Sibilance when recording lead overdriven guitar: is it my Scarlett 2i2?

The other thing about perception, especially with live VS recording...is that we rarely hear things the way the mics do, or vice versa.

I know when I play guitar, I don't have my head down in front of the speaker...and often, I may be a little to the side, usually my ears are well up above the amp/cab. It can be a totally different sound....so then on playback, you're puzzled why it didn't sound like that to you when you were playing.

Last night I'm playing through an amp where I moved the cab out and turned it right at me...so that I was about 15' away in the direct line of fire...and it sounded totally different, and the upper end was annoying. Where before that, I had the cab turned sideways, and/or I was closer to it, and therefor less in the line of fire.
You would think it would sound louder closer...but it actually was louder when I was 15' away and in its line of fire.
So...you stick that mic down in front of the speaker...and you're standing up, maybe a few feet away and probably a little off to the side...and it's two totally different sounds. The mic ends up hearing things you never heard before. :)
 
Thanks Steenamaroo,

It could be that the amp suddenly started ringing, but I don't hear the noise when playing live and didn't have the problem before when tracking.

Btw, checked out your website and am listening to "Cheer Down" cover as I type this: excellent playing all around. Is that you singing? Vocals are bang on too. Well done mate.

Thanks man! Yeah, that's me on vocals too. :)

I'm with Miro. I think the cabinet, driver, or something else is just resonating.
I've had a similar thing before which was fixed by re-foaming/sealing where the driver meets the cabinet, but it could be any number of other things.

If possible I'd try moving the amp out of the room, just to rule out any sympathetic rings in there. Try a different mic stand and mount too, long shot as that is.
Gotta say though, it sounds like part of the sound. I'm not sure how much I'd be chasing this.
 
Thanks man! Yeah, that's me on vocals too. :)

I'm with Miro. I think the cabinet, driver, or something else is just resonating.
I've had a similar thing before which was fixed by re-foaming/sealing where the driver meets the cabinet, but it could be any number of other things.

If possible I'd try moving the amp out of the room, just to rule out any sympathetic rings in there. Try a different mic stand and mount too, long shot as that is.
Gotta say though, it sounds like part of the sound. I'm not sure how much I'd be chasing this.
Please join in my question- regarding which sounds we are focusing in on?
There's any number of sounds in the mix here to cue on ..for example quite a wide range to pick from here between 'resonating (high pitched?) and 'buzz, 'rings ..
Fascinating how this aspect of it doesn't seem to even be zeroed in on after three pages. :)
 
There's a bit of a 'chirp at 9-11 -sounds like a string ring', and feedback in the 20-24 section. Is that what you're cuing in on? Not unusual stuff at all -with high gain every thing including playing artifacts naturally become relatively high in the overall sound.

Strange, when I had my wife listen to it (she's not an audiophile at all) she seemed to notice it immediately. Did you turn the volume way up?

Listen again to the sound made right at the 9-10 second mark, you hear that high pitched overtone?
 
Thanks man! Yeah, that's me on vocals too. :)

I'm with Miro. I think the cabinet, driver, or something else is just resonating.
I've had a similar thing before which was fixed by re-foaming/sealing where the driver meets the cabinet, but it could be any number of other things.

If possible I'd try moving the amp out of the room, just to rule out any sympathetic rings in there. Try a different mic stand and mount too, long shot as that is.
Gotta say though, it sounds like part of the sound. I'm not sure how much I'd be chasing this.

Yeah I think Miro is onto something, I just don't know how exactly to fix it? Just take to the amp repair guy and ask him to "re-foam/seal" the driver/cab? Will definitely try moving the amp around first.

---------- Update ----------

The other thing about perception, especially with live VS recording...is that we rarely hear things the way the mics do, or vice versa.

I know when I play guitar, I don't have my head down in front of the speaker...and often, I may be a little to the side, usually my ears are well up above the amp/cab. It can be a totally different sound....so then on playback, you're puzzled why it didn't sound like that to you when you were playing.

Last night I'm playing through an amp where I moved the cab out and turned it right at me...so that I was about 15' away in the direct line of fire...and it sounded totally different, and the upper end was annoying. Where before that, I had the cab turned sideways, and/or I was closer to it, and therefor less in the line of fire.
You would think it would sound louder closer...but it actually was louder when I was 15' away and in its line of fire.
So...you stick that mic down in front of the speaker...and you're standing up, maybe a few feet away and probably a little off to the side...and it's two totally different sounds. The mic ends up hearing things you never heard before. :)

So true! Which is why recording is SO hard, especially when one wants to the best job possible...
 
Yeah I think Miro is onto something, I just don't know how exactly to fix it? Just take to the amp repair guy and ask him to "re-foam/seal" the driver/cab?

Oh no, I don't want to send you off down the wrong road - That was just one example.
I'd go back over Miro's post 16 and answer the questions/try the suggestions there.
 
The other thing about perception, especially with live VS recording...is that we rarely hear things the way the mics do, or vice versa.

I know when I play guitar, I don't have my head down in front of the speaker...and often, I may be a little to the side, usually my ears are well up above the amp/cab. It can be a totally different sound....so then on playback, you're puzzled why it didn't sound like that to you when you were playing.

Last night I'm playing through an amp where I moved the cab out and turned it right at me...so that I was about 15' away in the direct line of fire...and it sounded totally different, and the upper end was annoying. Where before that, I had the cab turned sideways, and/or I was closer to it, and therefor less in the line of fire.
You would think it would sound louder closer...but it actually was louder when I was 15' away and in its line of fire.
So...you stick that mic down in front of the speaker...and you're standing up, maybe a few feet away and probably a little off to the side...and it's two totally different sounds. The mic ends up hearing things you never heard before. :)

I have been hating this 'beamy amp BS :listeningmusic: for ..I don't know how long. I have an at least partial cure -for my live rig;
A wide dispersion cab (or the Mitchell Donut for the single 12), and the amp up on a stand (about 24- 30".
One needs to ask- What is (more likely which is.. one's tone exactly? :>)
 
Strange, when I had my wife listen to it (she's not an audiophile at all) she seemed to notice it immediately. Did you turn the volume way up?

Listen again to the sound made right at the 9-10 second mark, you hear that high pitched overtone?
Yes. That's the one especially -sounds like... a string ring. That's not to say it has to be that, but consider it. I've heard the same type of artifact from acoustic guitars on more than one occasion. Just to toss that in..

Add.. does it sound to you like a rather pure tone (as opposed to 'buzz..?
 
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There was a period for a couple of years where I installed the Weber Beam Blockers on all my cabs...at least all that I could.
TBH, I didn't find it made a heck of a difference.
Now I have a few Weber Beam Blockers in a box...in a closet. They work great in there! :D

Like most players...I just move a step this way or that way, or a slight turn of the body....and find the sweet spot.
Kinda the same shit we do with the mics.

Back in my gig days...during sound check, I would break out a 50' guitar cable just so I could step out into the room, well in front of the whole stage rig, and hear what the heck it sounded like. Mind you, with a room full of people, it all changed anyway...but at least then I could better communicate with the soundman about what/where to adjust things, since it was really more my call, at least during the sound check. :)
 
There was a period for a couple of years where I installed the Weber Beam Blockers on all my cabs...at least all that I could.
TBH, I didn't find it made a heck of a difference.
Now I have a few Weber Beam Blockers in a box...in a closet. They work great in there! :D

Like most players...I just move a step this way or that way, or a slight turn of the body....and find the sweet spot.
Kinda the same shit we do with the mics.

Back in my gig days...during sound check, I would break out a 50' guitar cable just so I could step out into the room, well in front of the whole stage rig, and hear what the heck it sounded like. Mind you, with a room full of people, it all changed anyway...but at least then I could better communicate with the soundman about what/where to adjust things, since it was really more my call, at least during the sound check. :)
'They' say.. Never point your cab at the sound man. They won't like it. (or your tone :D
The Donuts' are interesting in that they 'attack the source of the problem; i.e. any large surface radiating high freqs. It's the wide' part that causes highs from the full surface canceling the highs all but from direct on. The foam with a hole attenuates the highs except from the center. Thus to to highs.. it's now a 'small source... with decent dispersion!
Frankly, I'm happy to say my 'wide 2-10 experiment does better that that. (I think because it extends the effect way down lower than just that 'top problem. :)

To add.. In recording/mic placement it doesn't figure in much at all.
 
I always adjusted the amp to sound good through the Mic. In the studio, it doesn't matter what it sounds like in the room, because no one is in there.

Live, it's just me and my 4 friends up there, there are dozens of people in the audience. Set the tone for them.
 
'They' say.. Never point your cab at the sound man. They won't like it. (or your tone :D
The Donuts' are interesting in that they 'attack the source of the problem; i.e. any large surface radiating high freqs. It's the wide' part that causes highs from the full surface canceling the highs all but from direct on. The foam with a hole attenuates the highs except from the center. Thus to to highs.. it's now a 'small source... with decent dispersion!
Frankly, I'm happy to say my 'wide 2-10 experiment does better that that. (I think because it extends the effect way down lower than just that 'top problem. :)

To add.. In recording/mic placement it doesn't figure in much at all.


I went a different route.
After going through a lot of speakers...I found the ones that sounded good and didn't have that problem, with the amps/cabs I put them in.
There was a lot of speakers rotation and shootouts (I just unloaded several speakers that didn't make the grade)...and now I don't hear that nasty icepick-in-ear problem with them.
That said...there is still a big difference from standing dead-on in front of a cab at a distance that allows the beam to really hit you directly...VS...a bit off to the side or closer/above the cab a bit...like I mentioned earlier. So initially, when moving from the side position to the dead-on...and it's like "WOAH I think need to make some adjustments." :D
 
I always adjusted the amp to sound good through the Mic. In the studio, it doesn't matter what it sounds like in the room, because no one is in there.

Live, it's just me and my 4 friends up there, there are dozens of people in the audience. Set the tone for them.
Yes -re the mic/recording.
But live' -unless we're still talking via the mic.. Which tone would that be? :>)
 
You can hear it especially at about 9-11 seconds in and around 20-24 seconds. Turn up the volume.

What is that ringing? Can I kiss my amp's speaker's goodbye?

Ok- different phones, and louder. :) How about at 20-21 'crackling?, not the feedback or ringing' right after that?
Reminds me of a scratchy dirty pot sound. (which ..unfortunately doesn't square with 'ringing.. at all

..I'm sorry. This is going around in circles.
Oops..
1st page.
sort of sympathy ringing. Actually now that I think of it, it's like a higher pitched version of the sound a triangle makes, does that make any sense?
 
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Indeed.
But then you've (we've :>) known that for years right? :)

That's why I use to take the 50' guitar cable during sound check and go out into the room to hear what was coming of the stage.

I just don't usually stand out in front of a cab in the studio...so when I happen to do that on occasion, it's still a WOAH moment. :)
 
Ok- different phones, and louder. :) How about at 20-21 'crackling?, not the feedback or ringing' right after that?
Reminds me of a scratchy dirty pot sound. (which ..unfortunately doesn't square with 'ringing.. at all

..I'm sorry. This is going around in circles.
Oops..
1st page.

One other thing ..and no kidding about 'relearning things.. about monitoring, and 'attention/focus.. listening.
I realized, I could hear the 'ring like stuff easy in both sections with the first phones (K240's) and quieter. -but didn't pick out the distortion.

Louder and with Sony 7506, the distortion was obvious, but not the 'ring (in the first section.
 
Yes -re the mic/recording.
But live' -unless we're still talking via the mic.. Which tone would that be? :>)
Still via the Mic. I never had the problem where the sound would change so much in different venues that I would need to change the settings on the amp. I was nearly always liked up with a 57, so I dialed the amp in with a 57 and, for the most part, left it.

It also helped with the sound of the amp in the monitors, when it was necessary.
 
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