Recording high-gain guitar and getting it to sound tight and smooth

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playit

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Have you guys listened to heavy rhythm guitar on CDs and tried to get that tone on a recording? I get close, but I'm still experiencing a more open, relatively more harsh midrange than that. I'm curious if maybe mastering would have something to do with it. I know they apply compression in the mastering stage and I'm wondering if that is what tightens and smooths out the tone of distorted rhythm guitar on my favorite CDs. The bands I listen to regularly include Thrice, Thursday, Brand New, and that kind of thing, but I notice this on all kinds of recordings.

Otherwise, what tips can you give me? I generally record various amps from a Marshall 1960 vintage cab close-mic'ed with a Sennhesier e609 or a Shure SM57.
 
Distorted rhythm guitar is already pretty heavily compressed by its nature.

Other than technique (pretty important!), some things to try:

Use less distortion than you think you need.

Record using a small amplifier.

Play with your tone settings, listen, and repeat.
 
Yes, what AGCurry stated. Again...turn down the distortion if you want it tight. You may also need to low pass starting at 6 to 8k.
 
My only issue with turning down the gain is that I've tried that advice a lot, since it is like the ultimate guitar recording maxim, and never had any success. What I get when I turn down the distortion is graininess. Could be I'm doing something wrong. Any help would be great.
 
playit said:
What I get when I turn down the distortion is graininess.
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You probably don't have enough midrange and enough volume. The sound coming from your amp will need to be more bland than you think.
 
ballsy guitar?

I don't know the kind of guitar sound you're refering to, but I remember recording a mate a few years back; he had a Fender Twin Reverb. We got 2 unbelievably long leads, and shoved the amp way out in the kitchen (it was a big house) and turned it full up with a mic in front. He played in the living room as we recorded. The natural distortion was just the valves working double-hard and the speakers moving inches. Unbeatable!
 
Recording electric guitar - distorted or not - is about three things: 1) the tone coming out of the amp speaker; 2) mic choice; 3) mic placement.

If you aren't satisfied with the sound your recordings are playing back, then one (or more) of those three things must be tweaked.

Get the right sound at the source, before you record it. You will never be happy with it if you try to fix it later in the mix.
 
soundchaser59 said:
Recording electric guitar - distorted or not - is about three things: 1) the tone coming out of the amp speaker; 2) mic choice; 3) mic placement.

If you aren't satisfied with the sound your recordings are playing back, then one (or more) of those three things must be tweaked.

Get the right sound at the source, before you record it. You will never be happy with it if you try to fix it later in the mix.
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Chaser's dead on. This is particularly difficult to address in a mix....and compression is a nice tool here.

BTW, Soundchaser plays accordion. :p
 
I experimented around with it more this weekend and decided that the tone I was getting "on tape" (more like on hard disk) was pretty accurate to the tone I was actually hearing in the room, so I hooked a friend's V-Amp up to the Return on the amp's effect loop and cranked that baby up. That solved alot of my issues. I think I need different amps to get what I am looking for. Hooked up this way my favorite amp model was the "Modern Hi-Gain." I am going to find out what amp that is supposed to be. Probably a SLO 100.

Edit: Placing the mic exactly in the center of the speaker cone and right up against the grill cloth seems to be the best. Anything else and it actually accentuates the fuzz and air part of the EQ.
 
Are you double tracking the part? A lot of the graininess you hear is smoothed out when you have multiple takes recorded.
 
reshp1: If that's true, then why are there still cats left on earth??
 
alot of emo bands use a fender twin. Also they use telecasters or guitars with humbuckers (depends which part). Maybe using an fx pedal with compression imbetween guitar and amp (you said you had a v-amp, this should do) would give a tighter sound when palm muting.
hope this helps
 
soundchaser59 said:
reshp1: If that's true, then why are there still cats left on earth??
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'cause they have nine lives? How the hell should I know? I just kill 'em



















:D
 
Larry Gude said:
First time I read that giant, priceless thread, it took what I DIDN'T know (which was already alot) and turned it into an organized encyclepedia of what I don't know. Times 10. Or 100.

Great stuff.

Legendary stuff.
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qft; After that thread, Slipperman became my idol. He reminds me of reading Maddox write about AE.
 
Kronpox said:
qft; After that thread, Slipperman became my idol. He reminds me of reading Maddox write about AE.
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that's about right (funny way to think about it) :D
 
First off, what does the guitar sound like? A great guitar sound starts with the player and a great instrument. All the amps, effects, eq, mic technique and yada yada are no substitute for the up-front comination of instrument and player. Once you have that nailed, a sweet amp is next.

My studio partner and I have been recording his fat-ass sounding Les Paul Classic with a Fender Custom Vibrolux with Reverend 10's replacing the speakers that came in the amp. Fucking wicked combination. I can pretty much slap the mic up in front of the amp and we're off and running. I really haven't been able to make it sound bad no matter what I do :)
 
guitarboi89 said:
alot of emo bands use a fender twin. Also they use telecasters or guitars with humbuckers (depends which part). Maybe using an fx pedal with compression imbetween guitar and amp (you said you had a v-amp, this should do) would give a tighter sound when palm muting.
hope this helps
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compressors are not for rhythm guitar playing. if you want a more compressed rhythm sound you must turn up the amp. there is no other effective way.

edit: wait, a 1960 VINTAGE cab? like, with Greenbacks? there's your problem. Greenbacks are low-wattage, open, midrangey speakers with early cone breakup (OPPOSITE of tight-sounding).

switch cabinets. use G12T-75's. scooped mids, lots of lows and highs. perfect for screamo and nu-metal.
 
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