best ways to get good distotion into mr8

  • Thread starter Thread starter marcacho
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marcacho

marcacho

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Hey all. I'll be getting a behringer mixer soon, as I hope it will help shape distortion to sound better. Before I play with that, what do you all recommend is the best way to get at least a decent distortion sound? In the past, when I only had the mr8 and my effects processor, I would go into the effects, then a Boss compressor, and then into the mr8, but I could never get a good distortion. It sounded way too treble-y, and going directly from my amp into the mr8 didn't reproduce the true sound of the amp's distortion. Will the mixer and it's EQ help? Thanks for any input.
 
I usually would not respond, due to my level of inexperience and limited success with such things, but.....

Buy a mic. SM57 is reasonably priced, especially for the relative diversity of the mic.

Otherwise, what kind of amp? From where exactly are you running your signal from the amp? Please give a more detailed list.
 
distortion

A sm57 properly placed on an amp is hard to beat, next choice would be going direct with an amp modeler. The mixer is gonna help no matter what you do. With it you can adjust the EQ.
 
distortion

do you mean for your guitar? If thats the case the best thing to do is get the sound you want with your effects pedals, and as mentioned, mic the amp into your new mixer, then into the mr8

The mixer isnt going to give your guitar any distortion, even if it has built in effects, they would be reverb, delay, and such. But the mixer will make you signal hot enough to get a good recording.

Do a search on gain structure and read up on how to get the most out of a mixer, running it at unity, signal just hot enough to not clip (red in the meters), then turn the trim pu on the mr8 and do practice takes turnig the trim up til you get a little clipping then backk it down till the red light never flashes during a take
 
dave in toledo said:
do you mean for your guitar? If thats the case the best thing to do is get the sound you want with your effects pedals, and as mentioned, mic the amp into your new mixer, then into the mr8
Click to expand...

By this do you mean to get the sound you want, even if it is you use extreme distortion? I've heard that drasticly cutting distortion/gain is the only way to get a good recording...? Is there some way around cutting gain/distortion?
 
distortion

What Dave means by getting the sound you want even with heavy distortion is that you use your fx processor,stompbox or amp/mic for the actual distorted sound. Then when recording, use the levels on your recorder/mixer to give you the gain/input level you desire without clipping past 0db. So it's not exactly cutting gain/distortion at input. It's cutting gain at the recorder/mixer to keep you just under 0db. I use a Boss ME33 guitar fx processsor and I can get nice heavy distortion that sounds like a stack of amps when recorded. Like dave suggests. Do a search on gain structure or check past threads. Good luck.
 
Yeah, I mean to get the true tone of the amp into the mr8. My amp (Peavey Special) has an option to run from the preamp straight into the input of an outside source, so I tried running it straight into the mr8, but the sound just was not like the tone the amp gives. I get a really good distortion from the amp, so I wanted to get that into the recorder.

I figured mic-ing the amp would be the best way to go. Once I get the mixer, hopefully that will change things. The SM57 sounds good, I'll try it. Thanks for your help guys. (sorry it took a while to respond back)
 
I have not yet been able to get the sound I am hearing in the room (heavy distortion) to replicate in a recording. It comes out sounding like butt, like a wall of gorillas.

I've read around here on more than one occasion that less is more when it comes to gain, or am I just confusing the two (gain/distortion)? This is the only way I've ever attained a tolerable sound with a 57, though it's not quite what I intended it to sound like, it's tolerable.
 
Hi, Pjh:

Do you run your Boss straight into the mr8 or do you go through your amp, to a mixer, and to the recorder? I'm sure there's some effects out there that would sound decent going straight into the mr8. I probably need to seek em out. Thanks
 
Boss

I prefer going through the pre amp in my mixer and having some eq control. Pre really fattens up your sound. Most all digital type fx can be ran straight into the MR8. Because the pre amp in the recorder(trim) is not the best. It is preferred to use an external pre amp or a mixer with a built in pre amp. If your guitar amp has a input with -Volume-Bass-Mid-Treble... and a master volume you can get distortion at levels to record cleanly. Set your eq levels at halfway, turn your channel volume all the way up, then ease up your master volume. Use your master volume for your over all level. So what you are doing is overdriving the channel which is creating the distortion and the master volume is how loud you want it. Now if you are using a distortion stomp box. Don't overdrive the channel. You want the amp super clean. So set your eq halfway, hit your pedal, turn your channel volume up maybe a 1/4 turn then ease up the master again for you level. Adjust eq or volume if needed. Mic placement is critical here too. But when recording remember to stay right under 0db on your meter. And your trim knob gives you your recording level,the sliders are for monitor/playback only. This should give distortion at a level that won't blow the walls down and record cleanly. Maybe a sound you prefer to what you are getting now. Good luck Pj
 
Pjh,
Are you referring to the master volume on the Mixer for the overall volume level? And it's best to keep the gain (distortion) on the amp at a decent level so it won't get too muddy sounding, right? Thanks for your assistance, man.
 
master volume

I was referring to the master volume on your guitar amp. The master on your mixer will help determine your input level into your recorder. You can have as much distortion out of your amp you desire. It's the mic placement and the input into your recorder that will determine the recorded sound. 1. Get the desired sound out of your amp. 2.Place microphone. 3.Use mixer to get input signal to your recorder(raise or lower levels to get just under 0db).You may have to experiment with mic placement to get the sound you desire. There's lots of ways to get different recorded sounds out of amps. It's a combination of the room,mic placement and input. Record different set ups and see what you like best. It's all about what sounds good to you. Pj
 
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