I’ve been on a bit of a mission lately, doing lots of recording sessions and working with various musicians for the last few months. This has led me down the pathway of seeking out and using lots of affordable analog amps, mainly in the form of pedals.
Contents – Affordable Analog Amp Solutions for Guitar Recording
Affordable Analog Amps
Like many of you reading this, I’ve been experimenting with recording guitars for years. I did run a recording studio for many years, so I have had plenty of experience recording guitars and using microphones to capture amps. Then, for the last few decades, I have also played with just about every software amp simulation on the market.
I’ve used hardware modelers as well, but I always find they offer way more options than I need in the studio. My aim is to get parts down, get them in a mix, and have them work in the song. Therefore, I don’t need all the options they offer.
About 25 years ago (give or take), I used a SamsAmp GT2 to record a lot of guitar parts, when mic’ing an amp wasn’t an option and software wasn’t up to scratch. These are great analog solutions to get down some core guitar tones, and they are still around today. Tech 21 still makes the SansAmp Classic, which is the original version with more options. They are a lot of fun, but both pedals are now a lot more expensive than I remember them being when I first encountered them.
My Current Favourite Budget Amp Pedals
As I don’t want to spend much money, but I do want some variety, I have, for the last few years, been buying up ‘budget’ amp-in-a-pedal boxes and experimenting with them.
Part of my reasoning is I don’t want any software, firmware updates, or DSP limitations. Also, I find working on a screen counterintuitive, and I would much rather use something analog, with real control knobs. When I’m recording, I hate menu diving; it just kills the creative flow for me.
Pocket Amp
One great little inexpensive product I have been using recently is the Palmer Pocket Amp MK2. It is essentially a clone of the GT2, just with a headphone out ( I never use it) and an XLR out with ground lift (very useful). It is very close to the SamsAMP GT2 in what it offers, and so I’d recommend it to anyone looking for an affordable analog amp recording solution.
It covers Fender, Marshall, and Mesa-style amps with some microphone/cabinet position options, plus a basic speaker simulation.
The ‘American Sound’
Another useful one I found is the American Sound pedal, another SansAmp clone. Harley Benton has a version called the American TrueTone, and it punches well above its price point if you need a Fender(ish) style amp for recording.
Mine is branded Joyo, but as far as I can tell, they’re identical, so they’re probably mass-produced and rebranded at a factory somewhere in China. I also own their British Sound, which is a Marshall-style amp tone. They also make Vox-style and Mesa-style versions as well.
These can handle everything from clean to pretty dirty, and they work great with other pedals stacked into them. I liked it so much that I also hunted down another version of this one called Horse American Sound, which is slightly quieter in operation with a little less background hiss.
Budget Pedals for Studio Work
These are the ones I have used the most in the last month during recording sessions. I actually own a lot more and some very expensive ones, but these three ‘budget pedals’ have done all the heavy lifting recently.
I do have much more expensive boutique amps, studio tube preamps, and a collection of expensive microphones to play with. Just, I really have enjoyed the way these budget pedals just do their thing and work perfectly for the jobs I have had.
Would I recommend them? Yes, if you just want a simple way to get a good guitar sound to tape/DAW, etc. Then these simple, easy-to-use solutions have a lot to offer.
My tips on using them are that a little goes a long way, so be careful when dialing in gain/volume. They are all very interactive, and the EQ sections also give you a lot of scope for tone sculpting.
DAW
They all work well into a DAW, and I found I could get my core tone outside the computer, then apply some EQ (if needed) during mixdown. If you need an affordable solution for recording guitars, these budget pedals are a lot of fun.
Sometimes, a simple budget solution is perfect for the job. Keep one in your gig bag and turn up to sessions prepared.
I have also been known to run my synths and drum machines through these pedals to add some grit to recordings, so they can also be a great budget tool for experimentation in the studio.
The post Affordable Analog Amp Solutions for Guitar Recording appeared first on gearnews.com.