Hey everyone I am looking into making Radiohead, Aphex Twin, Muse esque sounds. I have a Fender Strat and gibson Les Paul with 2011 MBP 17". I plan to run through the program Max/Msp. I have a large pedal board to create many sounds and I run it through a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. Can I get recommendations on the sound card I should upgrade to, to have no signal loss in my expensive gear. I also need recommendations on the interface I should use to get my guitar to my computer. Lastly I need thoughts on a signal chain into the computer and out. I don’t have an extremely large budget but if you recommend something very expensive justify why I shouldn’t get something cheaper. I want to thank everyone in advance!!
You say you have a Mesa Boogie… are you planning to mic it? Or are you planning to plug guitars directly into the soundcard and use amp simulation software?
Regardless, I also recommend the Focusrite Saffire (firewire) or Scarlett (USB) line for a cheap, quality soundcard. I have the Scarlett 8i6 and it works great for me, both for “DJing” (I don’t really DJ) and for recording.
If you want your amp’s sound, your signal chain will be simple. Guitar into pedalboard into amp, as normal. Put a mic on the amp (Shure SM57 is a popular choice), and plug the mic into the soundcard. You will likely have to experiment with mic placement and EQing to get the sound you want from your recording software.