I'm new to recording, I'm trying to get a good, fat, guitar sound (ala Van Halen, Creed). I have an AT 3035, going into an Aardvark Direct Pro, using Cakewalk Pro Audio, and Acid. I recorded some stuff at 5:00 this morning using the line out of my TubeWorks amp(couldn't mic anything this early in the morning)going into Cakewalk. It sounded pretty fuzzy. I don't know if it's mostly my amp settings that will make the difference. What do you think? Thanks!
Tips for Recording Distorted Guitar?
- Thread starter Smoobg
- Start date
gbondo9
p3n
Generally, if the guitar tone you want is coming out of your amp, the best way to go is to record the amp. I use an sm 57, but you can experiment with what you have (Im unfamiliar with the AT 3035). Generally mic one of the the speaker cones just off center, but again, experiment with this.
If this proves utterely undoable, and you foree yourself recording alot of guitar in the future, you might want to look into soem of the Guitar Modeling units (like the Pod, or the J station). Im not a huge fan of these units cause I like the sound of a well miced guitar cab over digital imitations any day, but those units do have the advantage of being quiet and versatile.
Hope this helps
Todd
If this proves utterely undoable, and you foree yourself recording alot of guitar in the future, you might want to look into soem of the Guitar Modeling units (like the Pod, or the J station). Im not a huge fan of these units cause I like the sound of a well miced guitar cab over digital imitations any day, but those units do have the advantage of being quiet and versatile.
Hope this helps
Todd
Seanmorse79
New member
I agree. Usually, you're best off getting the tone you want coming out of the amp at a healthy volume, then mic it.
Here's a recent thread on the topic:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?s=&threadid=54624
Here's a recent thread on the topic:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?s=&threadid=54624
What eq levels are you cutting? I find when we mic my Deluxe Reverb with an sm57, its really scratchy sounding unless we take out some stuff with the EQ. Then we run into the whole, too mufled, or too scratchy. Any pointers?
TexRoadkill
Audio Bum
One big tip is use compression before the distortion. This will really help give you that smooth distortion and long sustain. It especially helps if your not that great of a guitar player and are inconsistent with the attack.
Using compression also allows you turn down the distortion gain so you dont have a bunch of scratches and harmonics jumping out.
Using compression also allows you turn down the distortion gain so you dont have a bunch of scratches and harmonics jumping out.
esactun
New member
Some possibly helpful guesses etc...
Does the amp sound scratchy when you're recording it? If not, you might want to try putting the mic in a different spot. If you're putting it flush with the amp grille pointing in at the center of the speaker cone, you'll get a scratchy treble-heavy sound. Gbondo's idea should help.
If it DOES sound scratchy during recording, then the amp/amp settings/tone setting/guitar cord/guitar itself is/are the problem(s).
You may also be using too much distortion. Too much distortion can lead to a thin, scratchy track. You could try using two tracks recorded separately with less distortion. This applies even if you use a modeler like a POD or a J-Station rather than a miced amp.
The line out on your amp-- is it emulated? A straight line out that doesn't have cab modeling will usually not sound very good when recorded.
I finally got a recorded guitar sound I liked by layering a few different tracks (3 in fact), each with a different distortion/patch, in each channel. One track is a thick punchy boomy Mesa Boogie emulation, another is a thinner midrangey old Vox emulation, and the third was a Boss Metal Zone pedal run into a puny junky Crate practice amp and miced with a 57 (off center, angled for the windscreen top to be more or less parallel with the speaker cone) which added some mids and the crunchy crispy high end, as well as added some "realism" to the emulated tracks (emulated sounds sometimes have this "fake" sound... ferinstance my emulator, a Zoom, lacks some high end). Soloing each track, they sound pretty lousy (except maybe the Boogie sound ), but each added some essential part to the wall of distortion they created together. I was kinda surprised at how well it worked.... of course if you have a nice amp (or better yet TWO nice amps for the different characters) it may work even better. For me though, I'd rather avoid using my amp. 
Does the amp sound scratchy when you're recording it? If not, you might want to try putting the mic in a different spot. If you're putting it flush with the amp grille pointing in at the center of the speaker cone, you'll get a scratchy treble-heavy sound. Gbondo's idea should help.
If it DOES sound scratchy during recording, then the amp/amp settings/tone setting/guitar cord/guitar itself is/are the problem(s).
You may also be using too much distortion. Too much distortion can lead to a thin, scratchy track. You could try using two tracks recorded separately with less distortion. This applies even if you use a modeler like a POD or a J-Station rather than a miced amp.
The line out on your amp-- is it emulated? A straight line out that doesn't have cab modeling will usually not sound very good when recorded.
I finally got a recorded guitar sound I liked by layering a few different tracks (3 in fact), each with a different distortion/patch, in each channel. One track is a thick punchy boomy Mesa Boogie emulation, another is a thinner midrangey old Vox emulation, and the third was a Boss Metal Zone pedal run into a puny junky Crate practice amp and miced with a 57 (off center, angled for the windscreen top to be more or less parallel with the speaker cone) which added some mids and the crunchy crispy high end, as well as added some "realism" to the emulated tracks (emulated sounds sometimes have this "fake" sound... ferinstance my emulator, a Zoom, lacks some high end). Soloing each track, they sound pretty lousy (except maybe the Boogie sound
), but each added some essential part to the wall of distortion they created together. I was kinda surprised at how well it worked.... of course if you have a nice amp (or better yet TWO nice amps for the different characters) it may work even better. For me though, I'd rather avoid using my amp. Actually the Distortion sound is very nice. I am using a vintage Deluxe Reverb with a sure sm 57. The Deluxe Reverb is a bit scratch sounding anyway, but the distortion sounds great through it. Actually smoother than the clean (using a fulldrive 2 distorion pedal). Its gets a kind of tube compression effect.
The problem is the clean channel. I'm using the Vetta, which is the next generation of the Pod pro pretty much. What I found was if I turned the track way up, the clean sounds good. Its just at low volumes It seems only the highs are cutting through which makes it scrachy, but when I crank the guitar track, it sounds pretty good. Im thinking of using compression maybe on mix down to even it out? Im not sure. I could also use some going from the amp in. Im using the line out, but its modeling the mic and the cabinet, not just direct line. I think I might have solved the problem by just cranking the volume of the track more and possibly adding compression, and cutting more of the bass below 200k?
The problem is the clean channel. I'm using the Vetta, which is the next generation of the Pod pro pretty much. What I found was if I turned the track way up, the clean sounds good. Its just at low volumes It seems only the highs are cutting through which makes it scrachy, but when I crank the guitar track, it sounds pretty good. Im thinking of using compression maybe on mix down to even it out? Im not sure. I could also use some going from the amp in. Im using the line out, but its modeling the mic and the cabinet, not just direct line. I think I might have solved the problem by just cranking the volume of the track more and possibly adding compression, and cutting more of the bass below 200k?
TexRoadkill said:
Do you mean use a compression pedal before the distortion w/ my amp? I've got a Boss CS-5, so I could use that. I did mic my amp this morning(w/o waking anybody up), and it was a night and day difference from taking the line out. Line out sounded thin and fuzzy. I'm going to experiment with the mic position, compression, and all that this weekend. Thanks for the input everyone!
Aaron Cheney
Favorite Chord: C 6/9
Here are some rules I try to always follow when recording distorted guitars:
1. Start with a good sound source. If it doesn't sound right to begin with, no amount of knob twiddling after the fact will get it right.
2. Mic a real amp when you can. A POD can be very useful, but a real amp is usually better, and certainly always more unique.
3. Use less distortion. Not enough is ALWAYS better than too much.
4. No. I said less distortion.
5. Less......less........less..........there you go.
6. Use an SM57. By no means the only choice, but definitely my favorite.
7. Pretend you will never have a chance to EQ later. Get the sound you want to begin with by experimenting with mic placement and amp settings.
8. I generally don't compress distorted rythm guitars at all. Lead guitar I will often compress for more sustain.
9. Layer......and never with the same tone. Some of my best results ever were the result of several layers, each played with a different guitar/ amp/ pickup. Pan them only slightly apart, say 8 and 9 o'clock. It'll sound like one big fat amp.
10. Don't come up with a guitar tone that hogs up all the sonic space. Sounds great to the guitar player, sounds like crap in a mix.
Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com
1. Start with a good sound source. If it doesn't sound right to begin with, no amount of knob twiddling after the fact will get it right.
2. Mic a real amp when you can. A POD can be very useful, but a real amp is usually better, and certainly always more unique.
3. Use less distortion. Not enough is ALWAYS better than too much.
4. No. I said less distortion.
5. Less......less........less..........there you go.
6. Use an SM57. By no means the only choice, but definitely my favorite.
7. Pretend you will never have a chance to EQ later. Get the sound you want to begin with by experimenting with mic placement and amp settings.
8. I generally don't compress distorted rythm guitars at all. Lead guitar I will often compress for more sustain.
9. Layer......and never with the same tone. Some of my best results ever were the result of several layers, each played with a different guitar/ amp/ pickup. Pan them only slightly apart, say 8 and 9 o'clock. It'll sound like one big fat amp.
10. Don't come up with a guitar tone that hogs up all the sonic space. Sounds great to the guitar player, sounds like crap in a mix.
Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com
Richard Monroe
Well-known member
I actually use POD Pro, but not as a DI. I jack it into a poweramp in live configuration (no cab modeling), use the poweramp to drive a Marshall cab, and mic that with a dynamic, up against the grill, just slightly off axis. This way I can get a pretty wide range of distortions at relatively low volume/SPL. If you jack POD into the board, it can be adequate, but sounds "sterile" to me, lacking the dynamic overtones I associate with a mic'd cab. When I jack POD into a guitar amp, it mixes model with reality in an often incompatible combo. When I jack it into a clean amp that thinks it's supposed to be driving reference monitors, the POD's distortions come through beautifully in assorted colors and some clean sounds too- try "tube preamp" with minimal gain and a little chorus/delay/'verb. By micing the cab, you pick up natural speaker color and cab ambience, and overall, It works better for me than going straight into the board (no soul) or micing a combo amp (gotta crank it to get good sound). Neither my room nor my loved ones can take a 60+ watt combo cranked up. Oddly enough, I've had my best luck with AKG D690. I've got an SM57 mostly as a reference mic, but to my ears, the AKG wins every time.-Richie
zekthedeadcow
New member
multiple tracks!! . . . umm.. . . you could try forgetting about the amp and pluging strait into the q10 with your pedal thanks to the hi-z inputs (I use a q10 myself) and see how that sounds. . . I haven't had a chance to mess with that yet except for acoustic guitars with pick ups. . . in which it is increadible as long as the eq's on the guitars are flat. . .
but hey. . . it's a Q10 you have * XLR in's don't be afraid to use them all on different mics recording the same object. . . and be sure you record the good cone on the cabnet. . . usually the lower right (as you face it). . . but with 8 ins might as well record them all . . . and try to have our EQ reasonably balanced. . . if something is cranked the noise will be added
peace
sam
zekthedeadcow@hotmail.com
http://www.Track100.com
but hey. . . it's a Q10 you have * XLR in's don't be afraid to use them all on different mics recording the same object. . . and be sure you record the good cone on the cabnet. . . usually the lower right (as you face it). . . but with 8 ins might as well record them all
. . . and try to have our EQ reasonably balanced. . . if something is cranked the noise will be addedpeace
sam
zekthedeadcow@hotmail.com
http://www.Track100.com
Stratomaster
Active member
One thing I've noticed when using an sm57 is -you have to forget your present amp eq settings. The sm57 seems to get a nasaly midrange tone-so you have to compensate on your amp if you want a full sound being recorded. When I use it its not unusual to pull most of the bass and midrange out of the amp-mic off center, volume a little less than if you were playing with a drummer.
Of course theres a couple of different kinds of distortion sounds-If you check the mp3 clinic-samicide/blacksabbath has been detailing how he gets his HUGE modern distortion sound-it sounds awesome but is way different than the sound i go for.
Of course theres a couple of different kinds of distortion sounds-If you check the mp3 clinic-samicide/blacksabbath has been detailing how he gets his HUGE modern distortion sound-it sounds awesome but is way different than the sound i go for.
i got the AT pro 25 and SM57.
i've heard have gotten good results micing the SM57 towards the edge of the center cone....and the pro 25 (or similar kick drum mic) right at the edge of the amp...to pick up extra fullness...
i dont know if this actually works - and my guitarist has all the practice gear at his house now so havn't gotten a chance to try it...anyone know?
i've heard have gotten good results micing the SM57 towards the edge of the center cone....and the pro 25 (or similar kick drum mic) right at the edge of the amp...to pick up extra fullness...
i dont know if this actually works - and my guitarist has all the practice gear at his house now so havn't gotten a chance to try it...anyone know?
KingstonRock
PC load letter?
I used the sm57/ bass drum mic on the edge setup for a really pop-punkish band that wanted huge guitars, Palm muting sounds insane with the bass drum mic, but i know for my band the sound is two big, I like the very tamed guitar, sound lead and rhythm panned to each side, no layers, that way the bass cuts through clearly. But I'm a bassplayer...
mwarkentin
New member
Could someone post a link to that post where samicide is talking about guitar sound? I can't find it..