Electric guitar recording

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Hengar

Hengar

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I've been listening to this band's new album lately and I've been wondering how they get their guitars to sound the way they do. What I'm talking about is how when a chord is played you don't here any strumming or picking, you just immediately here the sound of the chords in the song. (recording techniques, amp settings, compression, eq, etc.) A good example of the sound I'm talking about is in this video. The sound I'm talking about is right when the electric guitars come in. (about 0:20 seconds)

[video=youtube;<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/GzMaYOM07KU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/GzMaYOM07KU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>]video[/video]


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzMaYOM07KU

thanks for any help.
 
It's all synchronization. The drums cover up the strums. Either that or the pick noise is just cut out.
 
how would you go about cutting out the pick noise. The only way I can think of would be to record slightly before the measure mark. would this be an efficient way?
 
It can also be done with compression, fast attack and release with steep ratio i.e 10:1, to kill the pick hits and with the compression set to stay on to some degree to even out the rest of the strumming.

Cheers

Alan
 
Hengar said:
what do you mean by that?
Click to expand...

I should point out that using the compressor in this manner is and effect, you want to change the sound to create an effect or curtain sound, not to sound natural.

When you set up the compressor, the initial set up is to grab the pick attack and reduce them in such a way as to have them the same volume as the strumming, that way the pick attack is buried in the strums.

What I meant leaving to stay on to some degree is that by not letting the compression release completely and by always having some slight compression on the strumming the volume will stay consistent. Obviously if there are gaps in the playing the compression will go off but whenever there is strumming have some compression.

With compression there is a lot of trial and error, experiment and some surprising results can happen.

Cheers
Alan.
 
Thanks Alan,

Just so I'm understanding this correctly, what you're saying is to set the attack on the compressor to make the initial sound of the chord, or the pick, the same volume as the sound of the actual chord following it making it virtually unnoticable?
 
Hengar said:
Thanks Alan,

Just so I'm understanding this correctly, what you're saying is to set the attack on the compressor to make the initial sound of the chord, or the pick, the same volume as the sound of the actual chord following it making it virtually unnoticable?
Click to expand...

Yes, and with continuous strumming the pick sound will sink into the sound of the chords.

Cheers

Alan.
 
Or another alternative is to split your audio file before every transient, trim the pick out, and use a super super fast fade in so it doesn't pop
 
squibble94 said:
Or another alternative is to split your audio file before every transient, trim the pick out, and use a super super fast fade in so it doesn't pop
Click to expand...


Exactly.

I find that to be the best way so as not to have any FX/processing on the rest of the sound wave.

You just aaply a *fade in" on the attacks in the DAW.
It takes a bit of work across an entire track, but not that much once you get good/fast at doing those types of edits.

BUT...and even easier way to do it that involves NO editing is to just have the guitar player use a simple volume pedal and do his own fade-ins as he strums. :)
 
thanks for asking this question, i've subscribed to this thread, i wondered the same thing.
 
I've actually just tried usin Alan's method and I think I've figured it out but i may experiment with these other methods and see which one I like better. After all experimentation and practice is key in learning!
 
You might actually be able to EQ the strum out... That might damage your signal severely if your amp/pod/DI Box/whatever doesn't cover a wide frequency range.
 
Hengar said:
I've been listening to this band's new album lately and I've been wondering how they get their guitars to sound the way they do. What I'm talking about is how when a chord is played you don't here any strumming or picking, you just immediately here the sound of the chords in the song. (recording techniques, amp settings, compression, eq, etc.) A good example of the sound I'm talking about is in this video. The sound I'm talking about is right when the electric guitars come in. (about 0:20 seconds)

[video=youtube;<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/GzMaYOM07KU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/GzMaYOM07KU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>]video[/video]


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzMaYOM07KU

thanks for any help.
Click to expand...

If you really want that sound........................................................ crank up the compression and more importantly, crank up the noise gate. Anyone who loves their guitar would never wish to subject to such cruelty, however.
 
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