Mic an amp or go direct with amp sims — both can sound great at home. Here's how to capture electric guitar cleanly.
Recording electric guitar at home is more flexible than ever, with two solid routes that both produce professional results: miking a real amplifier, or recording the guitar directly into your computer and shaping the tone with amp-simulation software. Each has clear advantages, and the right choice depends on your space, your gear and how loud you can be. The fundamentals are the same as any home recording — a clean signal path, sensible levels, and a controlled enough room — plus a few guitar-specific techniques like mic placement on a speaker cone. This guide walks through both approaches and helps you get a usable, releasable electric guitar tone from a home setup.
There are two main ways to record electric guitar. Miking an amp captures the real sound of your amplifier and speaker moving air in a room, which many players love for its feel and character — but it requires playing at a reasonable volume and a room that sounds acceptable. Recording direct (DI) sends the guitar's signal straight into your interface, and you add the amp tone afterwards using amp-simulation plug-ins.
Going direct with amp sims is ideal for quiet home recording, since you make no acoustic noise and can change the amp tone after recording. Miking an amp can sound more authentic and inspiring to play. Many home recordists rely on amp sims for convenience, and the quality of modern software makes this a perfectly professional choice, not a compromise.
To record direct, plug your guitar into the instrument (Hi-Z) input on your audio interface using a standard jack cable. This input is designed for the high-impedance signal of guitar pickups, so use it rather than the mic input. Set the input gain so your loudest playing peaks comfortably below the maximum, leaving headroom and never clipping.
You will hear a thin, clean DI signal until you add an amp-simulation plug-in in your DAW, which models an amp and speaker cabinet to give you the electric guitar tone. Record the dry DI signal and apply the amp sim afterwards, which lets you tweak or completely change the tone later without re-recording. Monitor through your headphones or monitors with the amp sim active so you hear the full sound while playing.
To record a real amp, point a microphone at the speaker. A dynamic mic like the Shure SM57 is the classic, forgiving choice for guitar amps because it handles high volume well and rejects room sound. Position it close to the grille, aimed at the speaker cone — placing it nearer the centre of the cone gives a brighter, more aggressive tone, while moving toward the edge sounds warmer and darker.
Set the amp to the tone you want to record, since with a single close mic that is largely the sound you capture. Keep the recording level on your interface healthy but below clipping. Because miking captures the room too, record in a reasonably controlled space and keep the volume at a level your room and neighbours can handle. Experiment with small changes in mic position, which dramatically affect the tone.
Whichever route you choose, the recording fundamentals apply. Watch your levels carefully — clipping ruins a take and cannot be undone. Use closed-back headphones so any backing track does not bleed (relevant when miking) and so you can hear yourself clearly. Tune up before recording, since tuning issues are obvious and frustrating to fix afterwards.
Consider recording the dry DI alongside a miked or processed sound when possible, because a clean DI gives you the option to re-amp or re-process later. Play to a metronome or click for tight timing, and record several takes rather than chasing one perfect pass. Clean playing, good levels and being in tune matter far more than expensive gear for a great electric guitar recording.
Decide between miking a real amp for authentic character, or recording direct and adding amp-simulation software for silent, flexible home recording. Both can sound fully professional.
Plug your guitar into the interface's instrument (Hi-Z) input with a jack cable. Set the input gain so your loudest playing peaks below the maximum with headroom, never clipping.
Record the dry DI signal and apply an amp-simulation plug-in in your DAW to model the amp and cabinet. Monitor with the sim active, and keep the dry DI so you can change the tone later.
Aim a dynamic mic like the Shure SM57 close to the speaker grille, pointed at the cone. Nearer the centre is brighter and more aggressive; toward the edge is warmer and darker.
Dial in the amp tone you want, since a close mic captures largely that. Set the interface recording level healthy but below clipping, and keep the volume manageable for your room.
Tune the guitar before recording and monitor on closed-back headphones so you hear yourself clearly and any backing track does not bleed into the mic when miking an amp.
Play to a metronome for tight timing and record several full takes rather than chasing one perfect pass. Keep the dry DI where possible so you can re-amp or re-process afterwards.
Both can sound professional; it depends on your situation. Miking a real amp captures authentic character and feels inspiring to play, but needs volume and a decent-sounding room. Recording direct and adding amp-simulation software is silent, flexible and lets you change the tone after recording, making it ideal for home and quiet hours. Modern amp sims are good enough that direct is a genuine choice, not a compromise.
Use the instrument or Hi-Z (high-impedance) input, usually a jack input with a button or label marked 'Inst' or 'Hi-Z'. It is designed for the high-impedance signal from guitar pickups. Plugging straight into the mic (XLR) input instead gives a weak, poor-sounding signal. Set the input gain so your loudest playing peaks below the maximum with headroom.
A dynamic mic like the Shure SM57 is the classic, forgiving choice for amps because it handles high volume well and rejects room sound. Place it close to the speaker grille, aimed at the cone. Nearer the centre of the cone gives a brighter, more aggressive tone; moving toward the edge sounds warmer. Small changes in position dramatically affect the captured sound.
If you recorded direct (DI), the raw signal is meant to sound thin and clean — that is just the guitar's pickups with no amp colour. You add the electric guitar tone afterwards with an amp-simulation plug-in in your DAW, which models the amp and speaker cabinet. Recording the dry DI like this is normal and gives you the flexibility to shape or change the tone later.
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