Metalcore/Melodic Death Metal

[amra]

I have a small project studio, and I recorded this song this weekend as a demo for a local band. This was their first time ever, in a studio (and I use that term loosely..lol).

What do you metalheads out there think? Any thoughts/feedback?

X and Y

[true-eurt]

I am not exactly a metalhead, but I still like to listen to a lot of it. In fact, I love the music in metal, it is the vocals I hesitate on.

I think the guitars are kick butt tone on this!! And some well executed metalheading.

I can't comment on the vocals though.

I love the tune myself, and I think the mix is great. I absolutely dig on the guitar tones!!! Excellent!!!

Congrats..TRUE

[amra]

Thanks for the feedback, and the kind words!

[Dogman]

Seems to be a lot of bottom end to it. Not distorted, but really heavy lows. I like the guitar tone, and I like what vocals there are. I can't tell if the bass is buried with the kick, or not. That would be my only real suggestion...clean up the lows a bit. They seem a bit overpowering. A little hard to make out what is what there.
Cool tune though.
Ed

[amra]

Thanks for the feedback, dogman...

[GreenDank]

I too like the guitars. Great clarity.

I can't hear the bass guitar (on my work computer speakers). Vocals seem a little too dry. Drums kind of jump in and out and somehow need to be as big as the guitars.

[Cult_Status02]

Stringed intruments are where you have your best sounds. I'm actually really impressed with the guitar sound. The drums and vocals aren't my taste. I think the vox mare just too loud and bassy (sounds like he had his mouth on the mic). What did you mic the drums with? It may be just bad tuning but the toms have no real tone to them.

[amra]

Originally Posted by Cult_Status02

Stringed intruments are where you have your best sounds. I'm actually really impressed with the guitar sound. The drums and vocals aren't my taste. I think the vox mare just too loud and bassy (sounds like he had his mouth on the mic). What did you mic the drums with? It may be just bad tuning but the toms have no real tone to them.

The drums were mic'd with SM57's on both toms and the snare, a beta 52 on the kick (blended with a triggered sample because the kick was dead sounding), and Joemeek JM27s for overheads. The toms and the kick really sounded flat and dead in the room, so I did what I could with EQ, but there was not much to work with. maybe I should replace the toms with samples.

I will tweak the vox a bit more and see if I can get rid of some of the boom. I am also going to bring the bass guitar up a little, and compress the drum track and see if I can get it to level out a bit.

[amra]

Here is a new mix:
X and Y - Remix

[Bloodsoaked]

Originally Posted by amra

Here is a new mix:
X and Y - Remix

This new mix is great!!! I really like it. Much less bassy than the other version. I like my guitar heavier but they fit the song perfect I think. I wish I could get my guitar to sound that good. How did you mic your guitars and how did you EQ them?

[amra]

I was waiting for someone to ask that..lol.

Those guitars were recorded direct with a V-AMP Pro. They couldn't get anything close to as good a sound with the shit they showed up to record with (A marshall MG50DFX and some shitty sounding Vox amp.) I have a couple of tube amps of my own here (a Laney 100 watt 2x12, and a 120 watt Red Bear 4x12 1/2 stack) both of which have really nice grindy, crunchy JCM800 type vibes - not at all what they needed here.

I used a custom patch that I created for them on the spot, using the guitar tones of "as I lay dying" and "lamb of god" as a target. We tweaked it for about 15-20 minutes in windows with the V-Amp Designer until we got it just they way they wanted, then we recorded the other guitar part with the same patch, but a different cab model. All I did was EQ a little bit of the boom - "shelf EQ'ed" 20Hz out completely, and most of 63Hz out to tighten up the guitar.

[GreenDank]

Originally Posted by amra

I was waiting for someone to ask that..lol.

Those guitars were recorded direct with a V-AMP Pro. They couldn't get anything close to as good a sound with the shit they showed up to record with (A marshall MG50DFX and some shitty sounding Vox amp.) I have a couple of tube amps of my own here (a Laney 100 watt 2x12, and a 120 watt Red Bear 4x12 1/2 stack) both of which have really nice grindy, crunchy JCM800 type vibes - not at all what they needed here.

I used a custom patch that I created for them on the spot, using the guitar tones of "as I lay dying" and "lamb of god" as a target. We tweaked it for about 15-20 minutes in windows with the V-Amp Designer until we got it just they way they wanted, then we recorded the other guitar part with the same patch, but a different cab model. All I did was EQ a little bit of the boom - "shelf EQ'ed" 20Hz out completely, and most of 63Hz out to tighten up the guitar.

That rules. Not only did you use a brand that everyone on this board hates (Behringer), but you did it while DIRECT recording (which everyone seems to diss) with great results. You are my hero.

[Dogman]

Originally Posted by amra

Here is a new mix:
X and Y - Remix

Much better mix man. Nice low end now. Mix seems to be way more even. I think you did the guitar right....it's not an overbearing sound for this particular song. Fits pretty snug. I like it man...nice job.
Ed

[Bloodsoaked]

Originally Posted by amra

I was waiting for someone to ask that..lol.

Those guitars were recorded direct with a V-AMP Pro. They couldn't get anything close to as good a sound with the shit they showed up to record with (A marshall MG50DFX and some shitty sounding Vox amp.) I have a couple of tube amps of my own here (a Laney 100 watt 2x12, and a 120 watt Red Bear 4x12 1/2 stack) both of which have really nice grindy, crunchy JCM800 type vibes - not at all what they needed here.

I used a custom patch that I created for them on the spot, using the guitar tones of "as I lay dying" and "lamb of god" as a target. We tweaked it for about 15-20 minutes in windows with the V-Amp Designer until we got it just they way they wanted, then we recorded the other guitar part with the same patch, but a different cab model. All I did was EQ a little bit of the boom - "shelf EQ'ed" 20Hz out completely, and most of 63Hz out to tighten up the guitar.

I know this might me a hard questions to answer but. How would you go about recording heavy (death metal) guitars with this set up?

Jackson DKGMT Kinky w/EMG
Marshall MG Series 250DFX
Boss MT-2 Metal Zone Pedal
Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor Pedal
Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer Pedal
Boss GE-7 Equalizer Pedal
Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner

2 Behringer XM8500 Microphones
1 Behringer Eurorack UB802 Mixer

I have posted a few guitar tracks here: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...?bandID=481840 if you would be interested in listening to them and giving my your feed back it would be great.

[amra]

Thanks again for the props guys. You know I realize that modelers are not as good as tube amps for a lot of stuff, but they do have their place - especially recording metal demos. And the V-AMP Pro really can do a great heavy, brutal sound.

Bloodsoaked,
The main thing in getting a modern metal tone FOR RECORDING, is to turn the bass down on your amp. I know that this goes against everything you know about playing metal live, but the bass should really be turned down to 1 or 2. (Now keep in mind these are general rules, but I have recorded DFX series amps, and they do NOT have a great recorded sound, but this wiill help..) Set your mids about 2 or 3 and highs about 5. You really have to watch those metal zone pedals, because they tend to be real "glassy" or sizzly on the highs and you do not want that. So bring the highs down a little on the pedal.

I don't know that behringer mic, but it might be worth investing in an SM57 and a joemeek JM27 as soon as you can. If you mic a cab with those 2 mics, you can get a good crisp death metal blend with the 2 of them a few inches away from the speaker.
In the meantime, experiment with Mic placement. Then EQ out any boom - pretty much anything below 60Hz, completeley.

hope that helps!