Cant get good guitar sound

[themadsmoker]

I am recording an epiphone les paul standard copy into a pod 2 into a Korg D8 digital eight track (attached to tannoy monitoring speakers) and I just can't get a good guitar sound. The guy at the music store set that my set up was good and I should have no problems but maybe I just dont like the pod sound. I am thinking of getting a Marshall JCM2000 401 DSL for an authentic tube sound. First of all does anyone have a recording of this amp mic'd through an SM57? any tips for my original set up?

Cheers

 

[Eurythmic]

How to mic: Look at Harvey Gerst's enormous thread in the mic area of this forum. You can't miss it. I just brought it back to life a couple of days ago with a question, so you shouldn't have to search. He gives excellent starting points for micing just about every instrument imaginable. The electric guitar section even has some very nice illustrations.

As for recording direct: Although I've never had a chance to play with the POD, I can't imagine that it would beat the sound of a will mic'd amp. The speaker has a great deal to do with your amp's tone, and you're also capturing the air around the amp. That's awfully hard to simulate digitally if all you want is that rich, ballsy Les Paul tone.

I mentioned this in another thread recently, but my personal experience is that you can get some really nice clean guitar tones going direct - but I've never gotten a beautiful distorted tone that way.

 

[DaveC]

Eurythmic, I agree with you 100%.

The POD folks will flame me for this, but I say this from experience. I have the POD Pro. Had it about a year now. I also have the Marshall JCM800 and 100 Watt Silver Jubilee half stacks.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion so please let me be unhappy with the POD.

The POD sound FOR ME is most effective when used in a doubling approach along with the half stacks that are mic'd. That is a real mic'd setup on one track, the POD for the doubled performance on another separate track. Then I like it. Otherwise it doesn't cut it. The doubled track is always screaming for something very different to stand out, and the POD does that. I could never use it alone or for solos.

I love Kings X. I have since 1989. Ty Tabor was the template for guitar tones for years in my world. He uses the POD completely on their new CD. I hate this new sound although I love the CD. He swears by it. I'm too insignificant to be questioning Ty Tabor and thats not what I'm doing. Just stating what I like and that I had the same experience as you, trying to get usable tones. I hear the POD overtones big-time on the new CD. Thats what bugs me. IMHO he needs to get the Lab or Mesa amps out of storage. If you listen to Gretchen Goes to Nebraska" and then the new CD, its tough to compare. It must be that I'm missing something or its probably that I just don't care for those sound colors regardless of the modeling. I know its fine for others and I respect that.

Like I said above, I have found uses for it but only when doubled when mic'd amps are also used.

I use a SM57 most of the time on Marshall cabinets and have never been disappointed. The body of the track of a mic'd cabinet jumps out. The POD just kinda sits there. It doesn't move air. I think its coming soon but its not here all the way yet.

I also use Royer ribbon mics for micing cabinets that are incredible.

I need the sound for inspiration. I rarely have that when using the POD alone.

For the religious POD folks..... I'm not one of those people that trashes something without trying it and learning it first. I feel I gave it honest effort. As an additional studio tool it certainly comes in handy, but that over the top distortion sound makes me want to quit playing for some reason.

Dave C
www.mp3.com/carusodavid