Smooth Driven Guitar Sound?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jammer
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Jammer

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Hi all! New guy here.

I've been using Cakewalk Guitar Tracks 2 for a couple years, and just today upgraded to Guitar Tracks Pro 2 (32 track version).
I've also used Sonar.

In this time, I've always had to EQ the raspy, gritty sound out of my overdriven guitar tracks even though they sound great through my amp while I play them. I usually use the cabinet voiced line out and plug direct to my soundcard. This line out doesn't sound harsh if I plug into a PA with it. There seems to be an offending frequency around the 6k area, that I consistantly cut out with Cakewalk's parametric EQ.

My levels are fine, no clipping here.

Where does this sound come from?
Is it a natural phenomenon when converting to digital?
How do you remedy the harshness?

I'm getting by with decent sound after EQing, but would love to hear some suggestions on how to get my original tone to the harddrive.

Thanks!
~Jam
 
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Ever try micing your amp? Works for me.;)

Seriously, without knowing what guitar/amp you have, and what kind of sound your after it's a little hard to judge from here.

Welcome aboard!:cool:
 
Actually, it happens no matter what amp...

I'm using a Carvin MTS3212 that I just retubed with JJ 6L6GC power tubes. I'm running a rack through it.
My signal chain is:
Guitar--->ADA MP-1--->Rocktron Intellifex--->BBE Sonic Maximizer--->Amp - cabinet voiced line out--->PC

Anyway, micing or not, these frequencies seem to be a product of direct soundcard (digital) input. If I was recording to a 4 track tape recorder, my sound would be as it was when I played it. That's my goal.
 
Line out on amps SUCK! Never use them! You want the tone made by the cabinet, preamp and the whole scha-bang. By going out the Line Out the guitarsound don't bass by the speakers.

You need to mic the cabinet (the best sollution!), use an amp.simulator (such as POD) or DI your guitar directly to the computer (and use effects on the recorded guitar from there).

:)
 
You're missing my point.

It sounds great going onto tape, or into a mixer, yet sounds harsh when recorded digitally on my PC.

Also, it's not a regular line out. It has cabinet voicing. MUCH smoother sounding than a normal line out.

I'll try micing it though and see if there's an improvement...
 
If it sounds great when connected to tape, mixer, etc, it really shouldn't make a difference with your PC.

Maybe it's the AD-converters on your soundcard. What soundcard do you have?
 
Doh! Meant to name it in my original post.

It's a Soundblaster Live! 5.1
 
Hmmm... The SB Live is not the best card in the world for audio-recording, but then again it's not the worst card! And it really shouldn't alter the sound that much.

Could it be your monitoring system?
 
M.Brane said:
There ya' go......
Click to expand...
It really shouldn't be that much of a problem. You can say many things about the SB Live: It has bad drivers, it's SNR-ratio is so bad that you want to cry, and so on, but it shouldn't alter the sound that goes into it. Not that muc....
 
Yeah, the card is average at best.
Not considering the problem discussed, would I notice an overall improvement with an Audigy II? 24bit recording interests me.

As for my monitoring system, I use my PC speakers, headphones, home stereo, car stereo, boom box, etc...lol
 
On a serious note:

Yeah I've heard some good stuff done on Soundblasters, but consider the quality of the components. Two channels of good A/D converters will cost you 10 SBL's.:eek:

Don't feel bad, I can't afford those good converters either.

Maybe your still hitting it too hard. Even if your not clipping the input, you might be driving the card into distortion. I don't mean the buzzy/crackly kind, I mean the lack of headroom/nasty compression kind. I know my cheap-ass Behringer mixer sounds like ass if you even get close to 0db. Try recording with a lower level and see if it cleans up.
 
Jammer said:
As for my monitoring system, I use my PC speakers, headphones, home stereo, car stereo, boom box, etc...lol
Click to expand...
Then maybe that's the problem. The signal is clean, but it gets colored by the monitoring system(s)?

And M.Brane has a good point. Perhaps the signal is clipping, creating a kind of distortion you don't want.
 
I got up 2 hours ago, leaving me 7 hours for sleeping...

Why? ;)
 
Because you seem to be logged on ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!
It doesnt matter if your in Norway or where... you're always "HERE"!!! :D

Good to have you here BTW

Carlos
 
carlosguardia said:
Because you seem to be logged on ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!
It doesnt matter if your in Norway or where... you're always "HERE"!!! :D

Good to have you here BTW

Carlos
Click to expand...
Thanks!

It's just that sometimes there's really nothing to do around here. So basically I'm paid to hang around here. Just not today (since it's saturday). I'm betting that in june and july you won't see so much from me, becase then I've got much to do... Is that helping you? ;)
 
I'll try recording at a slightly lower level, but I've done so accidently before and didn't really notice much difference besides volume.

I'll get my mics and try micing the cab though. If I can get a more true sound I'll be happy. I used the line out mostly for convenience anyway. I'm a sucker for plug and play. :)

BTW, Cakewalk Guitar Tracks Pro is a very nice piece of software.
Anyone with a registered copy of Cakewalk can get it for $49!
I prefer the "console" look and feel over the cluttery "too many functions I don't need" layout of many other Cakewalk apps.
 
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