Recording - July 2016 - 38

&
in, I typically mute the Console channels and monitor through Pro
Tools, so I'm sure of what is being printed.
Tracking guitars, Apollo style
Let me try to describe what it's like to track guitar through the
Apollo. Grab your guitar and gaze upon your wall of amplifiers to
choose from. Maybe you feel like playing through the Friedman
BE100, or perhaps you've been listening to some Clapton and feel
like plugging into the 1962 Marshall Bluesbreaker. Pull open the
channel strip and decide how you want to mic it... you can't go
wrong with a Neumann U67 paired with a Coles 4038.
2a

Add some vibe using the sound of Studio A from the Ocean
Way Studios plug-in. Open up the console and select 'UAD Rec',
indicating you want to print this chain straight into your DAW of
choice, and start playing. What a time to be a guitar player...!
The ability to track through the UAD-2 processing in real time
is a very efficient way to work. More often than not, the tones
that are being recorded into the DAW are close to the end goal,
38

RECORDING JULY 2016

so I've been finding that not only does it save time during the mixing stage, but tracking through UAD processing generally creates a
more inspiring sound to record with as a musician.
Every analog preamp can also be completely bypassed on the
Apollo, letting it work strictly as a A/D converter. You can do this on
a channel-by-channel basis, allowing you the freedom to use outboard preamps for tracking without the preamp circuitry adding
another unnecessary gain stage to the signal path.
Tone (with a capital T)
Guitar players love to tinker with tone. That's why we're always
swapping out pedals, changing the order of the signal path, trying new pickups, amps-everything. It's all in the pursuit of finding that previously-unknown magic combination that speaks to us
as musicians. This is why I was eager to see if UAD and Unison
technology could really stand in for a miked cab on a recording
session. In my previous experience, amp emulations can be uninspiring; they fall short of capturing the overall feel and response of
playing through a real amplifier.
Universal Audio teamed up with Softube to create a very attractive
set of amplifiers that work with Unison technology. I naturally gravitated to the new Marshall JMP 2203, as this is an amp that I've played
with in my personal collection for a number of years and know very
well. It has been a workhorse amp for my live performances, but
coming in with a blistering 100 Watts, it isn't the most practical
option when recording at home (especially when home is an apartment). That's where a digital version of the amp would be so appealing-tracking through a 100W head without disturbing someone
sleeping in the next room. Naturally, the next
step was to bring both the Apollo 8p and my
Marshall JMP 2203 to the studio where I work,
and create a practical "shootout" to see how
the tone stacks up side by side.
Softube's Marshall JMP 2203 for UAD
vs. a real JMP 2203
Before starting the shootout, I reached out
to Softube (many thanks to Niklas Odelholm!)
to gather some details about their process of
modeling the amp. For the JMP, they used a
1960B cab equipped with Celestion GT1275 drivers, miked with different combinations
of FET and tube condenser and dynamic
microphones, all of which are selectable in
the plug-in's channel strip window.
For this shootout, I used a trusty Shure SM57
paired with a Shure SM7B (see Figure 1, page
36), and selected those two microphones on the
channel strip of the plug-in as well. While I have
slightly different drivers in my 1980 JCM800
cab, I think this is still a precise and practical
shootout, as everything else in the signal chain
is matched. I used a high-end DI box to split the
signal from my guitar, sending one to the amp,
and one into the Apollo. This way, I was able to
A/B the recordings of the same performance
for a more accurate side-by-side comparison.
For the first tone, I wanted to keep it relatively
clean before jumping to the heavy stuff. As you
can see in the pictures (Figures 2a and 2b), the
EQ, presence, and master volume are all set to
12 o'clock, with the preamp volume maxed,
and the signal's plugged into the low sensitivity input. I recorded a
variety of chords and phrases, trying to vary my attack and dynamics to see if the emulation could hang with a variety of playing styles.
Right out of the gate, I was very impressed. The emulation feels
very responsive and full, responding to varied dynamics with a very
faithful representation of the real amp. Capturing the feel and overall
essence of the real amp is crucial for the playability on a recording

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - July 2016