How hard is my guitar sound?

  • Thread starter Thread starter William Choi
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William Choi

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I've been contemplating for a while now about getting the POD to give some roundness to my guitar sound. But before I do this, how do you think the guitars sound?

thats my first question. My second is just for you guys to hear my latest track called Tungsten Fly and critique the guitars.
www.geocities.com/shuttershell/
>in the music section(left lamb),"listen"> there should be a download and streaming option.

Very melodic/prog./electronic rock stuff.

The distortion I used was a BOSS Metal Zone MT-2 through a Peavey Studio Pro 112 miced with a Shure SM58.
I'd like to get the POD to run my bass guitar through to so really critique the bass guitar sound on it too. Warmness is my goal.

And I can't believe how shitty the mp3 encoding quality was. God damn.

www.mp3.com/willchoi/
www.geocities.com/shuttershell/
http://amazingforums.com/forum/FRUITSHOP/forum.html
 
I listened to Tungsten Fly and I thought that the whole thing sounded so over-compressed that it took the life out of the song.

The song itself is pretty darned good, but the recording quality sounds like someone threw a couple of thick blankets over my speakers.

I checked your equipment list and it seemed like a decent collection of stuff to work with, but somehow you lost alot of clarity and "edge" from the recording.

I can't really comment on the guitars until you tweak the entire mix. Trying to get "warmth" out of your recordings is certainly a good idea, but don't forget about punch and clarity.

Buck
 
Thanks. I chose a new route to mastering for Tungsten Fly, I used the Waves C4 compressor as well as Magneto to warm it up, and finally using a very little touch of Waves Ultra Maximizer(Barely any compressing here,I used it just to boost the overall signal much like normalising-this probably chopped off my peaks).

Ill definitely consider changing some of my mastering settings but Ill get more input from others too.
Thanks!
 
i re uped a new version of Tungsten Fly. Has a lot less encoding artifacts this time round.
 
The song was pretty cool and all, I liked the vocals and the changes. The guitar sound I did not like at all. I'm not a huge POD fan, but it can sound a LOT more natural than this. The drums were a little 80's pop radio...a very strange blend of sounds indeed. The entire mix sounds pretty squashed in terms of frequency and dynamics.

Very cool website by the way, although I did not like having to view it full screen.

Slackmaster 2000
 
Let me also add that you should think a little less about the final mix or mastering stage of your production. If you're really using a C1, an L1, and magneto then you need to lay off a bit for a while.

Basically you need to find more power in your raw mix. It's hard to get a nice big level without major spiking, but you've got to work at it. Using limiters and such on crappy mix with no power will not help matters much.

Once you get a better mix, you'll be able to use the L1 more effectively; e.g. just a few db of attenuation. Right now using the C1, L1, and magneto on your final mix is probably just making matters worse.

Slackmaster 2000
 
Hey, William. Unique tune. I personally like the different electronic sounds, but that's kind of our style as well....

In terms of the guitars, they seemed to lack any width (though this may be related to the compression issue discussed earlier). They just sounded kind of squashed and sterile. I think a bigger (though not necessarily heavier) tone would really open those sections up...

As far as the POD goes, I'm a huge fan and would highly recommend it. I use it on all our recordings (for both guitar and bass) and have got a number of very postive comments out here from more learned members. Let me know if you have any more specific questions about it and I'll do what I can to help. Thanks!

J
http://www.mp3.com/30SoS
 
Here's Matt with your "How does my song sound through laptop speakers" analysis:

Guitars weren't bad (through these speakers). Makes me wonder if you mixed the song on smaller speakers.

Overall, the song was pretty good. Enough different things happening to keep it interesting.

Intro guitar solo was kinda cheeze with note choice and tone quality.

I liked the sound of the vox.

Drum and synth programming was interesting.

Kind of a 80's Yes sound quality to the whole thing.
 
Hey Mary's little secret or J or 30SOS, I've checked out one song and I think you got some fantastic material. We're all those tracks on the mp3.com page all done DIY?
Were all the guitars done with the POD direct or POD through an amp?
I was listening specifically to Complete (last track in the list).
It sounds amazing!
Yes,tell me about the POD too. If I have a distortion stomp box can I place it before the POD and make the stomp box sound as if it were coming through a MESA or something? Have you tried hooking a multiFX unit after the POD for things such as flange/reverb etc? I would like to run my BOSS ME-30 multiFX after it,I just hope it doesn't create too much noise.


Thanks for those who have added to the discussion. Although I do hope you all have downloaded and listened to the new version that I've uploaded. Judging by the dates you all have posted I believe you all have.
With the new version i've learned how to use and now understand the C4 a lot better.
I don't believe I've used it correctly before. The new settings aren't compressing that drastically as before. I've let all the frequency pretty much do their thing and the louder frequencies are nicely driving through Magneto.

To be honest IMO, the recent mastered mix is the best representation of the original mix just louder. As for frequency dynamics, well, understand Im working with prodominantly electronic drum sounds. You have some strange frequencies there already.
Im happy with my mix, my only concern is the mastering stage. Are the bass frequencies muffled? Is there enough attack from the bass frequencies?

I mainly listen through a pair of studio headphones(sony MDR7506),
I just needed some feedback from someone who might by listening through some studio monitors or maybe a good stereo system.
 
The Song: Great song man. I like the changes and the feel of it.

This came to mind:
Rush,Pet Shop Boys,NIN,Beatles, Zeppelin,Old Phil Collins (drum machines), Smashing Pumpkins.

I dig the guitar solo. The end of the song has that "Movie Sound
Track" vibe to it. I would love to hear the song without any compression on the final mix.

The guitar sound:
The compressor is killing it. It would sound 100x's better without the excessive compression. The POD will definitely give you more textures and tones to work with, however, the current distortion will definitely sound better minus the compression......

Great work!
 
Im pretty much accepting the fact that the guitar distortion is weak. Im just wondering if there's anyone who might think "wow, that sounds like a marshall stack" when in fact it's some boob multiFX unit coming through an amp thats on it's last watt. Well, still at least you're not going "thats goddamn nasty". Theres not much solid layering in this songs only in a few passages. Most notably the first intro part. I don't remember if that was my Metal zone through the amp or a direct recording from my ME unit.
Im definitely going to hoerk over the $$ for a POD during the holidays.
I wonder if Ill be surprised with the tone it gives me.
 
Hey, William. Yes, all the tracks on the page were DIY at my home studio (it's flattering that you asked) and yes, all the guitar (and bass) tracks were using the POD 2.0. I imagine you could use the POD with an amp, but we use it direct just because its so easy, sounds great, and won't upset the neighbors when you're tracking guitars at 2:00am :D

I'm sure you could run a pedal through the POD for distortion and just use it as a cabinet emulator, but I have a feeling once you toy with it, you'll put your pedal on the sidelines... (though I loved my BOSS pedals when I had them as well).

Also, the POD comes with a fair amount of effects built in (though you can only use one at a time). I don't use guitar effects very often, but yes, you can certainly route your FX unit after the POD while tracking or route it through the guitar channel during the mix. I don't think there should be a noise issue -- I've tried it once or twice (the bridge in "Dying Again" comes to mind) and there weren't any problems.

As with any piece of gear, you need to spend a little time with the POD to really get the tone you want out of it, but for what I've asked of it, I don't think there's much that it can't do...

Let me know if you have any other questions and keep up with the creative songs and arrangements (you've got a great sense for blending electronics and guitars). Peace!

J
http://www.mp3.com/30SoS
 
listening to circlesprint...

i like it alot.

Your singing sounds like its a bit off key, but in a good Nirvana kind of way. Very good. the chorus gave my chills.

Very smashing pumpkinsish, but your voice is way better.

good stuff.
 
the more i listen to that song circlesprint the more i like it.
The intro is a bit weak, the solo isnt as great as it could have been, and the song ends too abruptly, BUT the verse and chorus are great to an extreme degree.

Very moody feeling. Kind of sends chills up your spine.

I like! :)
 
hey, thanks for giving your thoughts on Cirrclesprint. Theres nothing more satisfying than someone giving their emotion response to a song rather than how technical it was. although i didn't there was a solo. Are you talking about the synth stuff around 1:35?
i personally liked it when it goes to the bridge at 1:52 but i wish I could have sequenced to get it more in time with the beat. Love the Prophet 52!
 
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