do i need to mic up for good results?

[Thunderpaws]

This week will record grungy Indy rock with three guitars and me on bass. Will DI from my streamliner, question is, for a big sound, with defined mids and top end for occasional runs, will the di likely do the trick or should I Mic up too?

May seem like a silly question but it's all new to me!

Cheers

[chrismuzz]

I prefer DI, most bass cab speakers aren't very prominent in the upper mids or treble. You can always eq it after to simulate a cab sound

[JapanAxe]

Three guitars!? Best of luck mate. If you want to be heard in that mix (never mind stand out), DI is your friend!

[Thunderpaws]

Hey Japan Axe, i was worried for the same reason as you, though in rehearsals it has been relatively ok so far....as long as one guitarist in particular remembers how to turn the gain down. We are all going to be in the same room when it comes to mastering, so volume/levels shouldn't be a problem. It's getting that punchy warm stuff, with the odd flurry, to stand out that I am concerned with. It's gonna be fun...not used my di yet, so will see how it goes on Monday.

[RockfordStone]

if you have the option, do both. that way you can chose what sits better, and blend etc... its worth doing both if you can

[Thunderpaws]

[quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1388189488' post='2319416']
if you have the option, do both. that way you can chose what sits better, and blend etc... its worth doing both if you can
[/quote]

I was hoping someone would say that! Though it would mean a wee trip to the shops for a decent bass Mic that I can't afford!

[jensenmann]

[quote name='Thunderpaws' timestamp='1388256901' post='2320116']
I was hoping someone would say that! Though it would mean a wee trip to the shops for a decent bass Mic that I can't afford!
[/quote]
If you have to deal with many guitars then record (besides DI) the cab with lots - and I mean lots - of treble. Even if the cab sound might be too bright in the room. All that treble will help you cut through later in the mix. A compressor, which (hopefully) will be used while mixing, will tame the treble anyway. And no, that´s not the same as adding EQ later. The good thing is that using the amp/cab just for treble doesn´t require a fancy mic in front of your cab. A Shure 57/58 or whatever available crappy dynamic/ribbon mic is fine as long as you have the DI signal for the solid low end. I´d not use condenser mics for that task.
If you want to go crazy then record a third, completely distorted track. This may help even more in the mix.

[Thunderpaws]

Hey all, thanks for your feedback. Well, recorded 4 tracks after playing around with di and Mic blend. This is home studio recording so the gear isn't pro level....but I was impressed with the output from the humble behringer comp after mixing it in with the guitars. Still some levels to change when mastering so not all done, but generally happy. Would like a bit more warmth to come through as the comp seems to have cleaned my tone up a bit. Will see what happens next time. Hopefully have 12 songs done and dusted by April.