distortedrumble
all up in yo grill!
why does amp distortion usually sound better on recordings? this is what I've been told on many occasions in here and by some engineers.
gvarko
New member
Perhaps
I have always found the opposite to be true, but then I am not a professional. Maybe it has something to do with a high end amp being used to record vs most people at home with a Peavy Bandit.
I have always found the opposite to be true, but then I am not a professional. Maybe it has something to do with a high end amp being used to record vs most people at home with a Peavy Bandit.
Aaron Cheney
Favorite Chord: C 6/9
Better than what? Better than a POD? Better than than live? Better than a clean sound? Better than pre-amp distortion?
I'm not really sure what you're asking.
However, if you're asking the most common question: why does it sound better to record a real amp vs. a modeler, the answer is: because micing the real thing is always better if it is done well.
A
www.aaroncheney.com
I'm not really sure what you're asking.
However, if you're asking the most common question: why does it sound better to record a real amp vs. a modeler, the answer is: because micing the real thing is always better if it is done well.
A
www.aaroncheney.com
ZoSo58LP
rock guy
no hes asking why does the distortion on an amp sound BETTER on the recording than just playing (that's what I got out of it)...i agree too, I love how my crate sounds when I play, but when I record it, it's kinda blah
distortedrumble
all up in yo grill!
zoso is correct about what I'm asking...and yeah i liked the way my crate amp sounded but it was too thin on recordings....going to give marshall a shot when the income tax check comes in
jimistone
long standing member
If you use the right mic, and place it in the right place....the amp sounds as good on the recording as it does live, in the room. sometimes with some tweaking of the EQ and the right reverb...its sounds better on the recording.
J
juststartingout
New member
The distortion signal is a fairly constant level. You can set up compression and eq easily for it. With it clean, the signal is a lot more dynamic and takes a lot more setup time to get it right. The mics, positions, eq, compression and preamps are all critical to get the best recording results.
My suggestion is to get someone who has recorded a lot, and get them to explain what the different pieces do, and how to effectively use them. It's a very difficult thing to give advise without actually being there with you. Unfortunatly, there is no magic button. It takes a lot of playing with different setups to get things right.
My suggestion is to get someone who has recorded a lot, and get them to explain what the different pieces do, and how to effectively use them. It's a very difficult thing to give advise without actually being there with you. Unfortunatly, there is no magic button. It takes a lot of playing with different setups to get things right.
Aaron Cheney
Favorite Chord: C 6/9
Yep. JustStarting nailed it, I think.
Something to keep in mind: when you are playing live, you don't generally play with your nose against the grill cloth of your amp (though I've tried it many times.....), but ironically that is exactly where you normally stick a mic.
When you're standing back 10 feet, you're hearing a lot of things besides your amp: the sound waves bouncing off walls, desks, lamps, the ceiling, you, and everything else around you. In other words, you're hearing the room. A mic 1 inch from the grill-cloth won't hear those things much.
That's why pros often place one mic up close and another back 10 feet or so. Of course, this works best when you are in a killer sounding room....
Also, remember that you are not always shooting for a perfect recreation of your guitar's sound, but rather a guitar tone that will work within the context of the song. Usually this means less ( yes, I said less ) distortion and low freq's, and more (yes, I said more )midrange. When you solo a guitar track it may not sound like the perfect guitar tone, but in a mix it may be perfect for the song.
A
www.aaroncheney.com
Something to keep in mind: when you are playing live, you don't generally play with your nose against the grill cloth of your amp (though I've tried it many times.....), but ironically that is exactly where you normally stick a mic.
When you're standing back 10 feet, you're hearing a lot of things besides your amp: the sound waves bouncing off walls, desks, lamps, the ceiling, you, and everything else around you. In other words, you're hearing the room. A mic 1 inch from the grill-cloth won't hear those things much.
That's why pros often place one mic up close and another back 10 feet or so. Of course, this works best when you are in a killer sounding room....
Also, remember that you are not always shooting for a perfect recreation of your guitar's sound, but rather a guitar tone that will work within the context of the song. Usually this means less ( yes, I said less ) distortion and low freq's, and more (yes, I said more )midrange. When you solo a guitar track it may not sound like the perfect guitar tone, but in a mix it may be perfect for the song.
A
www.aaroncheney.com
Jimbo Jones
smells like ramen
i like my little crate amp on my recordings better than when i'm jamming in my room. why? proximity effect. with a sm58 right up close, i get hella low end.
if you don't like your results recording guitar i'd try noodling with the mic placement. get a buddy to help you out. put on a set of headphones to monitor and stand far enough from the amp that you can actually hear the phones. Next have your buddy move the mic around.
close, far, on an angle, aimed at the speaker cone, off axis, aimed at the floor, try all that.
when you think you like what you hear in the cans, record some and check it out over your normal monitors.
also, is your amp cranked up? even if it's not a tube amp, its hard to get a decent tone if you've got the amp turned down.
if you don't like your results recording guitar i'd try noodling with the mic placement. get a buddy to help you out. put on a set of headphones to monitor and stand far enough from the amp that you can actually hear the phones. Next have your buddy move the mic around.
close, far, on an angle, aimed at the speaker cone, off axis, aimed at the floor, try all that.
when you think you like what you hear in the cans, record some and check it out over your normal monitors.
also, is your amp cranked up? even if it's not a tube amp, its hard to get a decent tone if you've got the amp turned down.
acidrock
GO PACKERS!
This paragraph sould be framed and hung on the wall.Too often that incredible stand alone effected-distorted tone turns into a mucky mess when mixed with the rest of the tracks.Sometimes a "thin"sound is great,finds its space without fighting the other instruments.
distortedrumble
all up in yo grill!
this thread got away from the original question but its all good.
acidrock
GO PACKERS!
I think your original question was wide open to interpetation.distortedrumble said:
You could say stomp boxes were made to simulate amp distortion.
Distortion is like pizza,everyone has a different idea what's good and what's not.
distortedrumble
all up in yo grill!
yeah you're right about that. i was looking for some scientific explination that. but it mainly comes to the human ear. the other idea was to find a good amp distortion so it'd be one less stomp box to carry around to shows and recording. i actually just use the GT-6 for live shows and recording (mainly recording) since thats easier than having a bunch of pedals. its perfect for packing up quick when the bar fight starts
M
moose54
New member
I think you'll find you can get lost in the sound at high volumes.... saem with vocals... i'm not the best singer but i can get away singing live because the high voluems tend to hide the detials... on a recording however every little mistake shines.... and the same is with the tone of the guitar.... if only it was cheaper i'd say go a mesa dual, or if u want a heavier sound again tripple rectifier.... best recorded guitar saound i personally have heard.... but u don't need their 4x12's they are over priced...
also overdriving a real tube as apposed to simulating it with
also overdriving a real tube as apposed to simulating it with
M
moose54
New member
I think you'll find you can get lost in the sound at high volumes.... saem with vocals... i'm not the best singer but i can get away singing live because the high voluems tend to hide the detials... on a recording however every little mistake shines.... and the same is with the tone of the guitar.... if only it was cheaper i'd say go a mesa dual, or if u want a heavier sound again tripple rectifier.... best recorded guitar saound i personally have heard.... but u don't need their 4x12's they are over priced...
also overdriving a real tube as apposed to simulating it with solidstate electronics makes a big difference as you introduce some low frequency harmonics that u dont get with diode clipping
also overdriving a real tube as apposed to simulating it with solidstate electronics makes a big difference as you introduce some low frequency harmonics that u dont get with diode clipping