good replica? almost....identical?? I played my friends Les Paul on a marshall and sounded really good.

Anyways, thank you for the tips - I will check out that website very soon to see what I can soak up, after all I am a brand new guitarist - only been playing for 3 months