I am looking for best solution to capture an amp head. (No Speaker Cab)
I have been currently using a UA OX to attenuate the AMP and using the Line out of the OX to feed the input of the QC. I set the Cab to direct however I have learned that any cab set to direct influences the capture sound greatly
Example is taking the same amp and settings and using a 4x12 with vs. say 2x12 set to direct with all EQ from the OX turned off. Both captures sound dramatically different even though I tried to go direct by bypassing the mics.
Is there any easier way to capture the amp (with no speaker influence) using another type of Attenuator/DI box inplace of the OX? Or am I using the OX incorrectly?
I don’t have a UA OX, so I don’t know the details of that device. But I think you want to configure the OX to have no cab at all if you want to capture just the amp. Then you could use the cab models or IRs in QC with the capture.
I use two resistors soldered on a plug. 10kohm in series and 180 ohm to ground I think.
The same idea as an old line out from the speaker.
If you want the right sound you should also let the speaker be conected during capture.
I’ve captured several amps using an ox box, I typically set it up so one of the two ox outputs is set for direct and the other is going through a modeled cab.
The only issue I ran into was making sure I panned all the mics and effects, hard left and right, respectively. If you have any of the effects or room, mixed in with the DI mic pan, you’ll get some artifacts of the modeler cab.
Double check your set up, I can tell you with certainty you can get good captures of the amp only with an ox box.
Can you explain if I should pan mics left and effects right? I typically shut off the effects.
If I choose Direct, then there are no mics to pan other than the room mic, correct?
So I think you are telling me to make the Left Output go Direct and make the Right Output the modeler Cab, correct?.
I set up my Ox to have the Left output function as ‘normal’ (simulated mic’d cab, effects, etc.) going out to my mixer, and the Right output to be DI (no cab, no effects) for captures.
Here’s how I set it up:
-Chose the cab I wanted (including power level 50/100W, and speaker drive)
-Setup Mic 1 as the mic’d cab, chose mic, panned left (100%)
-Setup Mic 2 as the DI output, panned right (100%)
-Setup the Room Mic, make sure to choose a mono room mic model, panned left (100%)
-Setup up Effects (if desired for Left output), make sure all effects are panned left (100%). I only had a delay active in my setup.
With the app open, if you Solo Mic 2 (the DI), you should only see output on the Right meter, and the opposite if you mute Mic 2 (only see output on the Left). This is how I realized I was getting some ‘spillage’ into the DI from the other components.
Double check your room mic… it might be set to stereo.
The closer the impedance curve is to an actual guitar speaker cab, the better the capture will sound. More specifically, it’s better yet if the impedance curve closely matches the specific guitar cab the head would be used with. But you will get fantastic results with any load that closely matches some guitar cabinet that is in the ballpark of what the head will be played through.
From that point of view, the best ones on the market today are the Suhr Reactive Load and the Fractal X-load LB-2. These links have curves. Apparently the Ox looks similar to Two Notes.
Several years back I built a load, customizing a circuit based on the Aiken design. It closely matches the impedance curve of one of my cabs. Measured it and several other loads and those measurements look similar to the curves above. One of those is the Suhr Reactive Load. That model sounds very close to the handmade one, and the Suhr’s impedance curve also closely matches what actual cabs look like. I’d buy the Suhr if looking for a load on the market today.
One note. Try not to use the ground lift in the QC capture menu if possible. It seems to have a high frequency rolloff relative to when it’s not used.