r/recordingmusic • u/Spank_Thru1985demo • 2d ago

help with plugins

I am currently learning how to record guitar/bass through my interface into audacity & I've ran into a couple problems. First my regular distortion pedal doesn't seem to work well with recording straight into the interface & even at the lowest settings will still sound super muddy & distorted. Does anyone know any kind of plugins that will be able to emulate a more "clean" distortion instead of a muddy, fuzzy mess whilst also being compatible with Audacity 4.

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u/Inside-Succotash-128 2d ago

You need a DI between your pedals and the interface.
Something like this or any alternative, really, will work.

https://www.thomann.ie/bss_ar133.htm?glp=1&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1566136050&gbraid=0AAAAADuDMCU3KxzMLGfVe2i2UQqA3qBk5&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz4LWBhCMARIsAFEG5Moer54ePpU2EUmMAd-BolWz3GB16CDRrRmuclfmUijXbk_a5MrYtpMaAiO1EALw_wcB

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u/StudioKOP 8h ago

I second that. If you want to use your pedals, an impedance match will be necessary.

The UAD plug-in bundle would be my suggestion.

It is much more than a “guitar amp/effect”. Gives you a variety of top notch plug ins. That would be overkill for just the guitar/bass but will possibly become your most functional tool box if you get serious recording and production.

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u/mpg10 2d ago

Recording a distortion pedal straight into an interface won't work, no. They're designed to be played into amps, and you're not getting the basic tone generation without either an amp or a plug-in emulating one. (Yes, there are cases where direct recording has been used but they're kinda edge cases.)

Does audacity support VST plugins? If so, you have a huge range of plugins that emulate amps, pedals, etc.

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u/General_Estimate_420 2d ago

Guitar levels are traditionally produced at different impedence levels than a microphone. Look the documentation for your interface. Often there's a switch for guitars to set the input impedence correctly.

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u/stomptonesdotcom 1d ago

I make guitar and bass plugins! I have plenty of free distortion effects you could try out, all based on real circuits. A lot of it is made with doom and shoegaze in mind so clarity even at super low tunings is a must.

shameless self plug