New Guy needs help :)

K

Kaildrake

New member
Hello everyone. This is my first post so thank you for taking the time to read and respond. I'm currently building my home studio but running into a few snags. So here's what I have to give you an idea of what's going before I tell what my issue is.

Guitar - Ibanez Iron Label with EMG Pickups 60 neck /81 bridge
Amp - Peavy Vypyr Tube 120 Combo

Interface - MOTU Track16
Monitors - Event TR6's

Software - Cubase 6, and NI Complete8

Mic - single Shure Sm57

So, I do have plans to eventually pic up a Sennheiser MD421 to pair up with my Shure and of course obviously a bass at some point. So I got some decent staring gear, but here's my issue. My guitar recordings just sound TERRIBLE. I just cant seem to get a nice tight crunchy sound. I usually just end up returning to Guitar Rig 4 because I'm never satisfied with micing my amp. I hear soooo many people on Youtube or on forums that say they are just using a single Shure Mic and getting a pretty darn decent metal sound. What am I doing wrong?

Is it that my MOTU Track16 preamps are garbage?

I'm reading and learning a lot about EQ and compression, but I also understand that the goal is to do as little of that as possible and just get the best possible sound from your amp. My amp is damn powerful and very tight, perfect for faster types of metal songs, but wtf?.... sounds like a walrus humping a buffalo when playing back out my Events....

I've tried so many different mic placing techniques and really its the same outcome in the end, crap. Any tips tricks or advice would help. Thank you.

Also - If your wondering what kind of sound I'm after or what kind of metal I play these bands come close...
All that Remains
Shadows Fall
Trivium
Pantera
Killswitch Engage (some what)
Veil of Maya

I don't care to sound exactly like one particular band, I just want to sound GOOD!
 
Hey and welcome to HR!

Others will have a lot more input, I'm sure, but I'll ask the obvious question first. How does the amp sound in our room without a mic? Does it sound awesome and how you want it to right from the beginning?

You mic is a solid choice, but it only hears what you give it. It's not a magic "turn me into a guitar tone god" piece of gear. Nothing is...
 
Thanks for replying! Yes I love my amp, and the way it comes out in my room is just fine. I do have foam pads placed throughout my apartment to help not rattle the walls and piss off my neighbors. One underneath the amp too. (apparently from what I've read this helps eliminate the floor noise)
 
If I'm not mistaken, doesn't that amp have a USB port on it so that you can go directly from the amp straight into the computer? I'm pretty sure that it does so my question to you is, have you tried that yet?
 
1) When recording elctric guitar, less distortion is better. For whatever reason, distortion gets magnified when recording.
2) Mic placement - try various placments to the speaker, at a slight angle, closer to the edge of the cone, etc. You've got to find the right placement for the mic/speaker combo.
 
mjbphotos said:
1) When recording elctric guitar, less distortion is better. For whatever reason, distortion gets magnified when recording.
2) Mic placement - try various placments to the speaker, at a slight angle, closer to the edge of the cone, etc. You've got to find the right placement for the mic/speaker combo.
Click to expand...

this /\/\

also, for the rhythm guitar, try tracking it twice. Same thing played twice. Not copy/paste.
That may help too.
 
Get the cabinet off the floor entirely, and preferably kick it back at an angle a little but. Have somebody else play through it or something while you move it around till you find where it actually sounds best. Then spend time and attention to find the right position for the mic. Either have somebody hit the guitar while you monitor through well-isolated headphones or record a little, listen, move mic, record a little more, listen...
 
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