HELP!! Recording Guitar (DI)

[RuZZRoXX]

What uppp!?! Hokay so, my band and I are doing a pre production demo on a BOSS 1600 so we can be as sharp as possible when we go into an actual studio. Normally I would mic up my rig, but have been mixing the drums at my home and decided to try directly inputting my guitar. I'm shooting for a Metallica type distortion. I am having a Sisyphus dilemma with my Distortion. My problems being: clarity, sound actually hurts the ear at times, sustain (with minimal unnecessary fuzz), and it simply sounds tooo processed.

Equipment:
Mics:
Rode NT1-A
AKG Perception 220
Shure Sm57 n 58

Rig:

Fender American Deluxe Fat Strat
Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Plus Humbucker + 2 Single Coils
Crate BV 120
Boss GT-6

These are my Guitar's settings on the 1600 I'm messing around with:

Compressor: On
Sustain: 35 <- When raised, I get a cloud of fuzz
Attack: 25
Tone: 0
Level: 60

OD/DS: On
Type: Booster
OD/DS Drive: 35
OD/DS Bass: 0
OD/DS Treble: 0
OD/DS Level: 50

Preamp: On
Type: Lead Stack <- Also mess around with the Drive n Metal Stack, n 5150
Gain: 60
Bass: 55
Middle: 40
Treble: 60
Presence: 0
Level: 40
Gain Mode: Middle
-
Speaker Simulation:
Type: 8x12
Mic Setting: Center
Mic Level: 100
Direct Level: 0
-
Ambience Pre-Delay: 0.5ms <- Unsure of what this does.
Amb Size: 10.0ms
Amb Density: 10
Amb HF Damp: Normal (Dark, Bright)
Level:5


EQ: On
Low EQ: +12db
Low-Mid Freq: 500hz
Low-Mid EQ Q: 1
Low-Mid EQ Gain: -2db
Hi-Mid Freq: 8.00khz
Hi-Mid EQ Q: 4
HI Mid EQ Gain: +5db
Hi EQ: +10db
EQ Level: +2


Noise Supressor: On
Threshold: 100
Release: 100


Delay: On
Type: Single
Delay Time: 160ms
Feedback: 0
High Cut Freq: Flat
Effect level: 10

Open to any help/ suggestions/ comments other than micing my rig

 

[mcmetal]

You don't want to hear it but i'll say it anyway.Just mic your cab and be done with it.If this is preparation for an actual studio do you plan on going through a simulator or are you gonna have the engineer mic your amp?If the latter than your wasting time better spent on mic placement.

Why are you recording with delay on?This could be contributing to mucking up your sound.Normally effects should be added afterwards.If it's been recorded that way you can't adjust it and you're stuck with it.

Ambience? Why bother with it if your not sure what it does? You're better off just lighting a candle and drinking a glass of wine.

If you work with it enough i'm sure you'll come up with some decent tones but i've always found most simulators do sound harsh and overly processed.Some folks have had great results with them but it'll take some time.

Maybe try turning down the level and attack on the compression.Turning down the gain on distortion usually helps to clean things up.It's only at 60 but maybe try it at a lower setting.

 

[IamBurnout]

You need a cab sim.

An H&K red box, or similar, will help with what you ask.

 

[lpdeluxe]

Even a distortion pedal will help. Electric guitars generally sound 'way too clean when recorded direct. Amplifiers color the sound more than we're aware until we DI. I've used a Tube Emulator stomp box and gotten good, not great results, but tone that didn't annoy me.

 

[RuZZRoXX]

Haha thanx for the replies. I am gonna mic up my rig after I record bass and vox tomorrow, but as for now I like this challenge. I will post samples soon of everything. I have had some luck layering 2 separate tracks. One being a metaled out distortion, the undertone having more body and less gain. Any suggestions on layering different guitar effects? Unfortunately I only have 16 tracks to fuck with... And I have 4 for the drums, 4 for guitar, 2 for bass, 3 for vox, 1 for keys, and 2 are for the master track.