Problems getting the perfect guitar sound

[fiveyearslater]

Hey guys, we are currently recording our demo in my homestudio. Everything went better than we had expected, except for the guitars. We just don't seem to get the good guitar sound. I don't think the problem has something to do with the miking, and we know enough about phasing, so that's not the problem. I think it has something to do with the Behringer mixer. What do you guys think is the problem? What is the weakest link of this setup? Is a very good guitar sound possible with the Behringer pre-amps of my mixer?

We are using this gear:

Epiphone Les Paul standard
Mesa Boogie Dual Recitifer + Marshall 1936 2x12"
Shure SM58 + Sennheiser MD421
Behringer UB1204 mixer
Delta 44 soundcard

Thanx!

 

[Massive Master]

Try backing off on the gain if you're using a lot. You want CRUNCHY - Not FUZZY. That's the number one problem I see with most guitar sounds from the "heavier" genres.

The gear you're using should work fine - But that sound has to be "right-on" to begin with. If it sounds good in the room, it might not sound good right up on the cabinet (where the microphone is).

 

[Farview]

That is most likely your problem. You have to listen to the sound coming from the speakers, the mic won't pick up the feeling you get when you play through the rig. The mic pres you are using would probably help your sound a bit. Be sure not to turn the midrange all the way off. That is another big mistake.

hi john

 

[Ronan]

Without hearing it, my guess would be the same as the others. your gain might be too fuzzy, it almost always helps to ease back on the gain for recording. Your berhinger and sound card are the weak links in the chain, but not enough to wreck a recording.

 

[fiveyearslater]

Thanx for your help guys! Today we decided we won't use the Sennheiser MD421 anymore for guitar.. We found it's very hard to get a decent sound with it when you're used to Sm58s. Its high-end sounds very harsh, and it has way more low-end than we're looking for.

My band's other guitarist always uses a Sony F-V610 for guitar. It looks and sounds much like the SM58, but it sounds much clearer on distorted guitars. I tried it today and, believe it or not, we both prefer it over a MD421 or SM58..! I'm curious what everyone on this messageboard would think of it!