J
JamEZmusic
Active member
That sounds like a very useable and good guitar tone to me. Leagues ahead of what I heard in the past.
R
Ron Rondondo
New member
First of all my friend you need to get a good small tube amp maybe a 10" speaker at best. Second, go find yourself an old Arion Metal Master, I used to sell them in my music store for around $39.00, saw one on Ebay for 119.00. Granted it is a distortion unit but you don't need to turn it up high either you just want the "big" sound you're after. The whole key here is to overdrive the small amp.
Most guitarist think they need more power, wrong, that is what the amp companies want you to think and here is an example: I was good friends with Alan Collins of the Ld Sd band. When I first met him I asked him about his stage set-up after looking at one of their album covers with mounds of PV amps on stage. He said that all of the amps behind him were dummies even though their lights were all showing "on." He used 1 combo Peavey which was 200 watts. I said to him "why" and he said "because I have more control with just one 200 amp. Most the the heavy hitter guitar players go into a studio with amps that would embarrass them with their fans but that's what they used for that big fat auditorium sound.
So bottom line is you use a small amp over-drive;n to the hilt (save yourself from buying a Boss Overdrive Pedal) Perhaps a bit of reverb and you're good to go. Don't be fooled by bigger is better. Hope this helps and if you have questions let me know.
Most guitarist think they need more power, wrong, that is what the amp companies want you to think and here is an example: I was good friends with Alan Collins of the Ld Sd band. When I first met him I asked him about his stage set-up after looking at one of their album covers with mounds of PV amps on stage. He said that all of the amps behind him were dummies even though their lights were all showing "on." He used 1 combo Peavey which was 200 watts. I said to him "why" and he said "because I have more control with just one 200 amp. Most the the heavy hitter guitar players go into a studio with amps that would embarrass them with their fans but that's what they used for that big fat auditorium sound.
So bottom line is you use a small amp over-drive;n to the hilt (save yourself from buying a Boss Overdrive Pedal) Perhaps a bit of reverb and you're good to go. Don't be fooled by bigger is better. Hope this helps and if you have questions let me know.
mjbphotos
Moderator
Yes, although on my speakers the right channel one seems to be a bit louder, which may be due to having more treble dialed in.
Gtoboy
Well-known member
First post too much gain on the amp, mic too close and pointed too far center of the cone for that mic. Roll the top end with no more than a 6 db slope at around 5k. Or lower. It won't sound right when you first make such a big change but once your ear adjusts it will sound perfectly fine, just less fizz. Next play with you guitar tone and volume controls as well as the pickup selector. With a high gain setting on your amp you can get a much bigger sound just by rolling the volume back on your guitar to somewhere between 50-75% of full on. I like to start with fifty pct and roll up to 75 when I need more grit and less heft. I save max volume for single note lines so the amp has a purer tone to add harmonics to as compared to the total annihilation of tone that max volume and full chords does.
As and example the clean tone you recorded had a good full sound and only needed slight driving , say after the first chorus, to add excitement , though double tracking would not hurt.
Ribbon mics do wonders on practice amps, as has been stated , you can get a very full tone without a large amount of volume.
If you don't want the sound of the room you can still get a better tone by moving the mic back and throwing a duvet over the cab and mic. Works a treat
As and example the clean tone you recorded had a good full sound and only needed slight driving , say after the first chorus, to add excitement , though double tracking would not hurt.
Ribbon mics do wonders on practice amps, as has been stated , you can get a very full tone without a large amount of volume.
If you don't want the sound of the room you can still get a better tone by moving the mic back and throwing a duvet over the cab and mic. Works a treat
R
Ron Rondondo
New member
Most of the comments posted are way overly complicated, everyone thinks they have the right answer with all of the gobbly gook, essentially they are brainwashed by magazine articles and their fellow players. There are 2 ways of getting the sound you want 1) the right set-up by keeping it very simple as far as the amp AND settings on the guitar. 2) Attack - the type of attack you use when you play your instrument. There is nothing wrong with using stomp boxes for special effects but those are on top of your basic sound. Now keep in mind I'm referring to recording. If you're gigging you can still mic your amp and run it through the sound system OR if you want to go a bit bigger I'd say 50 - 100 watts, that is way more than enough to cover any room. Stop listening to all the complicated jargon it does not help what you're after because remember this: probably 95% of those giving advice have heard or read their "advice" from somewhere else. How many of them speak from experience as I do. Try 61 years worth bud?
LazerBeakShiek
It is a life preserver
Is this similar to toweling a drum kit? Tell me more about this. You want me to throw a blanket over the amp and microphone?
LazerBeakShiek
It is a life preserver
Post #16, with the 4 renders of the guitar track...I copied settings and everything from the demo video.
I like recording with real microphones and hardware better. That BXMegaDual Demo sounded sooooo cool. The Mesa Dual Recto amps are spectacular. I couldn't get close to that..The demo is a fraud. haha
Hardware and microphones, is the way...That shows me the most potential.
I like recording with real microphones and hardware better. That BXMegaDual Demo sounded sooooo cool. The Mesa Dual Recto amps are spectacular. I couldn't get close to that..The demo is a fraud. haha
Hardware and microphones, is the way...That shows me the most potential.
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J
JamEZmusic
Active member
I get the heaviest guitar tone I want out of my 1watt laney. If I want to crank it (there isn't really much need) I switch over to 15watt.
You want massive and wide, double track, hard pan, 57 right up to the grill I don't care when people say not to do this I have seen enough people make kickass recordings who do this, switch pickups on each take, play tight, send a reverb from right to left and left to right. No need to do anything else. No stereo widening needed, no MS techniques. Recording electric guitar is fairly stright forward if only using 1 mic and not trying to make your amp sound like a different amp.
You want massive and wide, double track, hard pan, 57 right up to the grill I don't care when people say not to do this I have seen enough people make kickass recordings who do this, switch pickups on each take, play tight, send a reverb from right to left and left to right. No need to do anything else. No stereo widening needed, no MS techniques. Recording electric guitar is fairly stright forward if only using 1 mic and not trying to make your amp sound like a different amp.
Gtoboy
Well-known member
Yes. I have a couple of practice amps (20-25 watts, 8-10 inch speakers) and I will stick the amp on a chair in the closet, put a ribbon ~12-16" from the speaker on a standard boom mic stand and throw a packing blanket over the whole shebang, stand, chair, amp and mic. Doesn't have to completely isolate everything, you are just eliminating room reflections. The closet part isn't necessary, I have a pretty good sounding room, but I can use the closet of my "control room"(dedicated spare bedroom) when I'm going for a particular sound. I have gotten good at getting a Royal Blood guitar tone from that set up.
Gtoboy
Well-known member
With a 57 on the grill cloth in the right position this works great. Not so much with the BD ribbon IMHO. I have a solid state Chinese "Fender Frontman 25" in my living room that remains miced up with a 57 at a slight angle at the edge of the speaker dome and it sounds great.
Track Rat
Just Your Average Sized Member
My thoughts on "big" guitar. Less high end. Less "Distortion". I was amazed at how much larger guitars got as they cleaned up. In a rhythm context, a cleaner guitar than what you might guess plus a nasty one for flavor blended to taste.
JimmyS1969
MOODerator
Sounds like a single guitar track man. Play the part again, then pan them opposite.
TimOD
Active member
Yeah, exactly. The Moody Blues' "Seventh Sojourn" comes to mind. That tone that Justin Hayward got plus the double-tracking makes that guitar of his sound other-worldly and expansive. It might not be considered the "big guitar sound" exactly, but that's how you do it. Some good playing and double-tracking and a bit of reverb--back in the old days when they likely only had 16 tracks available.
LazerBeakShiek
It is a life preserver
Tim, it is evident that with guitars, less is more. It doesn't need much, everything needs to be in the right place though.
J
JamEZmusic
Active member
Yeah my ribbon need a lot of distance from the source, the proximity effect on that thing is crazy. Lots of proximity effect at 1ft back, still some at 1 metre I think.
I was specifically talking about that 57 for close miking, I feel like it's built for it, with that low end rolloff and 5k boost too much distance and i get a very thin/bright signal. Saying that I shove the 421 right up to the grill also and that mic already has good low end.
It was Cameron Webb who I was taking the technique from, he actually uses the 57/421 combo much more often but I've seen a few of his classes along with Warren Huart and he said that he woud probably put the mic even closer if not for the grill, I'm not sure if he was joking or not but I do love his recordings. I always thought the POD stuff sounded great, even before I knew who mixed them.
If you want the driest most up front modern sound then I think shoving the mic right up front is not a bad shout. I place mine where you do too more often than not. Halfway between the edge and center of the cone really does get me close everytime.
I was specifically talking about that 57 for close miking, I feel like it's built for it, with that low end rolloff and 5k boost too much distance and i get a very thin/bright signal. Saying that I shove the 421 right up to the grill also and that mic already has good low end.
It was Cameron Webb who I was taking the technique from, he actually uses the 57/421 combo much more often but I've seen a few of his classes along with Warren Huart and he said that he woud probably put the mic even closer if not for the grill, I'm not sure if he was joking or not but I do love his recordings. I always thought the POD stuff sounded great, even before I knew who mixed them.
If you want the driest most up front modern sound then I think shoving the mic right up front is not a bad shout. I place mine where you do too more often than not. Halfway between the edge and center of the cone really does get me close everytime.
TimOD
Active member
Yes ineed. I can't count the amount of times I've muted extra guitars in a mix because they weren't needed, or took out extra fills that sounded good whilst adding them, but were a distraction in the mix. Less is very often just the right thing.
CrowsofFritz
Flamingo!
I mean that sounds good to me.
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
On the other hand, maybe some of the answers have come straight out of peoples' experiences and those people know what they like. No one can be in Lazer's head. What I might like and think is a great sound for a song may not be what he's looking for.
There are quite a few more than two ways.
It doesn't really matter if you've been doing something for 61 years. You are not demonstrating any real world recording wisdom by implying that you are the beginning and last word on guitar tones and sounds. The reality is that there are loads of ways of getting different guitar sounds. And those ways come from a variety of sources, yes, magazines, interviews, TV shows and videos, experience, copying, forums, arguments, amp manuals, dreams and good old experimentation.
LazerBeakShiek
It is a life preserver
LazerBeakShiek
It is a life preserver
My god, what if there ARE only two....