Not long ago we wrote about the advantages and disadvantages of using a virtual guitar rig on your recording software. While you won’t quite achieve the exact sound of a real guitar amp, today’s virtual amps provide a pretty accurate replication, and many guitarist and engineers are going the virtual route for the amount of flexibility it provides in the recording process -- not to mention the huge amount of sounds that are available.
![Vintage Instruments Old Guitar and Vintage Microphone](https://api.sageaudio.com/storage/article/uploads/2013-10-Improving_Your_Virtual_Guitar_Recordings-300x200.jpg)
In fact, the virtual sounds even suit some songs better than a real guitar rig. So for those that are recording with virtual guitar amp replication, we want to provide some tips on making those sound the best they can.
Use a Balanced Connection
Since you will be plugging your guitar directly into your audio interface, it is important to use a balanced connection. While some guitars have a balanced Hi-Z, high impedance input, most will have the unbalanced 1/4” input. In the latter case, you’ll want to run the guitar through a direct box to convert the signal to a mic level signal before it goes into your interface.
Typically when you are miking an amp, you don’t have to worry about balanced connection because you are using a microphone to record the amp. However, an unbalanced connection can lead to many problems and make your track sound “off” from the very beginning. The balanced connection also can help reduce unwanted hiss and hum noise in the mix.
Lower Your Latency
Put simply, latency is the short delay between when the audio signal is produced (when you play your guitar) and when it emerges from the audio system (when you hear it through the speakers). Latency has become less of a problem as computers have gotten faster, but you’ll want to have as low a latency level as possible, ideally 64 samples or lower.
The problem here is fairly obvious, as even though short milliseconds of delay are barely noticeable, they will affect your recording and timing. In fact, as you’re subconsciously adjusting for that delay, you’ll find that your entire playing style can change slightly.
Don’t Forget to EQ
One of the great things about virtual instruments is that they are set up cause the least amount of work for you as a mixer. For example, virtual guitar and keyboard sound typically come with preset EQ, compression and any other effects to more accurately reflect the recorded sound of whatever instrument the software is trying to emulate.
However, never be afraid to tweak those settings and add your own effects to the chain. This is particularly true of virtual guitars if you are going for the most “real” sound possible. Adding some slight EQ cuts and boosts to the right frequencies can significantly improve the “realness” of the sound.
So, Why A Membership?
Let’s face it — trying to create professional mixes without the correct knowledge, tools, services, and network is like playing a concert with a broken instrument to an audience of no one.
That’s where the Sage Audio membership comes in — the membership gives you everything you need to create professional mixes consistently.
The membership is the secret to your success — it’s the difference between the 1,929,999,999 of poor-sounding mixes and the .00000002% of mixes that make people say 'WOW!"
There are 7 unique value-points included in your Sage Audio membership.
Let’s go over each one so you can decide if the membership is right for you.
1. Sage Audio University
- SAU Flagship Mixing Course: 23-video in-depth mixing course that reveals the little-known secrets of mixing and matches the needs of the new music industry.
- SAU Flagship Mastering Course: 19-video in-depth modern mastering course that dives into every nuance of making professional-sounding masters.
- SAU Pre-Mastering Course: Concise pre-mastering course that details the latest industry standards for preparing your mixes for mastering.
- SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from budding mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout each course.
- Each SAU course includes Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
- SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website and social channels.
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2. Private 1-on-1 Mentorship
- The Sage Audio private 1-on-1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us for advanced mixing feedback, in-depth discussions, and customized guidance that's tailored to your specific needs.
- Unlimited private access to us for advanced mixing feedback, where we provide detailed suggestions for improvement.
- Unlimited private access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve every aspect of your mixes and masters.
- Customized guidance that’s tailored specifically to your needs.
- Fast communication so you can improve your skills quickly.
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3. Unlimited Mixing Feedback
- Unlimited professional mixing feedback directly from us so you can consistently improve your skills and create professional mixes.
- Mixing feedback is invaluable, and the Sage Audio membership gives you continual direct access to us for real-world feedback so you can improve every aspect of each of your mixes while you're in the process of mixing.
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4. 50 Free Mastered Songs Per Year
- 50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
- You get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
- Unlimited revisions with your dedicated mastering engineer. As a standard of our service, we are not happy until you are happy with the sound of your masters.
- All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.
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5. Community
- The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with additional real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.
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6. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content
- 36 multitrack sessions spanning multiple genres for mixing practice.
- 57 un-mastered mixes spanning multiple genres for mastering practice.
- 62 Recommended Free Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 39 Recommended Paid Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 71 Sage Audio custom plugin presets to improve your mixes and masters.
- Sage Audio Membership Badge to showcase on your website, social channels, and portfolio.
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7. 800+ Video Catalog
- Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into categories so you can easily take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your skills at your own pace.
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