Question about connecting guitar amp to multi track recorder

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:29 pm

In the owners manual for the tascam dp-02cf I purchased it says never to connect your speaker output from your guitar amp to the recorder.

Is this a power regulation issue or could it possibly do much harm by doing so..

So is my only option to mic the amp?

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:51 pm

Quote:

So is my only option to mic the amp?

That's not your only option, but often the best sounding one. You could also take the line out, or go from your guitar through a DI box and add an amp/cab sim.

(edited to add quote for clarity)

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 6:32 pm

The speaker output of your amp is the one that goes FROM the power amp of the guitar amp TO the speaker. It has a LOT of voltage. Enough to make a speaker move. Sending this signal INTO your recorder could indeed do some serious damage. And would sound really really bad. For a second or two. Or really good depending on how you look at it, but again, only for a second or two. Then you will have no sound.

There are other outputs on guitar amps designed to go to mixers, recorders, computer interfaces and the like. They are NOT powered by the power amp and could NOT make a speaker go. It's called Line Level. These outputs say things like "Line Out" or "DI out" or "Pre-amp Out." These can safely go to your recorder.

Best to get a DI box ($50-$200) and go to both the amp and the recorder.
Use mics on amps for the most realistic sound. (IMHO)

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:12 pm

Thanks for the quick response, on the particular amp i have which is a cheap vox hybrid tube amp has a headphone output. Do you know if this could be used to connect to the recorder?

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:14 pm

Don't use the headphone amp unless you have no other choice.

Headphones are small speakers and consequently, the voltage from a headphone jack is slightly higher than a line out.

What else is on the back?

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:28 pm

Oh my mistake, it says LINE/PHONE out, there is also just a FOOT SW out which i'm sure wouldnt do much good..

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:34 pm

Line/Phone out...
It's not a headphone amp then. It better not be...

Use it, although you would probably get a decent sound by using a mic in front of it anyway (SM57 if you've got one).

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:35 pm

Perfect thanks, i'll give it a try, and yeah I ordered that mic with the recorder!
I just found this in the specifications for the amp if it matters...
Power Amp Output: Maximum 15W RMS @ 8 ohms

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 4:48 am

Best to iuse the mic. I would only use the line out if I had no mics. You have an SM57? That's about the best man for the job. Use that.

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 8:08 am

Why would you need to connect an amp to a phone?

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 11:55 am

I dont know exactly what the term phone is referring to when it comes to an output on an amp, but I dont think its referring to an actual telephone.

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:24 pm

Head PHONE.
As in, a little more powerful than a Line Level Output, suitable for driving headphones to their usual volume of around 100dB.

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:21 pm

Well funk me...

That is pretty simple.

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:33 pm

What a concept though...call someone by playing some chords.
Then play them a solo to power a chord-to-speech engine.

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