Mbox 2 and thin sound guitars

E

Ericv

New member
So I am rather new to protools worked on our bands EP in a studio with HD wasn't happy with the results so my drummer and I bought Protools rigs he has a Didi 002 and I have an Mbox 2 both running protools 7.4 anyway when I retrack my lead guitars they sound thin as if I am playing in a tunnel no matter what I try. I have tried 2 different amps, 4 different gutiars different EQ levels reverb, delay compression everything I can think of and still nothing sounds very good. I have been using an SM 57 mic and a Sennheiser e835. My amps have been a Marshall Jubilee and an Ampeg Reverocket and les pauls and strats. I am at a loss the amps sound great in the room and bad when recorded I can't figu it out at all. Any help would be great.

I am starting to wonder if the Pres on the Mbox are total crap I have had better results on lessor equimpment.
 
I'm not sure exactly what your problem is. But I don't many pre's can really degrade a great sounding signal THAT badly. Your 002 pre's shouldn't be the cause, nor your A to D. Your mic's should be doing great

Maybe it's a bad cable? I'm not really sure of the answer. Do your vocals sound normal when recorded? Is it only your guitars with a problem? Where are you putting the microphone? Recording with two microphones can put your signal out of phase.You sure your speakers are okay? This is unlikely a problem with pro-tools.

Why did you go to a studio and get unsatisfactory results with HD, then go buy your own LE system? I guess I should assume you didn't like who was engineering it...

Good luck, hope we can solve the problem.:)
 
I'd agree with the first reply on some things...

Are you using two mics? If you are, they're probably out of phase.
Where are you micing the amp? Like, where is the mic in relation to the amp. If you have it directly facing the middle of the speaker, that might be an issue.
How much gain are you using to record? Someone once told me to use 1/4 the gain recording as you use live, and then layer.
I personally use about like well..3/5-3/4 the amount of gain I use on stage, and that usually works alright. Then layer of course.

There are some thoughts. I don't think it's anything to do with pro-tools really...Just techniques..I guess?
I'm no pro.
 
Ericv said:
when I retrack my lead guitars they sound thin as if I am playing in a tunnel no matter what I try. I have tried 2 different amps, 4 different gutiars different EQ levels reverb, delay compression everything I can think of and still nothing sounds very good.
Click to expand...

1. Phase issue
Recording with more mic doesnt mean better quality or fat sound. If you're a newbie in recording the most certain thing is you don't know how to deal with phase issues, do you? Well, it happens when you record an amp with two mics at the same time and have a bad placement. Sound waves recorded from one mic cancel the other waves and all becomes a shit.
Solution: Record your amp using just one mic. Then record the same passage using the other mic. 57 gives you attack, Sennheiser gives the balls. That slight difference between one take and another is gonna fatten your sound too.

2. Fattening your sound
YouTube is full of examples how to fatten a guitar track. You cna double it digitally; you can record two takes and pan the at 11 and 1 o clock; pan the lead track to the center and then have an invisible copy of the same track slightly off time to the right and left with some reverb. If you're not satisfied maybe you should use heavier gauge of strings and the neck pickup instead of the bridge. Guitar type also has a prominent role in getting a rounded tone: Is not the same recording with a Gibson LesPaul than with a El-cheapo stratocaster with stock pickups.

Good luck with your recording. Post some examples so we can hear more fo your music.
 
my first thought is,you went to a studio with hd. A pricey system, were not happy and then believe you can do better but are now finding out you cant. Is there a possibility your guitar sounds sucks from the start? Mbox pre are ok, not stellar but from the little I have used them not shitty. Now, remember "your" sound coming into your ears at 6 foot off the ground will be different than a mic placed 1" in front of the cabinet placed off axis. Dont condem the studio right away,or were there other issues that made you unhappy with them other than sound? I mean, it just comes off a bit, well I dont know what the word is, but you leave what would seem to be a pro studio, have no real clue about protools and I assume recording and question why you are not getting the results you want.I not trying to be a jerk but really, step back a bit a think.
 
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