Recording a three piece

[tsswitch]

This is something I've been messing with for a while. Does anyone know a good method to record only a single guitar track, yet still have it sound "full"?
I'm in a three piece punk rock band...
In our demos we've tried everything panned to the middle (bad).

We've tried panning the guitar right and bass left (clear and interesting, but pretty strange).

We've tried double tracking hard right and left (I really hate this, because it immediately brings attention to the fact that it's a studio recording, what with the ghost guitar player).

Most recently I've tried recording with two mics spaced at different distances from the amp, with one panned left and one right. I think this gives the illusion of "fullness" though it may just be my mind playing tricks.

 

[Ford Van]

2, 3, maybe even 4 mics!!! The more the merrier! LOL

But really, the trick is to add dimension to the sound, and the only way to do that is with multiple mics. If two mics creates the "full" sound you are after, then cool.

Don't be afraid to experiment.

 

[tsswitch]

That seems logical. But with all those mics recording the same thing do you have to worry about them canceling each other out? I never understood when this issue comes into play.

 

[Ford Van]

That seems logical. But with all those mics recording the same thing do you have to worry about them canceling each other out? I never understood when this issue comes into play.

Don't become a victim of the ramblings of the idle! If multiple mics creates that sound you are after, then that is ALL that counts!

 

[Lectric_Lab]

I agree, use multiple mics, at least two of 'em. I just recorded a 4 piece band, problem was one of guitars was an acoustic, and to me they dont sound just right panned R or L by themself, of course a ballad is different, but putting the acoustic more in the middle and doubling up on the mics on the electric added more dimension. I've heard some real good 3 piece bands mixed in almost "mono", reverb can also add some sound boucing R or L tails.

 

[Ironklad Audio]

two mics spaced at different distances from the amp, with one panned left and one right

you said it already...

also, it can sometimes help to make slight EQ changes in the tracks - maybe make one a teeny bit "scooped", while giving the other a tad more bite in the mids

 

[Dani Pace]

As already said, use two or more mics, pan them however it sounds best. Maybe add a touch of delay to one (I've done this more than once) for a roomier sound. If your speaker cab is multi speaker, try cloce micing each speaker.

 

[RezN8]

Also you should definitely give the mid/side technique a try! You can get really wide and full sounding with M/S. Cheers, Rez

 

[BrentDomann]

I like to close mic my cab with a dynamic mic and put a medium to large diapragm condenser on the other side of the room, ear height, facing the wall (away from the amp). This little time delay and reflection, if panned properly, can help a lot.

 

[tsswitch]

Thanks for the tips guys, I can't wait to try it out.

 

[mrhotapples]

Set your shit up like you would if you were to play a show, you know, amps on the side of a drum kit, and space the guitar cab and bass cab the same distance from the drum kit. Then set up two cardioid condenser mics in front of you, like an audience, spaced so that the left mic is equidistant to the kick drum and the amp on the left, and that the right mic is equidistant from the kick and the amp on the right. Run a DI of the bass and set your vocals up how you'd play a show, just run cheap dynamics in with windscreens.

Pan these 50/50, invert the DI and pan it center, do whatever with the vocals.

This will, in a room with some level of control...ie, without slap back and huge reverb times...Yield a pretty tight, natural sound. You can reinforce the kick if you need to, just mic it and get some boom.

That's some Skywalker Ranch shit.

 

[starbuck26]

Something I've experimented with...

I don't know where I read this... possibly here, but a year or two ago...

A good trick is to mic the front of the speaker, and then put a mic in the back of the amp (if it's an open cabinet, of course) and give it a similar placement and fairly close. Then you flip the polarity of the back speaker, and blend them together. It sounds really good on solos, or single note riffs.

It sounds even better if you reverse your own polarity, and dress like a woman when you're recording it. Especially if you drink smirnoff ice and leave lipstick stains on the bottle...