Recording Guitar (Distortion)

[Chozz]

Hey there,

I'm really finding it hard to get my riffs and sounds from the guitar, to the computer, without it sounding bad quality. I'm trying to capture a heavy distortion sound, much like NIN's guitar in we're in this together.

It comes out alright for the equipment ive got, but again, i want better! I've tried mic'in it up, and straight from the amp to the microphone socket. But it feels like theres not a full tone, and its insanely annoying to EQ.

Does anyone have any tips or tricks for recording and eq'in a guitar with distortion, or any nice vst links that could make my sound a bit more full?

the song i'm working on.

[snapper0505]

If you have a line6 interface, it'd make everything a lot easier, but if you don't it can still be done (albeit not as cheaply). An interview with Avenged Sevenfold's producer, he told how they got such a fat and massive sound out of their rhythm guitars. What they did was play the same guitar through 4 different types of amps with two mics on each cab. Each amp gives you a different range, and when fused together, it provides a massive and that highly sought-after studio sound.

You want to have the same guitar line going through all of them, not a redo. It MUST be linked together and played through all of your amps at the same time. You will get a very noticeable chorus effect if you try to play the line multiple times through different amps.

For example, you can use a Mesa head and cab to capture your lows, but it ends up muddy. So you also record it though a Marshall head and cab to get your highs. This is just one combo of two amps, which sounds fairly decent.

If you're recording through a line6 toneport or something, just simulate each of the different amps in the left and right channels, then mix them down to a single mono channel.

[Chozz]

At 3/7/09 04:30 PM, snapper0505 wrote: If you have a line6 interface, it'd make everything a lot easier, but if you don't it can still be done (albeit not as cheaply). An interview with Avenged Sevenfold's producer, he told how they got such a fat and massive sound out of their rhythm guitars. What they did was play the same guitar through 4 different types of amps with two mics on each cab. Each amp gives you a different range, and when fused together, it provides a massive and that highly sought-after studio sound.

You want to have the same guitar line going through all of them, not a redo. It MUST be linked together and played through all of your amps at the same time. You will get a very noticeable chorus effect if you try to play the line multiple times through different amps.

For example, you can use a Mesa head and cab to capture your lows, but it ends up muddy. So you also record it though a Marshall head and cab to get your highs. This is just one combo of two amps, which sounds fairly decent.

If you're recording through a line6 toneport or something, just simulate each of the different amps in the left and right channels, then mix them down to a single mono channel.

That sounds good, i do have 3 amps that I can use! I shall get cracking with that.

Also, i was thinking of something similar to this. Maybe make a 6 track, 3 for the left ear, 3 for the right, in pairs covering low mid and high. Reckon that would sound good?

[sorohanro]

Check this thread where are several advices for a good guitar sound.

Also I don't really agree with snapper, I record for rhythm guitars several (from 2 to 6) playing same line with different tone settings and panning.
If just two, I pan those extreme, one 100% left and the other 100% right.

If sounds muddy, put an EQ on the stereo channel where you have your guitars and cut the lows to let space for bass and kick drum.
You can cut also from high frequencies to have less noise and let more room for cymbals and voice.

[Kanped]

What did you mic it up with and how?

[Mushroomhead18nc]

the way I did it is either one just Mic'ed it.. Put the microphone about 8inches infront of the speaker and make sure to not have alot of bass on the guitar amp itself... also Dont use a cheap ass computer mic.. buy something with some quality

the other way was to just run my line out on my amp to a 1/4" to 1/8" directly to the line-in or mic-in on my soundcard..

and the 3rd way was to just use a pre-amp.. something as simple as a pedal or stompbox or a Real pre-amp if you can pay for one.. I used more of the 2nd method though

[snapper0505]

If you want that perfect sound, it would be best to record with multiple amps. To mic perfectly, you will need several (expensive) mics. Kind of how drum mics pick up different ranges, you'll want the same type of configuration. You want to have it pick up your lows, highs, and so on, and then you can mix them together to the best sounding configuration.

You could use an EQ, but it will NOT provide the same type of sound. You can adjust certain parts of the same line, but you will not get a studio-quality guitar. If anything, it will sound even more digitized.

An example of my technique:
http://rapidshare.com/files/206916554/Sk in_Riff.mp3.html

It'll only work 10 times, so try to only download it once.

[Bad-Man-Incorporated]

I too, had been searching forever. When I found my podx3, my search ended. Its pricey, but there isn't a lot of shit. Its pure tones. Pure satisfaction...I use a bit lighter sound, but its got some heavy bitches too.
Hate to whore...but this displays just preset heavy tones with a bit of tweaking.

PodX3 is between $300-$500. But totally worth it. I didn't mic anything, just guitar to pod, pod to line in. Thats it. It also sounds fucking brilliant on a good stack, live.

Software goodies include Guitar rig/amplitube/guitarFX/. GuitarFX is a free one. I have a shitload of settings for that one, but its a bitch to record with. And sounds muddy as fuck recorded.

[deathkllr84]

Yeah. I've found that recording a guitar amp is too complicated and time consuming for me, but it probably is the best way to get a professional sound. However, if you just need some good tones for a demo, any kind of USB interface is good. I use a Digitech RP250, which is basically a POD but older and meant more for live play than recording. I found some pretty badass tones on it though. But keep in mind, you can buy all the equipment you want, but if you suck at dialing in good tones you won't get anywhere. Try spending more time messing with the stuff you have before you go spending 100's of dollars.

\m/

[Bad-Man-Incorporated]

At 3/9/09 05:14 PM, deathkllr84 wrote:

Try spending more time messing with the stuff you have before you go spending 100's of dollars.

\m/

Best advice.

[CWN]

Speedmetalmessiah gave me an awesome tip: Impulses.
I was battling around with a crummy distortion sound, too.
Get yourself an impulse loader (like keFIR i think its called) and get some amp impulses.
It emulates mics, rooms and amps. Try that with some decent distortion, and you're set to go. helped me a lot. Experiment!
Took me months to get a good guitar sound.