How is your set up supposed to be for lead?

  • Thread starter Thread starter myhatbroke
  • Start date Start date
myhatbroke

myhatbroke

Cocktacular Member
I'm trying to play some leads and record em but theye too muddy or something. They dont stand out nicely. How do i eq my amp and stuff
 
Why not just do a super fast shredding guitar solo in MIDI?
 
Get the sound you want out of the amp first, then record it and tweak the EQ on your amp until it sounds good on recording...sometimes it can sound good out of the amp but not on recording...

Sometimes lowering the bass a lot, and raising the mids to about 7, and the treble to about 5 or 6 can help, it depends on the amp/guitar. For example, Van Halen is known to use really high mids on his leads. Some amps just sound muddy with high mids though.

Also mic placement is really important when mic'ing an amp, you could have all the right settings already but the mic placement could be messing up the sound. Your room also plays a role, but not so much with an amp as with an acoustic instrument.

I'm assuming you're using a mic, if you're recording direct then that's completely different.
 
less gain cuts thru better (cleaner tone). mids cut thru.
 
All good advice.

The super heavy sound you get on CD is usually a comination of several guitars that don't have as much gain as you think. Not so much with leads, but the principle is the same- what you think of as a good high gain sound live is probably a little hot for getting a clear recording. It can be done, but.... it takes a LOT of skill and great equipment.

A lot of young metal guitarists just smack the low knob up to 11, cut the mids out and crack the highs. (sigh) Sounds great when its just you playing but sounds like *crap* when you try to record it. Impossible to get a lead sound to cut with it, too. Start with the EQ flat, then play some and move them around until you get the lead sound you're looking for.

Then move that mic around some. If you want it to cut point it towards the center of the cone right at the edge of the dust cover. Start as close to the grill as you can then back it up and/or angle it off.

Experiment with that and see if you can get close.

Have fun,
Chris
 
Are you trying to record your lead part over a previously recorded rythm part? If so, are you using the same guitar and amp for both parts? If this is the case you will get a lot of mud due to the same frequencies overlapping, canceling and conflicting between the two tracks. Generaly I find that similar sounds tend to muddy each other while contrasting sounds (tone) seperate and stand out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top