[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":150},["ShallowReactive",2],{"post-\u002Fblog\u002Frecording-guitar-direct":3,"surround-\u002Fblog\u002Frecording-guitar-direct":139},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"date":125,"description":126,"draft":127,"extension":128,"meta":129,"navigation":130,"path":131,"readTime":132,"seo":133,"stem":134,"tags":135,"__hash__":138},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Frecording-guitar-direct.md","Recording guitar direct, a practical chain",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":118},"minimark",[9,13,18,36,39,43,46,49,105,111,115],[10,11,12],"p",{},"Recording direct means plugging the guitar into an audio interface and shaping the tone in software. It is quiet, repeatable and works at any hour, which makes it ideal for a home setup.",[14,15,17],"h2",{"id":16},"the-signal-chain","The signal chain",[19,20,21,30,33],"ol",{},[22,23,24,25,29],"li",{},"Guitar into the ",[26,27,28],"strong",{},"Hi-Z instrument input"," on the interface. A normal line input loads the pickups and sounds dull.",[22,31,32],{},"Record the clean, unprocessed signal to its own track.",[22,34,35],{},"Send a copy through an amp simulator and cabinet impulse response for monitoring.",[10,37,38],{},"Keeping the dry signal is the trick. It lets you change amps later without replaying anything, which is called reamping.",[14,40,42],{"id":41},"gain-and-latency","Gain and latency",[10,44,45],{},"Set the input gain so the loudest peaks land somewhere around -12 dBFS. There is no bonus for hitting the top of the meter at 24-bit.",[10,47,48],{},"For latency, a smaller buffer helps playing feel, at the cost of CPU load:",[50,51,52,68],"table",{},[53,54,55],"thead",{},[56,57,58,62,65],"tr",{},[59,60,61],"th",{},"Buffer size",[59,63,64],{},"Latency per buffer at 48 kHz",[59,66,67],{},"Use for",[69,70,71,83,94],"tbody",{},[56,72,73,77,80],{},[74,75,76],"td",{},"64 samples",[74,78,79],{},"about 1.3 ms",[74,81,82],{},"Tracking, if the machine copes",[56,84,85,88,91],{},[74,86,87],{},"128 samples",[74,89,90],{},"about 2.7 ms",[74,92,93],{},"Tracking, the usual compromise",[56,95,96,99,102],{},[74,97,98],{},"512 samples",[74,100,101],{},"about 10.7 ms",[74,103,104],{},"Mixing, where feel does not matter",[106,107,108],"tip",{},[10,109,110],{},"Increase the buffer size before you mix. Plugins that were fine while tracking often are not once the session grows.",[14,112,114],{"id":113},"a-rule-i-like","A rule I like",[10,116,117],{},"Do not use a plugin you cannot explain in one sentence. It keeps the chain short, and short chains are easier to fix.",{"title":119,"searchDepth":120,"depth":120,"links":121},"",2,[122,123,124],{"id":16,"depth":120,"text":17},{"id":41,"depth":120,"text":42},{"id":113,"depth":120,"text":114},"2026-09-02","An interface, an amp simulator and a few habits that make direct recording sound less like a compromise.",false,"md",{},true,"\u002Fblog\u002Frecording-guitar-direct",null,{"title":5,"description":126},"blog\u002Frecording-guitar-direct",[136,137],"guitar","music-production","EX1sDFIuAb-dVs8Pojc2nv4dA-PqpGsSRxTbEi67Qzs",[140,145],{"title":141,"path":142,"stem":143,"description":144,"children":-1},"The boring homelab checklist","\u002Fblog\u002Fhomelab-first-checklist","blog\u002Fhomelab-first-checklist","Six things to sort out before you buy a second server, in the order they usually bite.",{"title":146,"path":147,"stem":148,"description":149,"children":-1},"A resolver that stays up","\u002Fblog\u002Fdns-that-stays-up","blog\u002Fdns-that-stays-up","Pi-hole in front of Unbound, and the small habits that stop DNS from taking the whole house offline.",1793217405788]