My guitar sounds suck!

  • Thread starter Thread starter VTgreen81
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VTgreen81

VTgreen81

Active member
OK, so I recorded the guitar dry, and now I need to add the effects. I'm using Home Studio XL 2004, aka Sonar lite, and with what's available I'm not happy with the sounds I'm getting. I've combined amp sim with the spectra f/x but it all sounds cheap and cheesy, not enough sustain, if I get enough distortion it's too harsh, etc. Any suggestions on what I could do or other plugs I could use?
 
Couple of things might help ya

1. Amp cabinets act sort of like as EQ box compared to what you have with the dry track. To fake it you will need to scoop out the mids or boost the bottom and top ends. Guitar amps also don't typically produce much content above 8k so you might want to roll the rest of the top end off as well.

2. www.simulanalog.org/guitarsuite.htm - Free plugins originating from Uni product. Some sound damn good.

3. www.izotope.com - Look at their "Trash" plugin. Even if you don't buy it, download their "Trash Recipes for Guitar" .PDF file as it has some good information on what makes up guitar tone, how to fake it and tips on mixing guitars.

Ciao,

Q.
 
Thanks, I downloaded the Simulanalog Guitar Suite. Now I have a folder full of .dll files, just need to figure out how to get them into cakewalk.
 
It appears to me that these are VST effects. You will need to have a VST to DX adapter in order to use them. I don't believe one is provided in Home Studio (I guess that's why it's Sonar lite :) ).
 
@#$%^& :mad:

Yup your right,




heads off in search of DX plugs with as good or better sounds
 
Or I could find a VST-DX wrapper, right?

Anyone using SpinAudio's wrapper, either the free "lite" version or the $50 "pro" version?
 
If you're gonna pay for one, you might as well get the one from Cakewalk, no?

I think I used one of the free ones before (not sure if it was Spin Audio). My recollection was there was a limitation of only one VST at a time, and it couldn't handle VSTi's.

However, since it's free, you might as well try it.
 
Sonar supports VST, right? Would I be better off upgrading to Sonar? I was planning to eventually, but I've barely begun to learn HomeStudio.
 
No - it comes with a DX - VST adapter.

Sorry about the bum steer!

Q.
 
Qwerty said:
No - it comes with a DX - VST adapter.

Sorry about the bum steer!

Q.
Click to expand...

No worries mate, at least you showed me some of the sounds available, and it looks like all the good stuff is VST so it would behoove me to acquire a VST-DX wrapper.
 
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Ok I got the wrapper, got the guitar suite, he (my guitarist) likes the some of the sounds but he'd like a bit more sustain. Is there such a thing as a sustain plugin?Or can I create the sustain with compression or thru other techniques?
 
VTgreen81 said:
Ok I got the wrapper, got the guitar suite, he (my guitarist) likes the some of the sounds but he'd like a bit more sustain. Is there such a thing as a sustain plugin?Or can I create the sustain with compression or thru other techniques?
Click to expand...

you can create the illusion of sustain by using a good delay, eq'd to match the original track. set the delay level way down and the feedback way up, so you don't hear the individual repeats so much as the overall s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g.

--
 
If you've got the wrapper, head on over to www.kvr-vst.com and start downloading freeware fx to your hearts content. Some good tube saturation plugins before the amp sim will help you with sustain.

Also, check out the green machine plugins; some good amp sims there, a little different in character from the simulanalog stuff.
 
Compression will definitely help give the illusion of more/longer sustain. Besides, it will give the guitar part/track more focus (i.e. less weaving in and out of the overall sound picture).

I've used PSP Vintage Warmer for this with great success.
 
Funny no one asked what guitar you used. Maybe that's the source of lacking sustain?

Second, I don't understand how you can record dry and then add compression, overdrive etc. afterwards. Well, it can be done. But I guess you won't exploit the "sound" unless there is something close to it while you record.

I have I J-Station bought cheap when they were discontinued. This marvelous thing let's you choose your amp simulation, effects or whatever and at the same time you can send a dry signal through SP/DIF. The wet signal goes out through the analog jacks. This way you can record a dry signal while listening to the a wet from the speakers. Then produce another wet track I you want to tweak things.

I have also tried a software amp simulator and just couldn't get the right tone, until I chose a clean amp and the put my hardware pedal (Fulldrive II) between guitar and soundcard input.
 
tombuur said:
Funny no one asked what guitar you used. Maybe that's the source of lacking sustain?

Second, I don't understand how you can record dry and then add compression, overdrive etc. afterwards. Well, it can be done. But I guess you won't exploit the "sound" unless there is something close to it while you record.

.
Click to expand...

Strat customized with brass hardware.

You can monitor the F/X while recording so the guitarist has the right "feel" while only the dry signal goes "to tape".
 
That simulanalog stuff I listed above models a Tube Screamer pedal which might do it for you.

Q.
 
man...whatever happened to microphones and amplifiers...?
 
glimmer_doll said:
man...whatever happened to microphones and amplifiers...?
Click to expand...

The decline of modern building standards, the over-inflated price of decent gear, the lack of tolerance and understanding between neighbours and nu-Metal. ;)

Seriously though, I do agree with you. I recently got into a pissing battle at another site in relation to the PODxt versus 'the real deal' and got challenged to go back, mic an amp and really compare tones. I had to agree, the presence, clarity, warmth and the 'in-your-face' factor of the mic'ed amp just sounded so much better than my best modelling efforts.

I am now waiting to get my hands on a decent re-amping box so that I can feed my dry guitar tracks out through all the amps I can get my hands on... Oh yeah, and a BIG hard drive to hold all the takes.

:) Q.
 
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