i figure this is the best place to ask

[tylerxxx]

i'm not necessarily new to recording, but i assume that i will get the most help in this forum.

i'm at my parents house for the holidays, so i don't have my normal gear. and i've been craving to record some guitar tracks, so i busted out the old stuff i started on.

it's a yamaha aw16g, with m-audio studiophile dx4 monitors, a studio projects B1 mic, and a marshall vs30r combo amp. i can get the amp to sound good in general, but when i turn the mic on, the sound that comes out of the monitors is just complete garbage. i've tried turning down the gain, changing pretty much every setting on the amp, but the sound is still bad. i'm not sure how to explain it, it's like a crackly, empty sound. no body, ya know? what can i do to change that and get a good tone?

 

[sixways]

I have fought the same fight. If the amp sounds good to you 'live' and crappy recorded, its one of two things.

A: Mic Placement
B: Poor Mic

Your ears hear the amp as it is reflected off of various items in the room, your mic hears the amp without all of that if your close miking.

6

 

[apl]

I've gotten some pretty decent results with my RP50 straight into my laptop. Check out Sedated and most of the Rumbles in the link in my sig.

 

[tylerxxx]

I've gotten some pretty decent results with my RP50 straight into my laptop. Check out Sedated and most of the Rumbles in the link in my sig.

haha well, how exactly does that help me?

 

[apl]

haha well, how exactly does that help me?

It's a very easy rig to travel with. I got the impression you were on the road visiting your parents and wanted to do some recording.

 

[giraffe]

less distortion, more mids, and possibly less hi's.

 

[tylerxxx]

if i turn down the distortion and highs, then it just sounds absolutely nothing like i want it to sound like. so, i've never really understood that theory.. anyone care to explain?

 

[jkokura]

if i turn down the distortion and highs, then it just sounds absolutely nothing like i want it to sound like. so, i've never really understood that theory.. anyone care to explain?

It might not sound right in the room...but you're supposed to make the sound coming out through your moniters sound right...not the amp in the room sound right! Check out this link about micing guitar cabs...it takes a long time to get through but it's really good info! http://www.badmuckingfastard.com/sound/slipperman.html

Jacob

 

[giraffe]

if i turn down the distortion and highs, then it just sounds absolutely nothing like i want it to sound like. so, i've never really understood that theory.. anyone care to explain?

if it sounds like poo now, what do you have to loose by changeing it?

 

[tylerxxx]

if it sounds like poo now, what do you have to loose by changeing it?

well, nothing. but if it doesnt have distortion when it gets recorded, how do i get it to sound like i want it to?

 

[giraffe]

i'm sorry, i don't recall saying "take all distortion off"
i think i said "less distortion"

 

[tylerxxx]

when i turn down the gain/distortion past a certain point, it just sounds dry and well... shitty. that was my point.

 

[sixways]

shitty compared to what?

6

 

[tylerxxx]

shitty compared to how it sounds WITH a good amount of distortion.

 

[sixways]

Did the first question ever get answered?? You're trying to record a guitar with an aw16g and it sounds like shit?

Shit compared to what? Perhaps I should say "how shitty"?

6

 

[apl]

shitty compared to how it sounds WITH a good amount of distortion.

So your amp ain't got seperate gain and volume knobs?

 

[tourettes5139]

when i turn down the gain/distortion past a certain point, it just sounds dry and well... shitty. that was my point.

IN THE ROOM OR IN THE MONITORS?? As said before, the sound in the room is different than the sound that comes through the mic. Just experiment with it. You'll get it.

 

[jkokura]

IN THE ROOM OR IN THE MONITORS?? As said before, the sound in the room is different than the sound that comes through the mic. Just experiment with it. You'll get it.

I agree...this is the kind of thing that has to be learned hands on - we can't exactly tell you what to do step by step here...we don't hear what you can hear! Our advice is purely speculation on what could be the problem! There are SOOO many factors - the room, the amp, the mic, the position of all, the size of all, the isolation, the noise from any pedals, the noise from the recording device, the monitors, the pre, the mic, the room, the position....

All of it get can be what's wrong! So we can't tell you EXACTLY how to make your crap sound less like crap and more like the sound you hear in your head. Learn the techniques from that site I posted above and that's a good start...the rest you have to learn from experience and experiment!

Jacob

(and yes I realize I said the same thing more than once...)