Recording Heavy Metal Guitars?

[LazerBeakShiek]

The db measurement at the mics location is a valid tool.

So you can replicate that clips DSL sound with your SM57 using those settings? Around 6min in..The video is not fizzy at all.

[rob aylestone]

A valid tool to tell the volume in the room, yes? Quite agree. as for 6mins in?? You only listened for five - I got not further but I never said I can do ANYTHING with my 57 in these corcumstances. I didn't say fizzy either. Where do you dream up unasked questions and statements? My only point is that I do not have magic ears. I can just hear tonal differences. Nothing whatsoever special or mouthdropping. If I move a mic on a cabinet and make the sound different in a way that is positive, to me, thats just like a gentle EQ tweak, or the difference new strings make sometimes, but not always. The room volume in dB wouldn't help me assess very much at all - just volume. A measurement with little purpose. Sometimes, you just want two guitars that sound different. Plenty of ways to do it, and everyone has favourites

[LazerBeakShiek]

The room volume in dB wouldn't help me assess very much at all - just volume. A measurement with little purpose.

Perhaps you are line in direct.

If someone wanted to duplicate the videos sound it would be essential information. In duplication you wouldnt best guess, but instead use a tool measure and copy. Specially if you claim variance DSL to DSL.

If they measure the point of the SM57 mic at suppose 88 db, Then you could use those DSL settings turn it up to 88 db and hit record. It should sound pretty close. Its better starting point than licking your thumb.

Looking around trying to find what equipment was used on the Piece of Mind album. I cannot find a picture of them in the studio. Should be easy to find with Bruce Dickinson.

SEventh son had claimed fizzy in some earlier post. Not from nowhere.

Then I had asked about the mic signal chain , if it stays +4. This is important for this type of issue.

If you go -10 to +4 the audio will get hissy. If you try and go +4 to -10 the audio will sound distorted.

[Seventh Son]

The db measurement at the mics location is a valid tool.

So you can replicate that clips DSL sound with your SM57 using those settings? Around 6min in..The video is not fizzy at all.

It's interesting that you do not find the video fizzy around the 6:00 minute mark. Compared to the JVM-1 clip I posted in the same post on the previous page, I think both the DSL in the second video have inherently too much bass and high end, and not enough midrange. I will definitely try to replicate the video. I am positive that it will be easy to do. Will let you know soon how it turned out.

[LazerBeakShiek]

Yeah, the player, guitar, and pickups are different. Do the best you can with what you got.

[Seventh Son]

Solve the problem. My issue was having too much bass dialed in on my DSL15C. The DSLs come with a lot of bass on tap. I used the following settings and got great midrange on the recording.
Bass 0
Middle 5
Treble 5
Presence 3
Gain 3

The mic was placed halfway between center and edge of speaker, an inch off the grille. I got an even better tone decreasing Middle to 4 and upping Treble to 6 for a little more bite in the upper mids. Further improvements could be made by backing the mic off maybe an extra inch, just to round out the highs a little more and reduce the bass from the proximity effect even more for a tighter bottom end.

[Guitargodgt]

Solve the problem. My issue was having too much bass dialed in on my DSL15C. The DSLs come with a lot of bass on tap. I used the following settings and got great midrange on the recording.
Bass 0
Middle 5
Treble 5
Presence 3
Gain 3

The mic was placed halfway between center and edge of speaker, an inch off the grille. I got an even better tone decreasing Middle to 4 and upping Treble to 6 for a little more bite in the upper mids. Further improvements could be made by backing the mic off maybe an extra inch, just to round out the highs a little more and reduce the bass from the proximity effect even more for a tighter bottom end.

Where in the room do you place the amp?

[LazerBeakShiek]

A little curious about this myself. How to use the wall? The closer I put my cabinet , the louder it gets. If I place it backs to the wall I get a bass boost with thumps.

[ecc83]

A little curious about this myself. How to use the wall? The closer I put my cabinet , the louder it gets. If I place it backs to the wall I get a bass boost with thumps.

Ooo! You DO need to do some reading! 'Wall effects' have always been with us.

Dave.

[Seventh Son]

It was near a wall, yes, if that is what you are getting at, but I was using a closed-back cab. And, believe me, before switching to using an MX112 closed-back for recording, I tried every other placement. From on the ground, to off the ground, to angled in relation to walls, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, almost 5 feet above ground, and more. Did not make a significant difference. In close-miking, my problem was always the excess bass the new Marshalls have (I admit it is also possible that my Super Distortions have a lot of bass, not sure). That plus a bit of proximity effect darkened and muffled the tone, resulting in me moving the mic closer to the dust cap to regain some clarity and cut, which then introduced the fizz.

Turning bass down on the amp gave me a great tone reminiscent of the tones on Maiden's Piece of Mind and Powerslave albums. It sounds glorious and provides a great reference point from there for dialing in other rock sounds.

I also ended up further tweaking the EQ on my DSL15C, to bring out a little more bite. I ended up with this.
Bass 2
Middle 8
Treble 2
Presence 2
Gain 6

With the mic 4 inches off the grille, on-axis, pointing right at the center, the recorded tone reminds me of the guitars on Piece of Mind. The settings above may seem a bit unusual, but they work for home recording and give me the sound I've always wanted to be able to dial in, plus it sounds great for recording, with a nice, healthy dose of midrange.