Re-amping

I’ve only been using this trick for about 5 years or so, but I have been so impressed with the results.  Hope you enjoy!

Reamping is a process used in multitrack recording in which a previously recorded audio track is routed back out of the editing environment and run through external processing, reverb chamber, or amplifier with the intention of adding effects, ambience, or modified tonality. The technique is used mostly for guitars (including bass) because it facilitates a separation of guitar playing from guitar amplifier and effects processing.

***note: This technique also useful for softening stereo drum tracks. By pointing the monitors away from each other and miking each speaker individually, the stereo image can be preserved and a new depth can be added to the track. It’s important to check that the microphones being used are in phase to avoid problems with the mix. I’ve used reamping with drums as an experimental way of beefing a snare track: I routed the output of my recorded snare track and sent it to my practice bass amp.  I tipped the bass amp on it’s back, put a tambourine on the speaker, and mic’d the tamborine with a dynamic mic.  It resulted in a pretty cool and original sounding snare track; not necessarily what I would use for all my recordings, but it was fun, and sometimes whatever makes a recording sound different is good.

How it happens:
A guitarist records a dry, un-processed, un-effected track into the record device. This is usually achieved by connecting the guitar into a DI (direct inject) buffer box fed to a recording device. Many new audio interfaces include HiZ guitar inputs, so if you have one of these you can skip the step of DI’ing. At a later time, the dry, direct, un-processed guitar recording is fed to a reverse DI box and then to a dedicated guitar amplifier and external effects boxes. The guitar amplifier is placed in the live room or isolation booth of the recording studio and is adjusted for desired tonal quality (distortion, room reverberation, etc.). A microphone is placed near the guitar speaker and a new track is recorded, producing the re-amplified, processed track. External effects (stomp boxes, pedals, virtual guitar processors, etc.) can also be added into the re-amping process. Re-amping allows guitarists and other electronic musicians to record their tracks and go home, leaving the engineer and producer to experiment with a range of effects, mic positions, speaker cabinets, amplifiers, effects pedals, and overall tonality – continuously replaying the pre-recorded tracks while experimenting with new settings and tones. When a desired tone is finally achieved, the guitarist’s dry performance is re-recorded, or “re-amped,” with all added effects.

*** note: Often, the guitarist’s signal is sent to both recorder and guitar amp simultaneously, providing the guitarist with a proper amplifier “feel” while also tracking a dry signal. An alternative to this would be to put your recording device in the middle of the chain: guitar -> recording device -> guitar amplifier, and using the amplifier to monitor the guitar.  With a low-latency recording device, you can record your dry guitar signal, monitor through your amplifier, and also take advantage of playback through your amplifier.

More info on DI’s:
Direct inject (DI) is a device or technique for connecting an unbalanced, high-impedance, low-level signal (commonly a guitar pickup) into audio equipment designed for a low-impedance balanced signal (such as a DAW). Reverse-DI means running this same device or technique in reverse – connecting a high-level (typically balanced, low-impedance) signal into audio equipment that was designed for low-level, unbalanced, high-impedance signals, such as a guitar amplifier. Playing back a signal from recording studio equipment directly into a guitar amplifier can cause unwanted side-effects such as input-stage distortion, treble loss or overemphasis, and ground-loop hum; therefor it is important to output your audio signal from your recording equipment as a HiZ output, or buy a reverse DI to convert your line level output to a HiZ guitar output.

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