West coast newbie

BTStudio

BTStudio

Active member
Hi all,
I’m looking for a fresh set of ears to listen to some of the songs I have released through CDBaby in an attempt to improve my recording and mixing skills. Our band, Ghosts of 48, based out of the Fraser valley near Vancouver Canada, has been recording classic rock style music for a couple of years now.
Im using MXL mic’s. through Behringer ultra tube 100 preamps into a Zoom R24 recorder, transfer the waves to laptop running Sony Acid for mixing, Dead Duck audio for most of my VST’s.
More later
cheers. Guy
 
BTStudio said:
Hi all,
I’m looking for a fresh set of ears to listen to some of the songs I have released through CDBaby in an attempt to improve my recording and mixing skills. Our band, Ghosts of 48, based out of the Fraser valley near Vancouver Canada, has been recording classic rock style music for a couple of years now.
Im using MXL mic’s. through Behringer ultra tube 100 preamps into a Zoom R24 recorder, transfer the waves to laptop running Sony Acid for mixing, Dead Duck audio for most of my VST’s.
More later
cheers. Guy
Click to expand...
link please
 
I have to say right off, this material is refreshing. I like it very much.

The first thing I would do is clean up that guitar's lead sections and lower it's volume in the mix. It sounds muffled - needs clarity. The rhythm could be a little clearer also.

I'd start with that and give it another mix.
 
Thanks for the positive comments spantini. It’s easy to like that classic rock sound and most of our tunes are like this because we are all over 60’s lol. Yah I kinda thought the guitar was a little to up front but my main problem is how to get that clearer sound. It’s worth noting that this was the first song that we completed, we were rookies for sure back then.
Guy
 
What sounds like acoustic guitar strumming is clear.
I wonder if the micing of the electric guitars is too close. A bit in your face, and muddy. Perhaps it is the amps?
A good performance though, Guy.
 
Slouching Raymond said:
What sounds like acoustic guitar strumming is clear.
I wonder if the micing of the electric guitars is too close. A bit in your face, and muddy. Perhaps it is the amps?
A good performance though, Guy.
Click to expand...
Thank you.
I‘m actually going from a Zoom G3 pedal direct into the R24. It’s almost like when the distorted sound of the guitar comes on it translates to the whole soundscape. Any ideas of how to keep them separate but still have the fuzzy distorted guitar sound?
Guy
 
BTStudio said:
Thanks for the positive comments spantini. It’s easy to like that classic rock sound and most of our tunes are like this because we are all over 60’s lol. Yah I kinda thought the guitar was a little to up front but my main problem is how to get that clearer sound. It’s worth noting that this was the first song that we completed, we were rookies for sure back then.
Guy
Click to expand...
You'll first have to figure out where that muddy sound is coming from. Are your guitars going straight into the R24.. no mic'd amps? Are they playing through an amp sim.. maybe also a pedal (stomp box) sim for delay, chorus, distortion, e.g.? If using an amp sim, is the Bass turned up and the Treble down, or the Tone on your guitar dialed down to zero?

Or maybe you've recorded the guitars with a clear sound, then EQ'd the mids and highs out, leaving the mud at the bottom.

I record my Strat direct through an interface into my DAW. I do run it through an amp sim with some FX applied, but those aren't printed with the guitar when recording, the guitar records dry. I do add an amp sim and FX which only appear in my headphones and monitors so I can hear it as it might sound later in mixing.
 
BTStudio said:
Thank you.
I‘m actually going from a Zoom G3 pedal direct into the R24. It’s almost like when the distorted sound of the guitar comes on it translates to the whole soundscape. Any ideas of how to keep them separate but still have the fuzzy distorted guitar sound?
Guy
Click to expand...
You would need to describe all the patches, effects and their settings your using in the G3. Might be one of them (Distortion?) has a Tone knob that's set too low. Could also be a Graphic or Parametric EQ not set right.

With so many possible origins of this muddy sound, it's difficult to point to one. Not knowing all the different variable settings you may have made, I would have to begin from zero with the guitar - choosing a pickup with Tone full up and running that through the G3 with only a Distortion selected with it's Tone set midway. No other effects. From there you can make small adjustments to dial in the sound you're looking for while avoiding the muddy stuff.
 
spantini said:
I have to say right off, this material is refreshing. I like it very much.

The first thing I would do is clean up that guitar's lead sections and lower it's volume in the mix. It sounds muffled - needs clarity. The rhythm could be a little clearer also.

I'd start with that and give it another mix.
Click to expand...
I have to agree that the guitar is too loud in the mix. I am a hacker so...
 
spantini said:
With so many possible origins of this muddy sound, it's difficult to point to one. Not knowing all the different variable settings you may have made, I would have to begin from zero with the guitar - choosing a pickup with Tone full up and running that through the G3 with only a Distortion selected with it's Tone set midway. No other effects. From there you can make small adjustments to dial in the sound you're looking for while avoiding the muddy stuff.
Click to expand...
I think that’s good advice that I will try on our next release coming up in about a month.
in the mean time here are 2 more songs, one is pretty busy with the same muddy problem and then the other is very sparse in contrast and I think maybe a lot cleaner, I think it helps point to that electric guitar part as the culprit. Looking for opinions on that.
thanks guys

Guy
 

Attachments

  • 40 Miles to go.mp3
    8.4 MB
  • Where You Are.mp3
    8.6 MB
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top