Recording Guitars

[sjcrts]

I posted this in this forum because I hope that those that frequent this MP3 forum and post tunes will add some input. I've listened to a lot of songs here and there's been a HUGE range of both acoustic and electric sounds.

Doesn't matter if you play acoustic or electric, I'm curious who's recording direct signals vs. recording a mic'd amp.

The music I've posted here is recorded using amp modeling built in to my recorder. I do have a Marshall 2x12 50 watt combo that I love but haven't used in ages. I can't record without disturbing the wife and kids so now I am direct only with the occasional plug in when no one is home...thats rare.

just curious.

These are my direct sounds @ (if you've heard these then you know what they sound like allready)

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/...=2356&alid=370


Hope to have something new posted by the weekend or it will have to wait till I return from vacation........keeping my fingers crossed for time to work on new stuff.

-scott

[Hardcore]

I record my electric and bass guitars through PODs. I actually haven't really had time to even create my own combos. I've just been tweaking presets. I record direct cuz it's much cheaper than going out and buying the amps, cabs, mics, mic pres, etc. that are necessary to do it, and I don't have the money for that.

I can't listen to your tunes right now. I'm at work and they have a no radio/music policy. It's stupid. But I'll try to listen later tonite if possible.

[jake-owa]

I'm listening to dust right now.
Man I gotta say...I think you would love what I have.

I like the arrangement but the guitar sounds have got to go.

I use a Tech21 Trademark and record almost everything with the direct out. I use it with a headphone jack to defeat the speaker so it's as quiet as any POD but sounds way better IMO. I know you are using a plugin but it sounds similar.

Check out my song 'A Wanderer' (in the clinic now) for one example of the direct sounds this thing has. I used to use a POD but it kind of left me flat feeling. The Tech 21 can be used as a regular, great sounding amp as well.

[sjcrts]

Thanks J.

I gotta surf the net and look at some of the equipment available today, there's so much.

I like your sound, I checked out a wanderer, sounds cool. But, I don't think I'm gonna be happy unless I bust out my amp. Gonna get bitched at a lot but hell, I guess it's worth it in the end

[Pedullist]

Sounds pretty massive in my ears. Guitars seem to lack high end, or air. But sounds good to me!

[Hardcore]

The guitars are defnitely pretty thin for what you've got going on. The snippets are cool but need a big crunchy guitar tone. I wish I had one of my heavier songs availble so you could hear the POD tone. I think it would work good for you but there are tones of modelers out there that would work. The best I can give you right now is "In Death". The guitars on this one are actually pretty weak from what I've got going on some other stuff, the mix sucks, and various other problems, but it might give you a feel.

http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/552/nathan_p_holly.html

[sjcrts]

Thanks Pedullist....high end I can add, air on the other hand I think is only gonna be from a speaker (if I understand what you mean by air).

Hardcore....I like the sound of what you have there, but even though I don't think my direct tone is that happenin' I think it sounds a bit bigger than what your mix has. If I could only blend some of the sounds I've heard here.

I think I'm gonna have to find where Sam (B.SABBATH) is located and arm wrestle him for his Johnson, er I mean his J-Station. His sound is great.

-scott

[Hardcore]

Yours sounds bigger cuz it is. That was the first tune I recorded with the POD and I didn't do a great job. It does get much bigger.

[sjcrts]

I just listened to the on line samples of the pod. Gotta admit, great sounds.

[Hardcore]

From what I've seen floating around the web, the POD, J-Station and GT-6 are all kind of grouped together. Different people have different reasons for liking each one. And on my tune one of the main reasons it sounds so thin is because I doubled the guitar with the exact same patch. Now I've been using a Rectifier sim and Soldano sim together and it's gotten pretty good. Still not quite where I'd want it, but I've got to record sometime I guess.

[Peter Lancaster]

I use Line6 POD for my electric guitar and Bass POD for my bass both live and recorded. Quite often I don't add any effects during mixing because I try to get the guitar sound to be as much like effects pedals and an amp. The great thing is that if I save the sound used for the recording it can be used live for the same song.

All the electric guitars and bass on this were from PODs although I didn't play any of the instruments, just recorded and mixed it. The band were particularly pleased by the large sounds their guitarist managed to get out of the POD for the end section.

http://mattargyle.com/assets/mp3/idi...ter%20Half.mp3

Pete.

[Toki987]

You could always build a box to put your combo in with a mic and let it wail, and probably get a killer sound. I like hearing the marshall 2x 12 50 watters, not as much as the Boogie 1 x12 with the EV, but very close... But some of these guys are gettin killer sounds from the pods as you've heard already. Go on, get you one. You merit gettin a new "toy"

[TexRoadkill]

Not bad for a direct sound. I think modellers are a little more forgiving on metal tones. They are usually a little hard to make cut through a mix though.

[B.SABBATH]

both of these tunes are good..


Dust - the guitar sound isn't bad, but it's a bit woofy when your chunkin', (palm muting) and it's sounds spread out too wide for the drums.. Also, when you go from clean to dirty it doesn't sound dynamic enough.. It didn't get loud enough when it got heavy.. that high hat is a bit loud too.. it's doesn't sound as bad as I was expecting from the other replies.. I like the style!


In Ruins - there's that high hat again! The guitars sound very woofy on this song.. Almost like you exaggerated the bass frequencies on the rhythm guitars.. too much.. This mix is also very close to clipping.. too close.. good song! very 80's metalish.. very cool.. I like the drums except for the loud highhat..

I think your problems have more to do with how things are mixed because the guitar sound is usable if you mix it better and e.q. it.. cool songs..

[sjcrts]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, I appreciate it a ton! I'm learning quite a bit on these forums!

Sam- I know what you mean about the "woofy" sound. These are my 1'st 2 attempts at recording on my digital multitrack, a big jump for me since I was used to an anolog Portastudio. Also using a direct sound is a lot different to me than a mic'd amp like I used to use untill I was forced into giving up my "play" room when my second child was born. Love my kids but sux losing my room lol.

I'll keep working on eq'ing my stuff. Thanks for the comments.

-scott

[flash2ace]

your stuff sounds pretty good. its very hard to get a good guitar sound when your limited to only so much noise, i know how you feel because im in the same boat and it aint floatin so well lol.
building a isolation box is a great idea and it will surely give you the results you are after, youll get a cranked marshal sound without all the noise. i think im gonna try it and build one lol. anyway your playing is great and i think once your happy with your sound itll even get better because i know once i get into a click i play much better also and lately ive felt great and been playing much better. thanks for sharing with us.
god bless the flash

[sjcrts]

I wandered around the warehouse here at work eyeballing the wood piles. An iso box for my amp may be the way to go

Your right though, playing can improve when your ears are happy. I have a lot of things to learn from a playing stand point, I'm still a beginner. Throw in the fact that I'm tring to learn to record and it can feel very overwhelming.

I bought the marshall as teen. Part time jobs payed for it when I bought my first guitar. Then I just quit after about 5 months into my self teaching process. Played on and off a bit but now am trying to get back into it for the pure fun factor.

-scott

[JMarcomb]

hey scott..

those are some great sounding drums and the guitars sound really great..
you play very well .. nice to listen to.
this sounds like a live setting or a big room hard to believe that its direct. I think BSabbath covered the sonics of the recording pretty good.
I think i recall you saying that your not that good? I think you play great.. look foward to chatting again and keep those fingers in shape !

[sjcrts]

JMarcomb.....Well thank you for the compliments sir!

I'm still in my infancy as a guitarist. I'll give you an idea just how little I know:
Name a chord. Any chord. Now I'll just stare blankly at you.

Ok, now ask me to play a scale. Any scale. I'll walk in the bathroom and pick the scale up off the floor. I'll stare blankly at that to.

I have so much practicing to do and so little time. Wife, kids ect. So instead of practicing I end up just trying to make tunes. Tough way to do it but hey, I'm having fun.

Oh and some people wonder why those tunes are so short. Well "In Ruins" was meant to be. "Dust" is the begining of something. Just don't know what yet. My bro plays guitar. He wants to help finish it. Now to get him off his lazy butt. lol

Thanks again!

~scott

[Hardcore]

Practicing and learning stuff sucks dude. I don't know a whole lot myself but instead of taking a break from writing I'll just pick a scale and noodle around with learning some chords while at the same time writing a song. It makes that whole process much easier to accept, although it takes longer. But the way I see it, you're learning theory to write songs. So if you write songs you like while learning that theory, I gladly accept the additional time. But yeah I'd like to hear these songs in there entirety and completed. They are pretty cool.

[Sonixx]

Other than the low end's inconsistency... Great

I'm going to fix the low end for my listening and add both to my general listening list. I wish they were longer

Thanks...

[Capitani]

I like both tunes. I just think you have to work better the way you do your 'vibrato'. It will give you more identity. Think in how many ways you can play a single note ... It will also give you a more defined and clear sound ...
Just a guitar player opinion ... not against your playing or sound ... only an advice ...
By the way I use amplitube plug-in and I'm very sastified with what I get ... Maybe it's the best amp simulator ... better than revalver in my humble opinion ...

Bye.

Giovanni

[GT]

I use a Pod, with the original 2.0 chip. I use it for bass too.

I got the latest upgrade chip, and to my ears it didn't sound as good so I took it out and put the 2.0 back in. Weird, ain't it!!

GT

[sjcrts]

GT, I'm starting to get jelouse of you pod owners

Capitani, you correct, I do need to work on vibrato. I strugle with it. But I know it adds so much more.

Ok I remixed the song In Ruins as an experiment.

-cut some highs on the drums. didn't change the loud hihat yet. I'll need to reprogram my drum patterns to do that since I real time write the patterns by tapping on the pads. Sorry Sam!

-backed off on the over all reverb. hope the drums aren't to dry now.

-cut some of the lows on the ryth guitars to eliminate as much of the "woofines" as i could from the palm mutes. added some high end.

-repaned the ryth guits so they are no longer 100% hard right and left.

-made some volume adjustments to the lead tracks.

-boosted the bass a bit on the high end to try to get it to cut through a bit more.

Hope this sounds better!

Thank you to EVERYONE that responded and took the time to listen!!

here's the new one ( In Ruins 4-12-03)

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/...=2356&alid=370

I'll check these forums as soon as I can. Leaving for a weeks vacation in about 2 hrs. I hope you all like this version.

Thanks again!

~scott

[sjcrts]

wow, a lot of views, but no replies.....That's not a good thing

Anyway just was hoping sound wise this was on the right track. If most agree the remix sounds better I think I'll go ahead and rerecord the parts and put this to rest.

Any replies would be apreciated.

~scott