electrix guitar mastering?

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Member Since: Dec 06, 2007

so guys..i have done some great progress i think the only thing now its the electric guitar....i want to make it more metal and when i push the volume up to not distort my sound..i find it diffucult to maste..
so i record with two mics..the i submix em to on track and then i am putting some plugin in this track..but i find hard to master..i am putting a compressor..some eq's and i am trying to find some plugins to make my sound better..have in mind tha i record mostly metal and rock ..please tell me some great mastering plugins to try to fix my sound on the electric guitar..
thanx guys..

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Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Dec 25, 2007 12:50 pm

The major problem with fixing the sound of any instrument is that if it doesn't sound at least good to start with it isn't going to get any better by simply adding a pluggin. Unless it is simply a matter of EQ or volume. Distorted guitar is the worst to try and fix later. You need to start with a good quality track to even begin.

One thing many of us do when recording distorted guitar is to turn down the distortion or gain a little bit. This actually works in favor of getting a hotter track with less work. Then if it needs more warmth or thickness you can use a pluggin to add gain or distortion later.

Some of us use Magneto for this purpose, I also use a plugging called Vintage Warmer from PSP. It can go from a mild pump to complete high gain distortion.

Member
Since: Dec 06, 2007


Dec 25, 2007 12:53 pm

i am using a shure 58a mic and pass it from a rme mictasy mic preamp so i have a preety good sound but its still hard to make the sound i want

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Dec 25, 2007 01:39 pm

The sm 58a is really geared more toward vocal use. It is not the best mic to use on a guitar cabinet for recording. The original 58 was pretty good, but the 58a is not the same mic.

Also, I am not talking about the quality of your signal chain when recording. I am reffering to the settings of the amp itself. Many things can change the way the guitar amp sounds when it s recorded. The room, the mic, the settings of the amp itself. What sounds like killer high gain live in the room will probably sound like crap ounce it is recorded. Especially if it is too loud. Turn the gain down to smooth out the distortion, lower the volume as it does not need to be ear splitting to record well. And find a good place in the room to get it to sound good. Do not go by what it sounds like live to your ears in the room. Get set away from the amp and then listen in headphones or monitor's to what it sound like coming through the mic. There will be a huge difference it the sound. Now set up the mic and the amp settings until it sound good coming through the monitor set up and then you will get a good sound to the track.

Member
Since: Jul 02, 2003


Dec 25, 2007 04:08 pm

I'm with noize, you need to get the recorded guitar sounding the way you want it, there is little you can do to make a guitar track sound the way you want it after it is recorded. Double track the guitars for a bigger sound.

Dan

Czar of Cheese
Member
Since: Jun 09, 2004


Dec 25, 2007 05:17 pm

The last time I recorded electric guitar through an amp, I stuck it in a closet and closed the door. As Noize suggests, I listened to it through headphones and tweaked settings and mic placement until I got the sound I was looking for. I don't think I did anything to it during mixdown.

Now, I record electric guitar through my Line 6 Pod or just through the GearBox when I record it with my Line 6 TonePort. I love the direct recorded sound, and it's a lot easier than messing around with micing up an amp.

Of course, I'm just an amateur hack...

Member
Since: Dec 06, 2007


Dec 26, 2007 04:39 am

yeah..of course i work a lot with the mic placement...i think that i have to get a couple o great mics thougt..anyway...as the time is passing a hear even more people record their guitar directly to the pc with line 6 or rocktron or some other kind of pedals...its strange..i dont think that all the pedals in the worlds can make the great sound that an amp is making..but that a personal choice and opinion

Cone Poker
Member
Since: Apr 07, 2002


Dec 26, 2007 05:38 am

nah I'm with you on that man. Part of a guitars sound is the amp itself, and theres something to be said about that air being pushed. I hate going direct with guitar, and will usually only do it with a lead if I can dial up the sound I need quick, but more often then not I'm gonna have the guitars plugged into an amp with a mic in front of it.

Member
Since: Dec 06, 2007


Dec 26, 2007 08:00 am

yeah..i thins is the best sound u can get..but there is sometimes difficiult to master...my mic preamp is an rme mictasy...i work with it a lot..but it has so many combinations that i cant find the best for the mic amp...exept the 48v for the condeser mics..it has phase.lo cut and autoset..when i clicked phase i think it made the sound more compressed by itself..when i pushed autoset i didnte heard any difference drom the headphones...the problem after is that i wanna make a veru strong sound but the hard thing to avoid is the ....hmmmm i dont know how to explain it for you to understand...to avoid the bass sound of the guitar that you hear from the monitors sometimes...you know..like it has a woofer the guitar..i hope u understood..i dont know too good english..soory guys..how about u loki?what plugins u use after for the guitars?

Cone Poker
Member
Since: Apr 07, 2002


Dec 26, 2007 08:13 am

depends on what sound I'm trying to get out of the guitar as to what plugins I use. Mostly I will get the guitar sounding as good as possible before it even goes into the computer. I'll plug in, spend some time turning knobs on the amp itself, and get it to sound good, then I play around with amp placement. Where does it sound the best in my room? Then I'll play with mic choice and mic placement. Which mic is the right mic for the sound I'm trying to get. After that it comes down to osetting the preamp to a good level. Effects wise, after it goes in I may EQ it a little bit, and apply reverb to taste, but those are really the only two effects I use after it's in the compter, and even then I prefer to use the hardware units.

Recording electric guitar is an art in an of itself, I think. you almost have to have a visual of what the end result will be, and start sculpting it. Personally, I think if you're trying to "fix" the guitar sound in the mix, it's already too late... but I'm a snob in that regard. :)

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Dec 26, 2007 08:08 pm

I spent years with my guitars amps and never thought I would jump to a modeler or anything for direct recording of a guitar. I was wrong however. Since my very first POD I spent hundreds of hours tweaking and finding just the right combination to get it to sound good. Now I have two Line 6 units and love them. I don't use a live amp for my personal stuff at all anymore, and no one really knows the difference. I do Have to admit that the push and pull of a real amp is something that is tough to emulate, but if you spend as much time tweaking the things as I have you find ways to get it close.

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