Understanding More... Options

[Rated Htr]

Hi all!
I'm trying to improve the quality of my recordings, already got some equalizer and compression plugins but...I DON'T KNOW ALMOST NOTHING ABOUT HOW TO USE THEM...Tried to do some experiments and the sound got better, but have no idea how to conduct it properly, any help you could give?

Thanks in advance
Filipe

[steve25]

The first thing you are going to want to learn is how to get a good tone out of your guitar/amp/effects unit/amp modeller/amp simulator... whatever you are using. If you're setup currently can't get you a good tone then you're going to want to find a way that you can record direct and use reamp or maybe even impulses.

Although what i've just said may be obvious, one of the biggest mistakes most people make, and myself including, when starting out is creating a recording, not liking what you hear and instantly reaching for plugins including EQ, compression etc. Most guitar realted recording that need to be fixed can be drastically improved at the amp level. If you don't like your recording, why don't you? Is it too boomy? Too much on the high end? Too bassy? Too thin etc.

Also don't forget that when you make recordings make sure your string aren't too old (the ideal situation is brand new but that's not always the case for us). Make sure it's tuned well and it has good intonation. Retune reguarly as well. It's also a good idea to not put too many effects on the guitar and go for a more dry sound when recording. Unless of course it is absolutely vital to the performance. Like for example some sustain you get with an added overdrive whereas without it the end sound could suffer.

Ok so i'm assuming you know about guitar doubling? The first thing you'll want to look at then past this stage is EQ and Compression. However i will say a lot of people tend to overdo the EQ A LOT! To be honest you only really need to use EQ if it can't really be fixed by recording. If the Bass isn't coming out because it is being overpowered by the guitars then perhaps you may want to use EQ to take out some of the low end in the guitars. However i've found most of the time if i just roll off some of the bass in the guitar sound in the first place it isn't too much of a problem. I think generally you don't need to EQ much on guitar i find i have to use it more on drums actually, where the mics are picking up different parts of the drums that you want to take out ie kick drum for example.

Well this is just some of my experinces so far anyway i hope it's helped

This post has been edited by steve25: Apr 20 2009, 07:57 PM

[Rated Htr]

Well, I'm diving into the world of having my own tone but, for now, I'm using Lian's Pod presets for experiences, so, the problem is getting a similar tone to his in recordings, even though the guitar is different...I can post one of my last experiences if needed and people could tell me what's missing

[ItsMe]

Download this awesome tutorials from the CM site.

compression

reverb

Delay

modulation

Gating

EQ

100 Tips for computer recording

great pro tips for your home productions

[Rated Htr]

Thanks for sharing, gonna start looking

[steve25]

Well, I'm diving into the world of having my own tone but, for now, I'm using Lian's Pod presets for experiences, so, the problem is getting a similar tone to his in recordings, even though the guitar is different...I can post one of my last experiences if needed and people could tell me what's missing

If Lians tone is what you're looking for then fine but for PODs, to get a good tone metal addon is almost vital in my opinion, but then i am very fussy on tone and know what i like. I'm assuming of course that you are wanting a good metal tone i may be able to give you some good tips

[ItsMe]

more cool tips for a cool sounding mix.

http://emusician.com/tutorials/emusic_real...ck_2/index.html

http://emusician.com/tutorials/space-place...t-ii/index.html

http://emusician.com/tutorials/supersize-t...tars/index.html

[Rated Htr]

I didn't say I want Lian's tone, I'm just using his presets to see if the problem was my tone settings

[steve25]

I didn't say I want Lian's tone, I'm just using his presets to see if the problem was my tone settings

Sorry i obviously misunderstood. Getting your own tone, while can be quite fun can also be a bit frustrating so don't be afraid to ask here if you'd like some opinions/tips etc. Perhaps post a sample of what you've recorded?

[Rated Htr]

Ok, here's what I consider my best take, don't mind the drums, the tempo wasn't right...

If you need to know what I did just ask

Attached File(s)

 weareeternaltest.wma ( 2.25MB ) Number of downloads: 38

 

[Velvet Roger]

Ok, here's what I consider my best take, don't mind the drums, the tempo wasn't right...

If you need to know what I did just ask

In my opinion the sound of the guitar is quite flat. What would help here is to double the guitar parts and pan them left/right and I would prefer a bit more low-end to it as well. Just my two cents

[Skalde]

REAPER Tutorial #7 - ReaCompressor Basics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyErdF45E-4

Reaper Tutorial: ReaGate Basics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=828FdxrHBt8...feature=related

[Rated Htr]

@Velvet Roger
Yeah, I tried doubling it, than it gets too much noise and unwanted sounds...

@Skalde
Thanks for the tuts, but I don't use reaper

[Skalde]

It doesn't matter what DAW you use, the tutorials explain the vst effects - they are free (and come with reaper)

[Rated Htr]

In that case, thanks, I'll check