Indirect recording is what I would call the "old school" formula of authentically plugging into a real guitar amplifier, and using a microphone to article the sound. Minimally this formula requires an amplifier, one or two microphones, mic-preamp and a converter. However, a whole heap of other units can be added, for example eq's, mixers, compressors etc.
Before we get too technical, let's first talk about the signal path. The signal path is the path that the audio takes from the microphone to get into the computer, and what happens along the way. For example - a uncomplicated signal path starting at your microphone and ending at your computer workstation may contain the following units along the way.
Below is a very basic signal chain showing how the signal travels from your guitar to your computer via varied units.
Guitar > Amp > Mic > Mic Pre-Amp > Eq > Compressor > Converter > Computer
This illustration shows that once your guitar is amped, the sound will be picked up by a microphone, then sent to the mic pre-amp, which will boost the signal, and make it loud enough to authentically use. From there the sound source could be send to some sort of eq unit, and a compressor to alter the levels. Ultimately the signal is sent to the convertor which will allow the music to reach your computer. Now, if I've lost you already, fear not!
Let's take a quick look at what these distinct units do and how they work.
Microphone - When it comes to recording guitar at home, the microphone you select can have a huge impact on the whole sound of your recording. A microphone is a gismo made to capture waves in air, water or hard material and translate them to an electrical signal. The most common formula is via a thin membrane producing some proportional electrical signal.
Most microphones in use today for audio use electromagnetic generation (dynamic microphones) capacitance convert (condenser microphones) or piezoelectric generation to produce the signal from mechanical vibration.
There are a lot of things to think when it comes to the sound you get from your microphone, not only in terms of price and quality, but also where you authentically place the mic in relation to your amplifier. Whilst the chances of getting a great recording are consistently good with a high capability microphone, price and capability do not all the time match.
Mic-Preamps - The signal that a microphone picks up is authentically very low, and needs to be boosted for it to be used with your recording device. This is exactly what a mic-preamp does. It boosts the signal to a level that is usable for recording.
You may already have a mic preamp on your computer; any way this is only designed for speech and is unfortunately unsuitable for any serious recording
Compressors - A compressor is a gismo that reduces (compresses) the dynamic range in a sound sources softest point to its loudest point to flat the output, and can bring your audio material up to spec with expert recordings.
An instrument that goes from very quiet and very loud over the procedure of a song can be difficult to article and mix. Either the quiet parts get lost or the loud sections overload the recording.
Converters - In very basic terms the converter is the equipment that takes your analog audio from your compressor, eq unit, mic-preamp etc, and creates a digital representation, which is sent to, and is now usable with your computer.
Keep in mind that this is one of the most prominent units in your signal chain and it's well worth spending a petite more money to get a high capability converter.
Hopefully this has given you a petite understanding into the basics of recording, allowing you to see what equipment you will need and what each piece of kit does.
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