I'll have to admit I have no experience with the V-amp. Some might claim they're not too bad. I have recorded with a Roland modelling amp that had a few good sounds. I found the direct signal to be better than the miked signal.

Since his stack has got 1x12" I expect the signal to be easily converted to mono. It will probably read L/mono + R on the back of that V-amp also. If you are recording with FX from the V-amp look out for phase issues.

Do you have three inputs? Another way is to use the direct outputs and mike that cabinet also (3D :P ). Just to be sure. Even if the left and right are out of phase, the middle signal will hold up in mono.

If you work with the Line6 PodXT Live and haven't decided on a final setting you can also just record the clean guitar signal and fool around with the settings later, using a direct out plugged into the Pod, wich you can record in stereo.

my € 0,02

I agree with cfaalm. The V-amp has simulation so direct line out from the amp to your Brick should give you a decent mono signal to pan L. Then have him double the part (play it again) and pan that R. Line 6 amp heads do this very well (for future reference).

I've never been impressed with the speaker tone from the Behringer V-amp but some guys like it and if he plays a nice thick toned, relatively clean version of the guitar part and you mic the speaker, that may add a little more realism and beef to the guitar part overall (depending on the style of music).

Doubled tracks that are relatively clean always lend a bit of beef to distorted guitars. Especially if they're panned offset just a bit to the inside of each L/R track.

IMO

Perfect, budget friendly, scenario.....?

So what in your opinion is the best, budget friendly, solution to my guitar woes?
Buy a modeler, mic his rig, all of the above? Does the J-Station have a good library of crunch/distortion? Or would a Boss or Line 6 offer more options in the , "heavy", realm?
I have 600$ in the immediate budget.

Gear:
The Brick
Sm57
Rode NT1000
CAD E-200
Rode NT5 stereo pair
Behringer V-Amp 1X12

Is there such a thing as being able to record a , "magical", mono track and having it be all the beef you need? Or do the pros layer discretely to do the trick? Whenever I try to layer guitar tracks, they seem to conflict (detract from one another) more than complement one another. Myself, I find beauty in simplicity. I don't want this project to take eternity to record, then eternity plus, to mix.
The guitarist likes a distortion sound, think AudioSlave, System of a Down distortion. I've found it is much easier to dial in a convicing cleaner/ambient sounds with his gear.

Ideas/feedback appreciated.

Joshua
:roll: :wink: :?

If you already have a brick and a 57 find a good room and start recording. Move the mic around until you get something good.
I don't really think the modellers are the answer. Yes, they are useful for practice and scratch tracks. But r-n-r is all about the mic'd guitar amp. Rent a JCM800 Marshall half stack or something.

Oh yeah, I'd track two mono guitars and pan one hard right and one hard left. Use a different guitar and play the rhythm a little different. Invert the chord or syncopate it a little different.

Pat

I think a lot of times when you hear a single "mono" guitar track in a song and it still sounds really big, it is actually one take with several mics on it. A couple mics on the cab, stereo room mics, etc. If you're not too cool for Tool, listen to their CD ÆNEMA for some examples of using a single big guitar track along with parts that are excentuated by double tracked guitars.

I guess none of this really helps your situation, but maybe it will get you thinking at least.

Thanx all

Thanx 4 the feedback, all.
I really appreciate it.
Joshua