The New Tone Thread

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I just realized I put up the wrong clip before. I'll just throw this one up to have my latest one up.

You guys have helped me a lot, so don't feel obliged to keep listening and commenting. I just want to have the last clip up.

I'm beginning to give up on my amp, or my ears. I'm not even sure what to listen for any more. I can convince myself that anything sounds good. I've lost perspective.

I probably have to step away from all this shit and do the drums for this tune and then come back to the guitar after. At least the parts are recorded, so it's just a matter of finding the right sounds to re-amp them with.

Here's the latest clip:
 

Attachments

Here's a quickie that I did yesterday. I've been struggling with bass tone for so long, and even though this is just a one-chord vamp repeated ad nauseum, I'm curious how it sounds to the tone threadders. You don't have to listen to the whole thing, there's not much happening. Once you've heard the first 20 seconds, you've pretty much heard the whole thing. There is 3 minutes of Jazzmaster noodling over the top of it, flubbed notes and all.

I bought an Audix D6 a few months back because I thought that I was going to record a guy on drums in my studio and I had no kick mic. The gig didn't materialize, so I was stuck with a mic designed for an instrument that I didn't posses. So I figured what the heck, I stuck it in front of my little Ampeg 1x10 practice bass amp. I'm actually pretty impressed with the results versus recording it direct. A little compression added to the mic track, and I think that I'm on to something here...

Bass:
Fender MIM P-Bass
Ampeg BA-110
Mic'd with an Audix D6
Sent through Empirical Labs Distressor via ReaInsert (4:1, dist1 setting, getting about 6 dB of peak gain reduction)

Guitar:
'65 Jazzmaster, rhythm circuit (the "dark" setting for the neck pickup)
Fender '68 Deluxe Reverb reissue, Vintage channel (volume - 4.5, bass - 5, treble - 5, reverb - 2)
Shure SM57
A generous helping of Lexicon MPX medium chamber reverb added in Reaper

Drums, if you care:
Superior Drummer Roots/Brushes, muted snare
A little of the same reverb, and a little too much hi-shelf EQ

 
RAMI said:
I just realized I put up the wrong clip before. I'll just throw this one up to have my latest one up.

You guys have helped me a lot, so don't feel obliged to keep listening and commenting. I just want to have the last clip up.

I'm beginning to give up on my amp, or my ears. I'm not even sure what to listen for any more. I can convince myself that anything sounds good. I've lost perspective.

I probably have to step away from all this shit and do the drums for this tune and then come back to the guitar after. At least the parts are recorded, so it's just a matter of finding the right sounds to re-amp them with.

Here's the latest clip:
Click to expand...

Sounds like it's time to step away and rest your ears and nerves. It's amazing what a little time away can do for your perspective.

The guitars sound good to me overall. I definitely like the Neil Schon kind of exaggerated midrange to the solo guitar. Not so much while it's playing the sustained notes in the verse, but definitely like it when it's playing the solos and fills.
 
Been struggling with the lead work to one of my tracks for a while, all sounded predictable and shit. I don't normally mess about with loads of effects but I have this morning... I also watched a thing last night where someone was explaining signature licks from Steve Vai and Randy Rhodes...

The strange thing is, I quite like it.

View attachment Shit I Did A Prog.mp3

No I just have to do the lead work over the main riff which is a lot more difficult as the chords don't have a normal relationship to eachother.
 
Tadpui said:
Here's a quickie that I did yesterday. I've been struggling with bass tone for so long, and even though this is just a one-chord vamp repeated ad nauseum, I'm curious how it sounds to the tone threadders. You don't have to listen to the whole thing, there's not much happening. Once you've heard the first 20 seconds, you've pretty much heard the whole thing. There is 3 minutes of Jazzmaster noodling over the top of it, flubbed notes and all.

I bought an Audix D6 a few months back because I thought that I was going to record a guy on drums in my studio and I had no kick mic. The gig didn't materialize, so I was stuck with a mic designed for an instrument that I didn't posses. So I figured what the heck, I stuck it in front of my little Ampeg 1x10 practice bass amp. I'm actually pretty impressed with the results versus recording it direct. A little compression added to the mic track, and I think that I'm on to something here...

Bass:
Fender MIM P-Bass
Ampeg BA-110
Mic'd with an Audix D6
Sent through Empirical Labs Distressor via ReaInsert (4:1, dist1 setting, getting about 6 dB of peak gain reduction)

Guitar:
'65 Jazzmaster, rhythm circuit (the "dark" setting for the neck pickup)
Fender '68 Deluxe Reverb reissue, Vintage channel (volume - 4.5, bass - 5, treble - 5, reverb - 2)
Shure SM57
A generous helping of Lexicon MPX medium chamber reverb added in Reaper

Drums, if you care:
Superior Drummer Roots/Brushes, muted snare
A little of the same reverb, and a little too much hi-shelf EQ

Click to expand...

Tad, I think that sounds great. Really makes me want to smoke a joint.

The only thing I am picking up with it (bear in mind its 9 in the morning here and I'm drinking coffee - definitely no joints) is that 'cos its quite a dark tone, which sounds awesome on the high leads, it sounds a bit thick and resonant when you get low down the neck - don't think it matters though.
 
RAMI,
Sorry, it sounds pretty cool to me as is.
I have a compressor for sustain but if I REALLY want sustain I use my Big Muff clone.
I doubt it'd suit your song though.
Greg is right about using volume/feedback for sustain though - t sounds better than any other way but has to be managed carefully.
Tadpui,
the bass sounds pretty good. It's hard to really tell though as you don't offer a range from high to low so I can't tell if it gets woolly or whoofy on a very low not o can't cope on a high one. For what you recorded it works well.
JDOD,
the lead stuff sounds rather thin and glassy. Is that what you were after?
 
RAMI said:
I just realized I put up the wrong clip before. I'll just throw this one up to have my latest one up.

You guys have helped me a lot, so don't feel obliged to keep listening and commenting. I just want to have the last clip up.

I'm beginning to give up on my amp, or my ears. I'm not even sure what to listen for any more. I can convince myself that anything sounds good. I've lost perspective.

I probably have to step away from all this shit and do the drums for this tune and then come back to the guitar after. At least the parts are recorded, so it's just a matter of finding the right sounds to re-amp them with.

Here's the latest clip:
Click to expand...
I think the rhythms are pretty okay. All of the guitar tracks have a kind of phase-quack sound to them though. Like you're using the Peter Green mod or something. I don't know how that's happening. Do you use both pickups at the same time? I think your lead sounds petty cool actually. Another thing I think you could do for sustain and pizazz is work on your vibrato. Your single sustained notes are in tune and all that, but they're kind of bland. You can spiff em up with a little wiggle of your hand. :)

Tadpui said:
Here's a quickie that I did yesterday. I've been struggling with bass tone for so long, and even though this is just a one-chord vamp repeated ad nauseum, I'm curious how it sounds to the tone threadders. You don't have to listen to the whole thing, there's not much happening. Once you've heard the first 20 seconds, you've pretty much heard the whole thing. There is 3 minutes of Jazzmaster noodling over the top of it, flubbed notes and all.

I bought an Audix D6 a few months back because I thought that I was going to record a guy on drums in my studio and I had no kick mic. The gig didn't materialize, so I was stuck with a mic designed for an instrument that I didn't posses. So I figured what the heck, I stuck it in front of my little Ampeg 1x10 practice bass amp. I'm actually pretty impressed with the results versus recording it direct. A little compression added to the mic track, and I think that I'm on to something here...

Bass:
Fender MIM P-Bass
Ampeg BA-110
Mic'd with an Audix D6
Sent through Empirical Labs Distressor via ReaInsert (4:1, dist1 setting, getting about 6 dB of peak gain reduction)

Guitar:
'65 Jazzmaster, rhythm circuit (the "dark" setting for the neck pickup)
Fender '68 Deluxe Reverb reissue, Vintage channel (volume - 4.5, bass - 5, treble - 5, reverb - 2)
Shure SM57
A generous helping of Lexicon MPX medium chamber reverb added in Reaper

Drums, if you care:
Superior Drummer Roots/Brushes, muted snare
A little of the same reverb, and a little too much hi-shelf EQ

Click to expand...
Lol, fuck that's pretty awesome. Nothing wrong with any of that IMO. Fits the style perfectly.

JDOD said:
Been struggling with the lead work to one of my tracks for a while, all sounded predictable and shit. I don't normally mess about with loads of effects but I have this morning... I also watched a thing last night where someone was explaining signature licks from Steve Vai and Randy Rhodes...

The strange thing is, I quite like it.

View attachment 95336

No I just have to do the lead work over the main riff which is a lot more difficult as the chords don't have a normal relationship to eachother.
Click to expand...

I'm not hearing Vai or Rhoads in that. Sounds like The Cult.
 
Greg_L said:
I think the rhythms are pretty okay. All of the guitar tracks have a kind of phase-quack sound to them though. Like you're using the Peter Green mod or something. I don't know how that's happening. Do you use both pickups at the same time? I think your lead sounds petty cool actually. Another thing I think you could do for sustain and pizazz is work on your vibrato. Your single sustained notes are in tune and all that, but they're kind of bland. You can spiff em up with a little wiggle of your hand. :)
Click to expand...
Thanx man. Not using both pick ups. Bridge pick-up on the Gibson SG. I hear the honkiness, too. I hear it on pretty much every track I've posted of this tune. It's either the way I played it or my little Fender amp with the 10" speaker just has that quality to it. I'm going t look into other amps, and maybe something like Samplitude. I love the sounds Minerman's getting from it. I'll post this again after I add drums and work on it a bit.

Ray, thanx for the suggestions.

Tadpui. Your track sounds fantastic.
 
RAMI said:
It's either the way I played it
Click to expand...

That could be. It might be how you're picking. Do you pick near the bridge? Are your pick-holding fingers near the tip of the pick touching strings? It could be an almost pinch harmonic thing happening.
 
Greg_L said:
That could be. It might be how you're picking. Do you pick near the bridge? Are your pick-holding fingers near the tip of the pick touching strings? It could be an almost pinch harmonic thing happening.
Click to expand...
I'd have to pick up my guitar and see. But I think I tend to play the kind of line that's in this tune with a sort of ZZ Top type of approach, end of the pick as if I'm trying to get a chirp out of every note. That's probably part of it, but I'm also not as happy with this amp as I thought I'd be. I should have got something bigger and badder. I think I'm trying to get luxury car sounds out of a sports car amp.
 
RAMI said:
I'd have to pick up my guitar and see. But I think I tend to play the kind of line that's in this tune with a sort of ZZ Top type of approach, end of the pick as if I'm trying to get a chirp out of every note. That's probably part of it, but I'm also not as happy with this amp as I thought I'd be. I should have got something bigger and badder.
Click to expand...

Well, yeah, maybe. Lol. But your tracks have overall been better than that Peavey amp you used to use. Are you unhappy with it in general, or just for this song?
 
Greg_L said:
Well, yeah, maybe. Lol. But your tracks have overall been better than that Peavey amp you used to use. Are you unhappy with it in general, or just for this song?
Click to expand...

I think in general. I have gotten ok sounds out of it, and I guess after a lot of trial and error I always end up getting something satisfactory. But it's always a struggle and I don't want satisfactory. I want much better than what I've gotten. I also realize that it could be me. I lose perspective and good judgement pretty easily, so I can't blame just the amp. Not being a life long guitar player, I don't really always know what to even listen for in a guitar sound, so it's a lot of shots in the dark and guess work.
 
RAMI said:
I think in general. I have gotten ok sounds out of it, and I guess after a lot of trial and error I always end up getting something satisfactory. But it's always a struggle and I don't want satisfactory. I want much better than what I've gotten. I also realize that it could be me. I lose perspective and good judgement pretty easily, so I can't blame just the amp. Not being a life long guitar player, I don't really always know what to even listen for in a guitar sound, so it's a lot of shots in the dark and guess work.
Click to expand...

Ah, well don't get discouraged. Try to enjoy the process.

Another thing that could possibly be working against you is reamping. It might help if you just play it straight and see what happens. You maybe have something weird going in with your reamp process.

Reamp a direct track, and then re-play it for real plugged straight in using all the same settings and mic position and see if there are any differences.
 
Greg_L said:
I'm not hearing Vai or Rhoads in that. Sounds like The Cult.
Click to expand...
I don't mean the tone, it's the crossing the fretboard in 5ths and sliding up and down one string like that is the "typical" Vai lick apparently. The quick hammer on/pull off is a Rhoads thing.

Anyway, thing it sounds quite cool. Wanted to do something a bit different with that.
 
I've heard that all they found of Randy Rhoads was one hand. I wonder if it was his picking hand or his hammer on/pull off hand.
 
Just listened to it again since reading your comment, it does sound a bit like The Cult doesn't it. Still, I think I'll keep it, was fucking about with that for ages trying to work something out that doesn't sound like every other interlude that I've done!
 
Greg_L said:
Ah, well don't get discouraged. Try to enjoy the process.
Click to expand...

Oh for sure. I'm getting frustrated within the context of enjoying the hell out of the process. This is my relaxation, meditation, whatever you want to call it. For the 5-3 people that will actually hear anything I do, it's nothing but fun. I just want a better amp. :D
 
RAMI said:
That's probably part of it, but I'm also not as happy with this amp as I thought I'd be. .
Click to expand...
well .... it's a modeler ...... I don't want to suggest you spending more money and I'd never suggest a particular amp but a modeling amp is simply an very basic amp-sim with a power amp and speaker attached.
Essentially it's AT4 thru your monitors, but with far less versatility.

Personally I find the 'puter based sims sound pretty damned good to me so for studio use I think you'd do better with one of the full featured amp sims ....... modeling amps always have limited tweakability compared to one of the big sims .... I really think that a modeling amp is more for someone who needs to carry it around and be able to jam or play live or play with friends so he can carry it over to their house.
But a full 'puter amp-sim is just gonna be mo' better IMO.

For what it's worth, I've never heard anything from you that sounded bad ...... to my ears your recordings are always various levels of good ...... some are flat-out awesome while others are merely very good ..... but I've never heard a single thing from you that wasn't good.
 
Lt. Bob said:
For what it's worth, I've never heard anything from you that sounded bad ...... to my ears your recordings are always various levels of good ...... some are flat-out awesome while others are merely very good ..... but I've never heard a single thing from you that wasn't good.
Click to expand...

Agreed. We're nit-picking your guitar tones which are already at a way higher level than most home recorder's guitar tones.
 
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