Another quick one, what does a good steady distorted guitar track "LOOK" like

  • Thread starter Thread starter rockironwebb
  • Start date Start date
R

rockironwebb

senior newbie caveman
Another quick one, what does a good steady distorted guitar track "LOOK" like

Just an extension of my previous post. seems like I may be ready to proceed to focus on mixing skills. Before I do. What should tracks look like? I understand that different instruments will have different peaks a what not, but can anyone advise me on what a well recorded, steady, distortion guitar track normally looks like. This may be a silly question, so please be easy on me.
 
It's not a matter of what a "well recorded, steady, distortion guitar track normally looks like", it's more a matter of what it sounds like. One of the biggest "No No's" in recording and mixing is doing it with your eyes over your ears....

However, if you are reffering to distored electric guitar, often the waves are very "boxy" and jagged. But waves will look different based on your instrument, amp, mic, etc. Ears serve much better than eyes.
 
In some places they would cover all the VU meters with cardboard...
 
I like to assign colors to my tracks so I can easily identify them.


Distorted guitar tracks will usually look dark blue...'cuz they are mean-n-nasty.







:)
 
I would've thought that it depends on the specific recording machine/DAW.
I would've also thought it irrelevant what it looks like.
But obviously it isn't because someone wants to know. So now it's valid.
Of course, the real answer is "record a steady distorted guitar track. And look".
 
Distorted guitar tracks will usually look dark blue...'cuz they are mean-n-nasty.
Click to expand...

What about if you add a compressor that adds "coloration" what then?


Seriously though, get a control surface and turn off your monitor screen(s) we are very visual creatures and in a DAW with all it's swanky GUI and color coded tracks and bouncing meters etc, it's far too easy to get distracted by what we see and forget that music is about what we hear. set sensible levels so you don't clip and then mix until it sounds good forget about what is on the screen
 
Bristol Posse said:
What about if you add a compressor that adds "coloration" what then?
Click to expand...

It depends on the coloration being added.
If it's more of a "white" flavor...then the tracks turn light blue.
If it's more yellow/orange flavor...they'll go greenish.
When it gets real hot with red coloration...you get a nice magenta or purple...depending on how much coloration you add.

You have to be careful with anything bordering on brown...'cuz added to the dark blue tracks...you could get mud.
 
miroslav said:
It depends on the coloration being added.
If it's more of a "white" flavor...then the tracks turn light blue.
If it's more yellow/orange flavor...they'll go greenish.
When it gets real hot with red coloration...you get a nice magenta or purple...depending on how much coloration you add.

You have to be careful with anything bordering on brown...'cuz added to the dark blue tracks...you could get mud.
Click to expand...

i saw a reggae guitar track once. it was red green and yellow.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top