how do i get the perfect distortion?

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wwilso2

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Hi, i have been writing a lot of new song, most of which are heavy rock, i want a really crisp distortion for the verse when I'm palm muting, and also i want a really big clear, but heavy distortion in the chorus, this is where I'm struggling and need help, how can i get a distortion that is both really heavy but will sound clear when i play a full chord in the chorus without it sounding fuzzy and so you can't hear the individual notes, please help
thanks
max :)
 
This question might be way too nebulous to answer. What amps & pedals do you have available?
 
well I've got a line six 50w, eleven rack, no pedals, could you recommend some, I'm pretty new at all this, some tips of how to get started would be great, i have done a lot of recording but not so much with heavy distortion
 
I don't know anything about the eleven rack - is that a guitar effects unit?

Is your amp valve or solid state? Have you tried going to a guitar shop and trying out some amps to see what they sound like and whether they match what you're after?
 
yes it is, dumb question but whats valve and solid state? and yes i have but what then? and what do pedals give you exactly? why would you use a pedal through an amp?
 
You are not ready, grasshoppa.

Post an example of what you want to sound like. Go to youtube, find some band you like, and post it here.
 
When recording electric guitar, less distortion is more - meaning it will sound more distorted in the recording than what you hear from your amp. Get a sound you like from your amp, turn the distortion down a little and record it. Listen back, is it waht you want? No? Try again with different settings. You want more distortion or different osund in the chorus - lay down a new track for that section of the sound with the amp adjusted accordingly.

Like Greg says - you're not ready if you are asking basic questions. Valve = tube amp, solid state = no tubes.
 
the perfect distortion...

hm....
so many examples...

oh, i know a good one.



Deep Purple, Made in Japan

Highway Star


you will need a 200 watt marshall driving 4 4x12 cabs, wide open.
voila.
 
You're not ready, but at least you had the sense to ask questions before spending money. You're smarter than me.
 
mjbphotos said:
When recording electric guitar, less distortion is more - meaning it will sound more distorted in the recording than what you hear from your amp. Get a sound you like from your amp, turn the distortion down a little and record it. Listen back, is it waht you want? No? Try again with different settings. You want more distortion or different osund in the chorus - lay down a new track for that section of the sound with the amp adjusted accordingly.

Like Greg says - you're not ready if you are asking basic questions. Valve = tube amp, solid state = no tubes.
Click to expand...

+1 to this. People a lot of times tend to use a more distorted tone than really necessary, and it ends up losing all its life.

Another thing you can try is to blend a more distorted tone with a cleaner one; this way you can kind of get the best of both worlds: clarity and dirt. I know you mentioned hard rock, so this example doesn't really apply, but Stevie Ray would record that way often, mixing one amp that was a little dirtier and one that was cleaner to end up with one big sound that had definition.
 
...afaik, the eleven rack gives you exactly that possibility, as it records the nonamped track together with the amped one, so you can use another additional amp as well. Instead of using heavier distortion, you can often use more *rerecorded* tracks, if the guitar player is capable of doing that. Then a load of distortion less is necessary to get that full sound...
 
One thing I tried recently and liked was doubling a guitar part, with one track using a lighter overdrive, and the other using a Muff-type fuzz. You get the bite of the overdrive plus the loud bassiness of the Muff, and it sounds pretty huge.
 
GONZO-X said:
the perfect distortion...

hm....
so many examples...

oh, i know a good one.



Deep Purple, Made in Japan

Highway Star


you will need a 200 watt marshall driving 4 4x12 cabs, wide open.
voila.
Click to expand...

Yup. Blackmore nailed it.
 
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