EQ for Distorted Guitar

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bbop73

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For a distorted guitar sound I record through a pod xt. It sounds great while tracking, but when i listen back, it's very thin. I even double track and pan each at 50% L/R. For EQ I usually scoop the mids at 800 hz and roll off at 60hz. Wherein lies the problem? Tracking w/ pod, eq, combination of both, or none of the above? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

My chain is pod xt -> m-audio fw410 -> cool edit pro 2.0.
 
You just need to work on the sounds - I can get great sounds out of the Pod, but it takes a LOT of tweaking - ESPECIALLY for distorted guitar tones.

Think CRUNCH, not FUZZ. Back off on the gain for starters.
 
bbop73 said:
For a distorted guitar sound I record through a pod xt. It sounds great while tracking, but when i listen back, it's very thin. I even double track and pan each at 50% L/R. For EQ I usually scoop the mids at 800 hz and roll off at 60hz. Wherein lies the problem?
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If it sounds great while you're tracking, then why are you applying EQ? :D

By the way, I don't like the whole "cutting 800 hz" idea. I think that's the wrong freq. to cut, if you're going to cut something.

Try not cutting anything first. And listen.

If it sounds muddy, then start cutting around 350-400 hz and see what that does.

If it sounds too cruncy, then try cutting around 22 ro 25 khz.

If it needs more meat. then try a narrow boost anywhere between 200 to 250 hz. Again, sweep around a little and use your ears.

If it sounds too middy / honky, then go ahead and cut some mids, but try somewhere around 1200 hz instead of 800 and see what happens. I realize it's a situational thing, but I've just always found 700-800 hz to be kind of a deceptively crucial area; you think you don't need it, but you do (especially as the mix gets busier).

The thing to keep in mind is not to just go all crazy and start EQ'ing things just because you think you need to. If things are sounding good while you're tracking, then don't try to break what ain't broken, as they say. :D When you do start EQ'ing things . . . remember, there aren't any absolutes. What I or anyone else gives you are going to be nothing more than rough guidelines . . . that sometimes might even do more harm than good.
 
For rhythm guitars that are supposed to sound full I do no less than 4 independent tracks. Sometimes more. I've done as many as 8 before it starts getting muddy. Anything much over 8 is ridiculous anyways....

Throw in 2 more takes of guitar and it'll fatten up.
 
I find that I'm always very subtle when I'm eq'ing distorted guitars. It's really easy to wreck the great sound coming from my amp. Instead, I'll labour over getting a good sound into the microphone, and use a high pass filter to get rid of subsonics and bass frequencies. I'll usually find the frequency of the sound that gives it's personality, and bring that out a bit--sort of a "that sound--only better" kind of concept.
 
chessrock said:
If it sounds great while you're tracking, then why are you applying EQ? :D
QUOTE]

That's a good question. I think i'm a little too anxious to grab that plugin, eq, etc and start tweaking sound. Restraint, restraint! If it's not broke, don't fix it right? I'll try flattening the curve, applying some additional tracks, and/or tweaking the source (pod) before tracking next time. Key point, don't overdo anything. Hmm..71 tracks?

Thanks for everyone's input.

jason
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chessrock said:
Billy Corgan uses 71 tracks, you know (?) :D
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hes not dead yet?...maybe he'll be on vh1's i love the 90's.
 
If I knew how Billy Corgan got his guitar sound, then that's what I'd be doing. I actually read an interview where he said his guitar sound had a lot to do with fender strats with lace sensor pickups and marshall jcm800 with the tubes changed to kt-88s instead of the el-84s. I know he also used the mutron bi-phase quite a bit as well as the hard to find fender blender pedal (sounds like a guitar/chainsaw). I just love how warm, clear, and sustainy his distortion sounds are.
 
I think his secret really had everything to do with his 71st track.

Like it was just way too barren at track 60, so he figured 10 more oughta' do it.

. . . Nah. Not quite there at 70, either.

. . . but at 71, suddenly, ahh! there it was!
 
71 is a hell of a lot! And then someone around here said mutt lange recorded every note of every chord on some of the earlier def leppard albums. Talk about OCD!
 
I bet when this 71 track marathon recording session was going on James Iha was sitting there looking very confused, and after the fateful number 71 he probably said something like, "Uh Billy, you should do like (pushes hair out of his face) one more track....or whatever." And then Billy glared at him, and then James started crying. I'm pretty sure that's how it went down.
 
distortedrumble said:
hes not dead yet?...maybe he'll be on vh1's i love the 90's.
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Nope, just announcing baseball games in the Chicago area. Or so i've heard.
 
bbop73 said:
Nope, just announcing baseball games in the Chicago area. Or so i've heard.
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He's all over Chicago. He can often be found popping up, unannounced, at open mic nights around the city from time to time.
 
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