Cubase AI + UR22 + Jackson RR5 + Metal Muff (Not able to get a clean recording)

[rr5]

Hi Everyone,

So I have been building a personal project for some time, I have everything coming together and I am at the stage I trying to record everything.

My setup:

I am using a Jackson RR5 with Seymour Duncan pick-ups, routed into an Electro-haromix Metal Muff to get the sound I am looking for. The output of the Metal Muff is routed to the Steinburg UR 22, which is connected via USB 2 (as I believe this is the max the unit supports – I do have USB 3 on-board), running through a custom computer running a high end i5 and 16 GB of memory. (I would upgrade this, however, I am not seeing the resources being topped out.)

My problem:

The clarity is off and the tone is odd, I am sure this is a reaction to not being through an amp but it sounds “tin-ny”, without “life” and on top of it, the picking (sound of the pick touching the strings) seems overly exaggerated.

My idea:

To record with a mic but before I do this, I wanted to reach to the community to understand a little more about getting a clean recording. I know this is not black and white – any feedback is appreciated.

I am looking to buy a mic and stand,

So, question 1: What mic would be practically for someone doing home recording, within this type of setup?

And my understanding is,

I want to place the mic off-center to the cone of the amp i.e. not centralized and not touching the grill. I want to raise the volume until the speaker reaches a good level of motion and the sound is desirable. Bring it into Cubase, chop and cut and voila.

Question 2: Am I missing anything?

 

[Greg_L]

The clarity is off and the tone is odd, I am sure this is a reaction to not being through an amp

Yes. Going direct from a pedal will never sound good.

Mic your amp.

There are a ton of mics you can use. The most common is the old reliable Shure SM57. It has probably recorded more guitar tracks than any other mic. As for how you position the mic, that's up to you. I like it close to the grill pointed near the dustcap/cone connection.

 

[rr5]

Hi,

I actually purchased the Shure SM57 and I am already having a massive improvement. I am just playing around and feeling out the "sweet" spot. With 75% distortion from the Metal Muff and full Bass on the amp - the recording sounds like a slur of noise, however, I reduced the drop tuning and reduced the distortion and the recording is quite clear considering my recording location.