Tips for Recording Distorted Guitar?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Smoobg
  • Start date Start date
What I like to do is to mic the amp with a SM57, but also run the guitar through a DI box at the same time onto another track. That way, if I end up not liking the sound of the original distorted sound, i can run the clean guitar track (which is exactly the same as the distorted one) out and into the amplifier again and mic it up. Then I record this onto a third track.

To do this, I assign one of my send returns in Cubase to one of the 8 out's on my Audiotrak Maya 88 soundcard. Really easy :)

This method can also be done if you'd like to fatten up your guitarsound

Vegar
 
What I like to do is to mic the amp with a SM57, but also run the guitar through a DI box at the same time onto another track. That way, if I end up not liking the sound of the original distorted sound, i can run the clean guitar track (which is exactly the same as the distorted one) out and into the amplifier again and mic it up. Then I record this onto a third track.

To do this, I assign one of my send returns in Cubase to one of the 8 out's on my Audiotrak Naya 88 soundcard. Really easy :)

This method can also be done if you'd like to fatten up your guitarsound

Vegar
 
i usually put a Shure KSM32 upclose, about 3" away from the cabinet off axis. then i put an apex 450 about 3 ft back and to the left or right about 2 ft. i pan hard right and left. this gives great depth. by just micing up close all you are really recording is the attack and hi frequencies. given that a wave at 50hz is approximately 36 ft from peak to peak, the farther back you place the mic, the more low end you will have. be sure to leave room in the low end for the bass guitar. :) in a live senario i would not do this, of course. i would stick a 57 right up on the cab.

migh to sents

lynn
 
Definition does not = mids

When I recorded my band, the guitars are all over the place all the time with alot of distortion. For the record, I wanted alot of definition...so I turned up the mids abit and turned down the gain abit. I ended up getting really thin sounding guitars with little sustain or crunch. The most recent recording I did was for a 'poppy/emo punk band'. One guy had a hot-rodded JCM800 with alot of gain (but not warm and fuzzy, kinda too bright) and the other used my triple rectifier. I used a SM57 just off axis pretty much touching the grill about a 1 inch and a half or 2 inches away from the edge of the cone. I know that a guy is supposed to get it sounding how he wants it before touching the EQ, but I personally think it is almost impossible with guitar. The guitars sounded abit muffled before I touched the EQ. I pretty much left the low end and turned the highs up abit. Of course the mids determined how crunchy it was and I got the best sounding guitar ever. I am so happy with it. I am really bitter that my guitar playing wasn't complimented with this tone. Even with the huge gain and sweeped mids, the guitars sound massive with awesome definition. No 'multi-layering' was necessary....just one panned left and the other right..........HUGE.

What I am saying is, sometime the rules don't apply.....Just try things.
 
I vote SM-57

I vote sm-57. I think you can also get away with a 58 with the ball off. It is suposed to be the same catridge.

I have a AT-3035 and I tried it on distorted guitar once. I did not like it. I have not found it too great on vocals yet either though.
You do get much more of the room with the 3035 than a 57. so backing it off and getting what you hear rather than having it 1 foot from the speaker would help I'm sure.

Later

F.S.
 
borrow some gear

don't leave your options limited.... go to your friends, borrow as many mics as you can.... run them all into your mixer (borrow a mixer if you dont' have one) put them all over the room... run direct at the same time... go through all the tracks, figure out which you like most... then mix your favorites till you find that glorious tone... make sure you find a time when your neighbors aren't around so you can crank to your heart's content... don't forget earplugs so your ears aren't fatigued while you sort through all those tracks... anyway that's my two cents.
 
We are in the process of recording our album and found that we couldn't really get an accurate representation of our amp until we had about 4 mics on it. We put 2 57s one on axis one off of 2 of the cones, one beta 58 with the coverscreen removed on another cone and my SP C1 about 2 feet back. We really captured the sound of the amp with this setup and a lot of tweaking. My thought was to use the different mics to fill in the 'holes' that each mic couldn't cover alone. Worked great!
 
Irecord a lot of Fat,Distorted guitar, and have had my best results by setting the amp up PERFECT before recording. To get the fatness I just turn the gain right up, and record with an E604, although I guess an SM57 would do just as well.
Oh yeah, use Marshall amp distortion 'coz it is what many punk bands/albums use. (Blink 182- Dude Ranch, Weezer- Blue Album, Reel Big Fish-Turn the Radio off)
 
multiple guitar tracks

If I record multiple guitar tracks with different levels of distortion and only have a 4 track recorder, when I bounce them together, will I loose all stereo effect? what about panning hl,c,hr
 
Generally don't pan a guitar down the center unless it's a lead. ONly the most important stuff goes down the center, and guitar ain't it! :eek:
If you have 4 tracks of gtrs and bounce them down to 1, they won't be in stereo anymore. You must have two tracks for stereo. But can always bounce 4 guitars down to 2 tracks, panned L&R.

Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com
 
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