Can't Get Guitar to sound right when recording

[LazerBeakShiek]

Fenders Twin should sound ....more. Thats like Fenders go to amp. "The Twin" is even better if youre lucky enough to know what that is.

Ever try rerecording with half the power tubes pulled out..and using 6-8" speakers ? at like 7.5watts at 16 ohms or whaterver...Sound incredible. The volume won't cause hearing damage ..it just seems to be microphone volume..

 

[Simplex09]

So I unchecked this box in the picture above. I have only recorded one thing so far and its been better i'm about to do more recording and see if it improves it and upload the results here.

 

[shmaller]

I'll just chime in with a platitude:

Remove ALL gear, pedals, plugins, etc. - just put an SM57 dead center on the amp, right up at the cloth, and run it directly into your interface. Get that to sound exactly how you want it. Get it to sound great, so good that you're excited about it. That right there is like a months-long pursuit lol. And it will constantly change based on what sound you're going for, how you're playing, etc.

Miking an amp is its own skill, miking an acoustic guitar is its own skill, etc... it takes tons and tons of trial and error and critical listening to get it right, and then once you have it right you have to play perfectly...

Seems like you've already gotten a lot of good advice in this thread, just wanna say good luck!
s

 

[Simplex09]

So here are some of the recording results, Seems to be alot better after unchecking that box.

For this sound file I used my fender twin reverb because when recording with my fender ultimate chorus I found out that it didn't have anymore headroom left when turning on the DS1 because the volume would go from 100% (clean) then 60% distortion.

 

[Simplex09]

I'll just chime in with a platitude:

Remove ALL gear, pedals, plugins, etc. - just put an SM57 dead center on the amp, right up at the cloth, and run it directly into your interface. Get that to sound exactly how you want it. Get it to sound great, so good that you're excited about it. That right there is like a months-long pursuit lol. And it will constantly change based on what sound you're going for, how you're playing, etc.

Miking an amp is its own skill, miking an acoustic guitar is its own skill, etc... it takes tons and tons of trial and error and critical listening to get it right, and then once you have it right you have to play perfectly...

Seems like you've already gotten a lot of good advice in this thread, just wanna say good luck!
s

I like your idea! Kind of go to the basics just play some basic clean guitar riffs and go by there. Yeah honestly I never thought there was so much that went into mic placement and position. Like from my understand doing some research on google middle of the speaker more highend and outer section of the speaker less highend more lower end.

 

[Manfred Philips]

What I would do if it was my recording :
- One mic like described
- One track to a DI
The next step is to mix the two tracks to get the sound you want.

 

[LazerBeakShiek]

I like your idea! Kind of go to the basics just play some basic clean guitar riffs

biggest i could make the waves without a limiter..or better render setting offering more gain in the render.

Rocktron, A 256XL, An a 50/50, MXL 990 to 6" speakers...usb apollo

 

[Simplex09]

biggest i could make the waves without a limiter..or better render setting offering more gain in the render.
View attachment 146885
Rocktron, A 256XL, An a 50/50, 6" speakers...usb apollo

That's really interesting so only one mic you used to record that? And sounds really awesome!!

Here is a recording of polly I did which is using the neck pickup of a fender strat. I could be wrong but the pickup is a "high end" squier pickup.

 

[Simplex09]

Here is another recording I did tonight I think by everything that was said from the start of this topic has really helped out! Thanks so much guys! I tried to mic up the vintage 30 instead of the 75 and not sure if that helped or not but it seems to sound ok now.

This was
-1990s Fender ultimate chorus
-Vintage 30
-SM57
-Fender Strat 59N in Bridge and Fender Jaguar.

 

[RFR]

Here is another recording I did tonight I think by everything that was said from the start of this topic has really helped out! Thanks so much guys! I tried to mic up the vintage 30 instead of the 75 and not sure if that helped or not but it seems to sound ok now.

This was
-1990s Fender ultimate chorus
-Vintage 30
-SM57
-Fender Strat 59N in Bridge and Fender Jaguar.

Much better.

Are you using DS1 for distortion? Still too much. the DS 1 is a popular pedal having been used by many artists, but it’s easy to get it to sound like crap. In case you’re not using it and using distortion from the amp, this video is still useful.

 

[LazerBeakShiek]

Wizdom from beak
place nothing in front of the input. Use your loop . or add post.

Pedals are terrible and a money making scheme. They introduce noise..

The LPF is cutting out the tone. Its like static. Not driving force distortions

Choose your rack wisely...hone your skills. or Ill cut heads and rule the universe..haha with me traveling in a 4/4 time machine

Add some vocals to yout tracks. I want to hear the rage in your life.

shit i lost both parents before 8th grade completed..That will do it. Rage. Cheated .Bait and switch life.

Get it on with Jet Records, Jeff Lynne can save you. You're lucky hes still around.

Message to Pete-
A E D
When tragedy befalls you
A E D
Don't let them drag you down
A E D E
Love can cure your problems
A E D E
You're so lucky I'm still around

ELO is LOVE
LOVE is the only way

 

[LazerBeakShiek]

or join bad boy,and be Puff Daddy's cell mate..

 

[RFR]

Laser beam brings up some good points.

Please allow me to chime in.

Yes, your last clip is much better. But not there yet. Still lacking in fullness and bottom end. And when the high gain part comes in it’s thin and fizzy.

Let me guess, you’re recording in your living room, a bedroom or a basement. You have to deal with sound levels low enough to not piss anyone off.

This results in your amps not being able to get into a ‘sweet spot”. It forces you to rely on preamp gain which leaves much to be desired. It lacks the fullness of a cranked tube amp where the power tubes are cooking and you have all that lovely tube saturation.

Might I suggest for home recoding getting a small, say 5 watt tube amp? Something simple like a fender champ.

Still, that can get to a volume level where other people in the home want you to turn it down, but there’s always ways around that.

Here’s a good channel dealing with small amps. As well as lots of other goodies.



And in closing, I wish you good luck in your journey to find that ‘perfect’ mic-ed up guitar tone. Sometimes it takes a while.

 

[Simplex09]

Laser beam brings up some good points.

Please allow me to chime in.

Yes, your last clip is much better. But not there yet. Still lacking in fullness and bottom end. And when the high gain part comes in it’s thin and fizzy.

Let me guess, you’re recording in your living room, a bedroom or a basement. You have to deal with sound levels low enough to not piss anyone off.

This results in your amps not being able to get into a ‘sweet spot”. It forces you to rely on preamp gain which leaves much to be desired. It lacks the fullness of a cranked tube amp where the power tubes are cooking and you have all that lovely tube saturation.

Might I suggest for home recoding getting a small, say 5 watt tube amp? Something simple like a fender champ.

Still, that can get to a volume level where other people in the home want you to turn it down, but there’s always ways around that.

Here’s a good channel dealing with small amps. As well as lots of other goodies.



And in closing, I wish you good luck in your journey to find that ‘perfect’ mic-ed up guitar tone. Sometimes it takes a while.

Oh interesting!!! I always wondered about how loud a amplifier should be. If i recall properly the gain on the Scarlett solo its about under half. On the fender ultimate chorus amplifier the volume is right below 1. Its a loud amplifier compared to my fender twin reverb amplifier. But yes your correct I can't turn up the amplifier really loud. Maybe ill try a little louder tonight to see what happens

 

[LazerBeakShiek]

Maybe ill try a little louder tonight to see what happens

No man,I was goin the other direction with that..

PUll the power tubes and use ....say pull one on each side .half the power. then match the speaker to 1/2 the watts and whatever ohms...
Don't crank it at 5 watts to a 75 watt speaker no articulation
Crank it at 5 watts to a 10 watt 6 " Orange speaker...tubes overdriving and speaker articulations happens resulting in tones.
6" speaker keeps it loud as a vocal and you achieve clarity in the recording.
It will be the proper volume to record. Don't blow away your sm57 with 100watts...without something between them.

 

[LazerBeakShiek]

Laser beam brings up some good points.

This statement will come up less and less

 

[RFR]

This is a sales pitch for the Gibson falcon amp, but good info nonetheless

 

[TalismanRich]

Y'know, these things have an effect on the sound you get, WAY more than the interface, or mic, or speaker.

Some people forget to use them!

 

[ecc83]

Y'know, these things have an effect on the sound you get, WAY more than the interface, or mic, or speaker.

Some people forget to use them!

View attachment 146975View attachment 146972

^ So, so true^

Be careful about pulling OP valves in multi-V OP stages, some don't like it, always check with the maker.

Buying in a low power amp can be disappointing some have found. A five watt, single ended amp* is not the pre amp section of a 100 watter with a teensy, tiny output stage tacked on...no PI for one thing. It might be a better idea to invest in a "Power Soak"? Often called an "attenuator" but I dislike the term used in this context.

*Even 5W will produce 107dB SPL at a metre through a proper guitar speaker. That's more than most small studio monitors can manage.

Dave.

 

[Simplex09]

No man,I was goin the other direction with that..

PUll the power tubes and use ....say pull one on each side .half the power. then match the speaker to 1/2 the watts and whatever ohms...
Don't crank it at 5 watts to a 75 watt speaker no articulation
Crank it at 5 watts to a 10 watt 6 " Orange speaker...tubes overdriving and speaker articulations happens resulting in tones.
6" speaker keeps it loud as a vocal and you achieve clarity in the recording.
It will be the proper volume to record. Don't blow away your sm57 with 100watts...without something between them.

What is the best level to record at ? I do it in a house so i can't turn it up quite loud but that was recorded at a

Y'know, these things have an effect on the sound you get, WAY more than the interface, or mic, or speaker.

Some people forget to use them!

View attachment 146975View attachment 146972

That's true! I keep the ds1 tone right before the 12 o'clock is that ok? And attached is the ultimate chorus setting i used in the most recent recording.