The Guitar Tone and Mix Thread

Telecaster and Trace-Elliot Velocette

Here's something from a mix I'm working on. It's a song called Delilah that I did with easlern singing and ibleedburgundy on drums.

The amp is a 15 watt Trace-Elliot Velocette combo with a Vintage 10. With this amp, there isn't much to set. Just volume and tone knobs, plus a bright switch I never use. This sounds like it was turned up pretty loud. Guitar is my ash Tele. Mic is an SM57.

What makes this a great recording amp is its ability to stand its ground in a mix. It just cuts no matter what, which is so useful. You can turn it down and pan it wherever you like, knowing it isn't going to get stomped. This guitar part comes in a couple of places in the song. There's a vocal there, so the guitar has to stay out of the way. I've got it panned off to the right and turned down. But it is still very present in the mix. The Fender Deluxe would have been the other candidate for this part. I think the Deluxe would have a harder time cutting through at the same level, due to the scooped tone and rounder bottom. The Velo is middy and stays tighter when pushed, which made it the better choice for the part.

Solo guitar then mix:
Tele_VELO_57_Delilah_guitar then mix.mp3 - Google Drive
 
That really does cut a mix well. Fits the style of the song. Really love nick's voice on that track. I know, it's about the guitar tone, but credit where credit's due. :)

That amp is not harsh or piercing, and stands out in the mix without competing. Very well done. I assume from the solo/mix listen that there's a bit of a high pass (240Hz or so)? Or is that just from cutting the volume?
 
Tubemiester 18 and Mesa Boogie V25

Here are some guitar tones from a new mix.

First up is the Tubemeister 18 through a closed back Mesa 1x12 cab and an SM57. It's on full power mode, drive channel. The master is dimed, the gain at 12:00. Treble 10:00, mid 2:00, bass 12:00. That's about it. This amp is stupid simple, which suits me. I'm playing the bridge pickup of a strat. I double tracked the part. One track has delay from the Memory Boy, the other is dry. Guitars by themselves first, then the mix. That lead that comes in on the left is the cab clone DI on the Mesa V25.

ST TM 57_doubled_guitar then mix.mp3 - Google Drive

Here's the same thing with the Mesa miked through the 1x12. I'm trying to learn more about channel 2, the drive channel. This is the Mark IIc+ mode a la Petrucci. I'll just post a picture of rather than explain the settings. The graphic equalizer is new to me. I don't need it for the clean channel, which is where I spend 90% of my time. But it's essential on gain channel, for reasons that seem strange to me. You really have to dial down the bass EQ on this amp to use any kind of gain. That's because the bass gets turned to mush as it passes through the various gain stages. So you take it out with the amp's EQ knob, then add it back at the end of the chain with the graphic EQ. Strange stuff. Likewise, see I how I boosted the mid control on the amp, then cut the mid on the graphic eq? Nothing about dialing in this amp is intuitive!

Mesa Boogie Mk V 25.jpg

ST MB iic 57_doubled_guitar then mix.mp3 - Google Drive

I'm digging the Meister's tone. There's something Marshall-like about it, just very pure and direct. However, I'm noticing again that the Boogie really keeps out of the way of the keyboard part, so I'm liking it better in this mix for that reason.
 
i like both of those clips robus,right up and in your face,nice and fat and round,lots of presence :D

messa seemed a lil darker than the H&K ... i would love to try both those, messa on left and H&K on right maybe and some searing lead tone in the middle :D

would like to hear both of those opened up (played without mutes,with varying dynamics) .. i think both of these would sing :D




out of interest what pre`s are you using into what interface ... what post processing did you use ?

anyhoo,imo mighty purdee :)
 
Thanks man. No post processing apart from high pass in the mix. The input chain goes through an Art Pro MPA II preamp and an Art Pro VLA II compressor, then to the interface.
 
The first clip is crisp. I enjoy the little subtle things that go on in your playing. There are little harmonics, and pick strikes coming through even in the mix. When the chords opened up in towards the end I was reminded of Rush's Fly By Night album tonewise. Very nice.

I don't think I'll ever like the sound of a MB. Can't put my finger on it...the first few notes sounded larger than life, gave me some great expectancy for the rest of the clip, and then...it just kind of closes up...At the end it almost sounded overcompressed.

Like the idea of the song. Nice chord progression. I'd like to hear this completed. But I think you know which amp I'd prefer you used. lol
 
BroKen_H said:
Yes. Marshal Crunch 3 nice tones. Clear, biting without being grating, should punch through a mix very well.
Click to expand...

+1 to this. That one was far superior to the other Marshall tones.

I like the Mesa too. I the owner's manual for my DC-5, they say that if you are using a lower gain setting you should consider having a high presence and vice versa. I liked the last Mesa clip but I wonder what more presence would do.
 
SG, Tubemester 18 and Boogie Mark V:25

Here's a snippet of a song I'm working on. It's the Tubemeister 18 through a Mesa 1x12 closed cab. Guitar is an SG. I doubled the part through the Mesa 5:25, adding a little delay to the doubled part. I've got a great new delay pedal, the Strymon Timeline, which deserves its own tone clip.

PS. Mic is a 57 on axis at the edge of the cap, almost touching the grille cloth. Outboard compression on the mic line.

First the 'Meister, then the two guitars doubled, then the mix.

SG_TM_MkV_guitars then mix.mp3 - Google Drive
 
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the guitar sounds best in the mono snip, the stereo seems to lose the highs and the end with drums and bass the guitars almost non-existent. not that this is bash this recording but ...

sounded great in the first part.
 
CoolCat said:
the guitar sounds best in the mono snip, the stereo seems to lose the highs and the end with drums and bass the guitars almost non-existent. not that this is bash this recording but ...

sounded great in the first part.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I should have mentioned that there will be vocals over this part of the song. My intention was to create a backing arrangement that supports the vocal, which I like to do by turning the guitars down. Really, you don't feel the guitars contributing in that mix clip?
 
Robus said:
Here's a snippet of a song I'm working on. It's the Tubemeister 18 through a Mesa 1x12 closed cab. Guitar is an SG. I doubled the part through the Mesa 5:25, adding a little delay to the doubled part. I've got a great new delay pedal, the Strymon Timeline, which deserves its own tone clip.

PS. Mic is a 57 on axis at the edge of the cap, almost touching the grille cloth. Outboard compression on the mic line.

First the 'Meister, then the two guitars doubled, then the mix.

SG_TM_MkV_guitars then mix.mp3 - Google Drive
Click to expand...

I liked the first part of the clip. When it got to the doubled part, I thought it was too dark. The mix seemed to start out with the darker tone. Then the brighter tone came in.
 
SG and Trace-Elliot Velocette

Here's something, the outro solo of a new song. It's the Gibson SG Special into the Velocette, a 15 watt all tube combo with a Celestion Vintage 10. What I love about this amp is it's ability to muscle through any mix without needing to be too loud, and while keeping a sweet tone. I use it especially with the Telecaster but it sounds great with a Gibson too.

I'm using the Strymon Timeline delay and a clean boost into the front end of the amp. Amp volume is 4-5, which is over the edge of breakup with this guitar. I doubled the solo part and used different delay settings on each. Mic is an SM 57 on-axis at the edge of the dustcap.

Just the guitars, then the whole mix.

Mayfield_Ray Taylor_SG_Velo_57_solo then mix.mp3 - Google Drive
 
Epiphone ES 335 and various amps

Bought a new guitar the other day. It's the Epiphone ES 335. I've wanted a Gibson forever but realized I'll die of old age before I can justify the price.

20171012_190434 (2).jpg

I really like it. Plays great and seems quality all around. The alnico pickups sound good. I could see putting in a pair Seth Lovers or Duncan Antiquities, but no hurry.

I've been working out how to record it. I tried out all the amp/mic combinations this weekend.
Here's something. I set up a pair of mics, an SM57 close and an M-Audio ribbon about five feet back from the amp. I didn't worry too much about phase but it seems alright. I tracked the two mics and panned them opposite. I was playing around with reverb settings on my Strymon Timeline.

First you hear the rhythm part, the 335 through my silverface Princeton reissue, volume down to 3-4. Next comes the solo, which is the 335 through my Velocette, volume at 12:00.

What I'm getting is a bold tone that sounds pretty good, but a little one-dimensional. I hear nuances in the guitar's tone out of the amp, but am not yet capturing them in the recording. I can hear some room echoes in the distant ribbon mic. Not necessarily bad, though I wish it were a better sounding room.

ES 335 with Velo and PRC double miked 57 and ribbon.mp3 - Google Drive
 
that groove sounds great.... the intro clean really shows it off well. full sound..
very nice track...
 
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