How do I get STP Core sounding guitar?

[Corporate Kemp]

I have a Marshall Mode 4 Amp and I use a AKG C414 LTD to record it. The program I use is Cubase 4. My pre amp is an Octane with 8 XLR inputs & I have 2 inputs in the EMU card. When I record guitars I get what I believe to be decent sound but when compared to a real CD (STP Core) it sounds bad. I realize it would be tough with the equipment I have to get it exactly the same, but is there a way to get it close?

Thanks.

[metalhead28]

Does the amp produce anywhere near the sound you want to begin with?

[Corporate Kemp]

Yes, it has a great sound. The problem is (in the program) it is not as loud or in your face as a regular CD. When you play the recording in a stereo you have to crank it to get the song loud enough to enjoy. It seems to lose it's punch between the recording and the exporting to a CD.

[faderbug]

i think what you're struggling with is nothing less then the complete process of recording, mixing and mastering.

[montigeau]

try copying the track to 2 stereo tracks, 1 panned left and the other right at around 70%, maybe a slight delay on one of around .20

i dunno what sound your talking about, but for me, if i want it heavy and thick, that's what i do.

[legionserial]

Post deleted. Complete misunderstanding.

[jonnyc]

Don't copy your tracks and pan them, that never works. If you want a fuller guitar sound you'll need to overdub. Sometimes just two seperate guitar tracks is enough, sometimes it take six or so. There are also times one guitar center panned will do the trick. As far as getting your mix loud, well you just need more experience and you need to read and do searches on sites like this.

I also wanted to add that it's hard to beat an sm57 on a cab. I've had some really decent condenser mics but none have ever beaten a 57 on heavy guitars.

[Corporate Kemp]

Interesting you like the sm57. I have a few and there not bad but I prefer to use an AKG C414 LTD. This mic is great on just about anything.

[rory]

Thats a really wet record. Lots of chorus and reverb. I believe he was using marshall at the time too, not vox. Could be wrong...

[jonnyc]

Originally Posted by Corporate Kemp

Interesting you like the sm57. I have a few and there not bad but I prefer to use an AKG C414 LTD. This mic is great on just about anything.

It's not just me that likes the 57. I believe it was one of the Lord-Alge brothers that said if he could only mic a cab with one mic it'd be a 57 and I'm almost certain there's a good chunk of people who'd agree. Yeah that AKG is a great mic, no doubt, but if you haven't tried a 57 you really should.

[Corporate Kemp]

Not questioning that at all. I do have multiple 57's as I use them to do some drum recording. They are a great multi purpose mic. That is what I used before I found the AKG C414 LTD.

Perhaps I will try recording 2 seperate tracks. One with the 57 and one with the AKG.

[jonnyc]

Definately record multiple tracks, that really helps to beef things up. Like I said, I tried mic'ing cabs with all kinds of quality condensers and never liked the way any of them sat in the mix as well as the 57.

[VSpaceBoy]

CHORUS

His sound really had all kinds of chorus running parrallel.

[Sonixx]

my two cents...

while a 414 is a great mic, it's not optimum for close micing a gtr cab. certain dynamic mics are much better suited.

since you already have a 57 consider other mics in this order:

ATM650 - I can't say enough good things about this mic for gtr cab close micing
i5
MD421II - Scooped but can sound very good.
e609S

but, one must start with a great tone to begin with i.e. the tone the mic hears, not what you hear in the room, although related.

[Ironklad Audio]

get a fucking les paul to start

[ez_willis]

Brendan O'Brien had very little to do with it.

[IronFlippy]

Turn the gain way down and record at least two tracks and then pan them. Changing something between each take is optimal (mic, guitar, amp, etc.).

[ZoSo58LP]

Demeter Preamps....thats what he used, and used chorus on like every song on core....the key is his Demeter shit though

[rory]

Originally Posted by ez_willis

Brendan O'Brien had very little to do with it.

In all seriousness, this is probably the best post in this thread. That guy is incredible. Its like asking, "How do I make my drums sound like 'Superunknown'?"

[MadAudio]

Originally Posted by ez_willis

Brendan O'Brien had very little to do with it.

Hehe, I was just gonna say turn yourself into the DeLeo brothers and get Brendan O'Brien to produce your tracks.

FTR, I love STP.

[ez_willis]

If it weren't for that singer, they would be a decent bar band. Dude oozes rock stardome, and I don't own anything they've recorded.

[MadAudio]

Originally Posted by ez_willis

If it weren't for that singer, they would be a decent bar band. Dude oozes rock stardome, and I don't own anything they've recorded.

Yeah, his whole super junkie thing wears thin pretty quickly. But I really do appreciate the guitar work. STP is kinda like GnR for me in that I love the music much more than the vocals. I will say that STP's lyrics tended to be a little deeper than GnR's, and I'm not even sure at this point how I got into a whole STP vs. GnR conversation in the first place.

[ez_willis]

Originally Posted by MadAudio

Yeah, his whole super junkie thing wears thin pretty quickly. But I really do appreciate the guitar work. STP is kinda like GnR for me in that I love the music much more thanb the vocals. I will say that STP's lyrics tended to be a little deeper than GnR's, and I'm not even sure at this point how I got into a whole STP vs. GnR conversation in the first place.

Heroin .

[Nightfire]

Add verb and chorus in the software. I find that adding both of those before the mic/amp makes for a crappy sound, like your recording in a huge room.

Mike