metal guitar tracks

jmxdrummer

jmxdrummer

New member
I've just recorded two guitar tracks and they sound very muddy. Im playing on a Create (2 12inch) combo amp and using a Rocktron Gainiac preamp. I placed one sm57 on the cone and one at2020 condenser mic about 4ft away to avoid phase cancelation. here is my question, when recording should i be cranking up the volume of the amp, or should I lower the volume so I record a cleaner signal? Im recording hardcore/metal tracks

thanks

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crank it.

you have to.

for metal.

I'm sure someone will come along shortly and tell you other wise though.

6
 
Placing a condensor 4 ft away is definitely not going to avoid phase cancellation. In fact I would expect that could be a culprit right there.

Anyway, as far as amp volume. I say just turn the amp up loud enough to get the tone that you're after. you may need to dial in the amp a little differently if you're ending up with really muddy tracks. Where are you putting the 57? Right in the center of the speaker or perhaps a little off center (about on the voice coil) is where I like it. That also usually lends a really bright sound, certainly not muddy. If you have alot of bass in the tone, the distant condensor will really pick that up. That combined with some phasing issues will make for a muddy guitar sound real fast. I personally don't like distant micing for metal tones. Have you tried using more than one close mic?
 
i placed the sm57 off center at an angle paraellel to the cone. do you suggest prehaps placing the condenser mic closer. I think that I should lower down the volume a bit also just like you suggested( just enough to get the desired tone).
 
I would try putting the 57 on axis with the speaker. Putting it off axis like that will lend a really dark sound. That will only contribute to the muddiness.

If you are really cranking it up to get your sound, the condensor probably won't fair very well up close. I don't like condensors for heavy metal guitars, I would try to use 2 dynamics. I usually record heavy metal guitars with 2 SM57's.
 
thanks for the advice. I will try recording again with two sm57. One on axis and how about the other sm57? also on axis?

metalhead I totally love your recordings
 
jmxdrummer said:
thanks for the advice. I will try recording again with two sm57. One on axis and how about the other sm57? also on axis?

metalhead I totally love your recordings
Click to expand...

See the pic above ;)

Thanks.
 
Thing to add about volume.. you don't have to crank solid state amps. Tube amps yes, but as Metalhead said, just crank it to where you're getting the sound.
For me, I use a 57 on one speaker, and a LDC on another at the same distance from the speaker. I keep my volume pretty low, no louder than practice type levels.
 
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