Mixing advice, and guitar trouble

D

Dr. Herman

New member
Hi there, :)

I am in dire need of some advice. The band and I have just finished recording most of the tracks for a new song, but when we are mixing it we cant get it right, nomatter what we do the mix sounds thin and doesn't glue together.

The biggest problem is the rythm guitars, we just cant find a guitar sound that fits with the song.

Could you please give me some general advice in what could make the mix sound better. Changes in volume, pan, dubbling and so on.

And give ideas on how to get a guitar sound that fits the song. We play melodic prog rock inspired by Porcupine Tree, Anathema, and so on... And when i listen some those bands it seems as if the guitar is pretty hidden in the mix but they still make the music hard and makes it sound "big", which is excactly what we are looking for.. A huge sound and still abit hard.

I have uploadet two versions of the track, on with rythm guitar and one without.
It can be downloadet here:
download.yousendit.com/DEB24DDF4B825A12

Im pretty happy with the lead sound, which is just the the dry guitar panned left and a reverb and delay track panned right.

All guitars are recorded through a Marshall JCM 2000 + 1960B Cab.. I also have a line signal which could be used in amplitube if needed.

Please any advice is very apriciated.

Thanks!
 
This is for the distorted track that comes in around 1:20, right? What kind of mic did you use, and how did you place it? Did you add reverb to it from the signal chain/amp, or is it an insert in whatever DAW your using?

The guitar definitely sounds thin, and abbrasive. I think you want a fuller tone with some low end. If you can take the reverb off the guitar track, I would do that first. Try to use that original track, yet pan it to one side about 80%. You can add reverb later once you have your guitar tones meshing. Pan the direct signal to the other side, and in amplitube (newest version) there should be a preset for a high gain amp or mesa boogie style. I wouldn't do it too heavy, just some full crunch that add some balls to the track. Also, bass guitar can emphasize those low frequencies and can really glue a track together.

I'm a bassist . . . ha ha!
 
Jep, Excactly... The distortion rythm guitar. The clean guitar sounds ok, so we should be able to get something good out of that.

We recorded it with two SM57's. One with a 90 degree angle to the speaker and one with a 45 degree angle... Not that the two sound that different, both are thin sounding on the recording. It sounded great in the rehersal room.

We added a CSR reverb as a send to the guitars to try to make them blend.. with no luck. Right now they are panned 70% to each side, with a different take in each side...

If a choose a high gain amp in amplitube it completely takes over the mix, i have to turn it way down where it almost cant be heard... This is ok just to make a wall of sound, but the problem is that the riff should be heard not just felt...

And thank you for your answer :-D
 
The things that I hear are this.
It needs to be panned much wider, you might try hard panning.
Even listening on a headset, the rythums sound right up the middle.
I would can the direct signal, record three more tracks of the rythum hard pan two of the tracks L and R, the two remaining tracks pan about 90% L and R, and delat these two tracks by somewhere between 20 and 30ms.
The bass guitar could help out a lot more then it is. The rythums guitars are very nasely(sp) Try scooping the the two main ryhums, that are hard panned.
 
Dr. Herman said:
We recorded it with two SM57's. One with a 90 degree angle to the speaker and one with a 45 degree angle...
Click to expand...
On which speaker and which part of the speaker? That cab is a 4x12" menaing three things:

- you should normally pick a single loudspeaker to mic
- you have a lot of square inches to choose from on that loudspeaker to mic
- you have a larger dustcap that is going to sound crappier if miked

I'd start with one mic, first of all. If you can't get that one mic to sound good first, messing with two mics simultaneously is just quadrupling the complexity of the situation. Once you get that one mic to sound decent, then you can try experimenting with the second one if you wish.

First pick a louspeaker. I like the "Fletcher method" of turning the gain way up, (NO instruemnt plugged in), listening to the noise level itself, get you ear in close and pick the one that has the best high-frequency response.

Then take one microphone and place it on the cone (NOT the center dustcap dome) to taste. On teh inside of the cone by the voice coil you will generally (not always) find the sharper and cleaner tone, out along the edges will be warmer and smoother. Experiment around with that positioning on one mic, facing head on. Then based upon your experimentation and your knowledge of the polar response of the 57s you can, if you need to or want to, try playing withthe second mic to compliment the first, after you getthe first mic sounding pretty decent.

G.
 
i have not heard the track......

boost the mids! (re: guitars)
try any where from 400hz to 600hz, medium Q.

you may be surprised.
 
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