Mic'ing a cab VS. Captures (using a mic) - are they essentially the same?

[Metalhex]

For recording purposes, I wonder if i can just capture my rig at full volume once, as opposed to recording a whole album at full volume.

Would using a capture device with a microphone be exactly the same tone as mic'ing my cab (assuming all things set up equally mic placement, etc.. ) on playback in my DAW, would both tones be nearly identical or way different?

I have zero skill in doing either but I'm wondering, what are the pros and cons of each?

 

[cardinal]

In theory, yes. In practice, it depends on the capture tech etc. But it should be damn close.

 

[GJgo]

While I haven't captured yet, I have learned that for recording an album the good modern digital solutions are very good and far easier to get right than micing a cab. I had to mic my gear because of my ego of having all the high end stuff, and at the end of the day I would have saved a ton of money & possibly liked the album tone better with a good digital setup. Hate to say it but there you go.

 

[BenoA]

I agree with @cardinal @GJgo depending on what you use, you should get very close.

I did some experimentation a few years back and ended very confused in between the mic or the direct tracks. If you plan doing a blend, make sure you identify clearly your recordings. Ear fatigue is real and in my case, I was totally lost in all the test tracks. In the end, I managed to sort it out by using the time stamp on my wave files.

 

[GJgo]

Here are a couple tests I did during the process. This was Amplitube and not a capture of my rig, but still..

Keep in mind here, the plug ins were just the first thing we threw at it for playback (Mark IV and Recto cab) & were not dialed in at all.





Also, here's a host of mics. Mic & speaker make by far the biggest difference, and mic placement changes as small as 1/8" audibly change the recorded tone. WAY easier to get it wrong than get it right.