# Recording directly from 5150 preamp.....?



## MajorJohnson931 (Jun 18, 2008)

Hey all, is there any relatively cheap way to record directly (or indirectly) from my 5150 preamp? I don't want all the ambience and hissing with using the mic/power amp set up. And it's quite loud. I was thinking of getting a Boss GT-10, and using the USB on that to record from the line level. Then I'd have decent effects and recording knocked out with one stone......

Any help appreciated


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## SplinteredSoul (Jun 18, 2008)

MajorJohnson931 said:


> Hey all, is there any relatively cheap way to record directly (or indirectly) from my 5150 preamp? I don't want all the ambience and hissing with using the mic/power amp set up. And it's quite loud. I was thinking of getting a Boss GT-10, and using the USB on that to record from the line level. Then I'd have decent effects and recording knocked out with one stone......
> 
> Any help appreciated



Oh I have just the right product for you  I was going to write a review of this tomorrow, but I may as well start here 

There's no need to go out and buy a Pod or GT rack or anything like that. If you like the sound of your Peavey, then use it. Of course being valve, the best sound comes from cranking it right up and getting an ASBO from your neighbours complaints. So what's the answer?

Emerson William's Bluestone Pro! (Link Below) It's a small box around 6" x 6" x 3" and it's purely built for the recording of a valve amp. No mics required, all you do is come out the Speaker output of your amp, into the Bluestone Pro, and then balanced DI/headphones/line-out in to whatever you're recording with. The Bluestone Pro Takes the full load of your amp (unlike the Marshall Powerbrake), allowing your valves to warm up to their fullest potential, and then goes through an unbiased pre-amp so you hear the raw power of your amp.







I tried and tested this out at the London Guitar Show last saturday and ordered one on the spot. It'll arrive on Friday and I'll make a Youtube video for SS.org members. I do highly recommend this to ANYONE wanting to record through a valve amplifier.

Emerson Williams Bluestone Pro


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## WarriorOfMetal (Jun 18, 2008)

most of the hissing you hear with a 5150 comes from the preamp, and ambience is easy to get rid of by close-micing. that said, if you really want to record direct, there are two important things to keep in mind.

1. this is the most important thing to remember....you will still need to have some sort of load on the speaker outputs, like a speaker or some sort of dummy load. if you don't, you run the risk of destroying your output transformer, which is generally the single most expensive component of a tube amp.

2. guitar preamps without some sort of speaker simulation generally sound terrible when played through full-range speakers. as a result, your direct recordings, if you don't have some sort of speaker sim, will sound very harsh and unpleasant to listen to.


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## SplinteredSoul (Jun 18, 2008)

Oh, and don't forget a noise gate


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## raginkjinn (Jun 18, 2008)

MajorJohnson931 said:


> Hey all, is there any relatively cheap way to record directly (or indirectly) from my 5150 preamp? I don't want all the ambience and hissing with using the mic/power amp set up. And it's quite loud. I was thinking of getting a Boss GT-10, and using the USB on that to record from the line level. Then I'd have decent effects and recording knocked out with one stone......
> 
> Any help appreciated



I record my Roadster's preamp sometimes when its late at night and I cant mic it up. The way I go about it is. Connect the cab as usual and run from the effects send to the line in on my presonus firebox. But make sure the cab is hooked up so you have a load on there. And then just apply some impulses to the tone and there ya go.


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## newamerikangospel (Jun 18, 2008)

raginkjinn said:


> I record my Roadster's preamp sometimes when its late at night and I cant mic it up. The way I go about it is. Connect the cab as usual and run from the effects send to the line in on my presonus firebox. But make sure the cab is hooked up so you have a load on there. And then just apply some impulses to the tone and there ya go.





My name is newamerikangospel, and I endorse this message. 

Just make sure to set the volume controls, as you dont want to clip a digital input (bad noises. make nag scared. run away)


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## Metal Ken (Jun 19, 2008)

SplinteredSoul said:


> Oh I have just the right product for you  I was going to write a review of this tomorrow, but I may as well start here
> 
> There's no need to go out and buy a Pod or GT rack or anything like that. If you like the sound of your Peavey, then use it. Of course being valve, the best sound comes from cranking it right up and getting an ASBO from your neighbours complaints. So what's the answer?
> 
> ...




When do these come out, and what is the estimated price point?


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## MajorJohnson931 (Jun 19, 2008)

to be honest with you all, I don't know a whole lot about this stuff. So you're helping me a lot  with that Bluestone thing, would i be plugging that into my effects loop, or what?


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## SplinteredSoul (Jun 19, 2008)

Metal Ken said:


> When do these come out, and what is the estimated price point?



They're already out man, and they're 98 british pounds.



MajorJohnson931 said:


> to be honest with you all, I don't know a whole lot about this stuff. So you're helping me a lot  with that Bluestone thing, would i be plugging that into my effects loop, or what?



Nope, not your effects loop, your speaker cab output / main output.


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## stuh84 (Jun 19, 2008)

As mentioned, without impulses, it'll sound like a buzzy mess. I've yet to find a direct tone anywhere near as good as a micced tone, so don't expect it to be amazing. As long as the microphone is about a couple of inches at most in front of the speakers, there will be no ambience anyway.


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## SplinteredSoul (Jun 19, 2008)

The bluestone pro has the quality of a decently mic'd up recording, without disturbing anyone, or getting any "bleed".


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## astrocreep (Jun 19, 2008)

SplinteredSoul said:


> The bluestone pro has the quality of a decently mic'd up recording, without disturbing anyone, or getting any "bleed".



At only £98.. sounds too good to be true! Maybe I should see if they welcome visitors and take a trip to Fife... 

Anyway, I await the full review with clips!


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## stuh84 (Jun 19, 2008)

SplinteredSoul said:


> The bluestone pro has the quality of a decently mic'd up recording, without disturbing anyone, or getting any "bleed".



I can see that it'd be like a micced up recording, but it doesn't allow for different microphones and placement, which for me is half the fun of recording guitar. I've put a bass drum mic on guitar speakers (Audix D6), condensers usually for vocals (Neumann U87), and then different configurations for clean as compared to distorted tones. Also, no room mics either.

I think this would be better for quick live set up personally, although I suppose it'd work for scratch tracks too.


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## Metal Ken (Jun 19, 2008)

SplinteredSoul said:


> They're already out man, and they're 98 british pounds.



Thats not too bad, even after the conversion rate. I looked around online and no one has them, though...


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## SplinteredSoul (Jun 19, 2008)

Metal Ken said:


> Thats not too bad, even after the conversion rate. I looked around online and no one has them, though...


 
Well yeah mic's will always be the standard form of practice, but that's not what the Bluestone's designed for. Its for anyone that can't mic up at a decent volume without fear of police beating your door down. If you've got a soundproof room or studio, and already got the mics you want, then chances are it's not for you. But for the home user or starter studio, it's an essential buy. Certainly a lot cheaper than a cardoid condenser.


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## TomAwesome (Jun 19, 2008)

raginkjinn said:


> I record my Roadster's preamp sometimes when its late at night and I cant mic it up. The way I go about it is. Connect the cab as usual and run from the effects send to the line in on my presonus firebox. But make sure the cab is hooked up so you have a load on there. And then just apply some impulses to the tone and there ya go.



This is pretty much what I was going to say. Impulses make direct recording a very viable option and can produce some pretty professional results.


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## Scali (Jun 19, 2008)

There are also DI Boxes with built-in speaker simulators like the Hughes & Kettner Red Box.
You plug those into your effect loop (which is effectively the output of the preamp).

Marshall builds a similar circuit into many of its amps, which gives you a line-level XLR output which can sound pretty good. I've recorded with that in the past, for example on this track: SoundClick artist: Scali - page with MP3 music downloads

With a H&K Red Box you'd get a similar result, and technically you could just set your master volume to 0, because the poweramp isn't used for the recording at all.
Behringer also makes a cheap copy of the Red Box, which allows you to select different cab simulations and things. I don't know how good it will sound though.


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## Demeyes (Jun 19, 2008)

I'd say go with Impulses. Its free and will give you very decent results. There are loads of impulses available of different equipment so there is loads of options you can try after you've recorded your take. I use Sir to apply my impulses.


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## Leec (Jun 19, 2008)

Demeyes said:


> I'd say go with Impulses. Its free and will give you very decent results. There are loads of impulses available of different equipment so there is loads of options you can try after you've recorded your take. I use Sir to apply my impulses.




 I use Sir as well. I've been using it with my JMP-1 and the results are pretty nice.


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## MajorJohnson931 (Jun 19, 2008)

so i would plug this thing into my external speaker output? i've got the 5150 combo...


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## SplinteredSoul (Jun 19, 2008)

MajorJohnson931 said:


> so i would plug this thing into my external speaker output? i've got the 5150 combo...



Yep! Exactly right! Take the speaker out of your head or combo to the input of the Bluestone Pro. Then take the balanced D.I. out to either headphones or your recording input. It has it's own pre-amp gain control, and it's as simple as that


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## theunforgiven246 (Jun 20, 2008)

Hey man I have a 5150 combo as well and I've used impulses with great success. I have a thread on here somewhere that has everything you need to know to get started. And if you have any questions either pm me or post on here cause alot of these guys know about that shit too haha


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## skeeballcore (Jun 25, 2008)

let me ask to verify this is right

I have the 5150II head
do i run the line out from the speaker outputs of the head, or from the preamp out?


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## SplinteredSoul (Jun 25, 2008)

skeeballcore said:


> let me ask to verify this is right
> 
> I have the 5150II head
> do i run the line out from the speaker outputs of the head, or from the preamp out?



If you're using the Bluestone Pro, its the speaker out. In all other cases, it's the pre-amp out.


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## skeeballcore (Jun 25, 2008)

SplinteredSoul said:


> If you're using the Bluestone Pro, its the speaker out. In all other cases, it's the pre-amp out.


 
ah ok, did anyone decide if there was a way to have the head hooked to the cab, but produce little to no sound outside of a hotplate?


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## SplinteredSoul (Jun 25, 2008)

hotplate?


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## skeeballcore (Jun 25, 2008)

SplinteredSoul said:


> hotplate?


 attenuator, power-brake , whatever


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## SplinteredSoul (Jun 25, 2008)

skeeballcore said:


> attenuator, power-brake , whatever



Oh right!

Yes, via a Bluestone pro. I jsut got my shiney new all valve head today, so tomorrow I'll be making my review of the Bluestone Pro I've been wanting to do for a week 

I had a quick play with them tonight and all valve-age through the bluestone pro sounds absolutely awesome  No shitty emulator outs for me anymore 

HIGHLY recommended


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## theunforgiven246 (Jun 25, 2008)

If you record with impulses, you use the pre-amp out/Effects out but you still need a cab connected but you can turn the amp all the way down.


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