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So let's say you're recording an electric guitar, multitrack, to be used in a band setting.

Do you:

Dial in EQ on the amp, using the low/mid/hi knobs, to the way you/the guitarist want it, then just record that signal and keep it relatively flat from there?

Or keep it flat through the amp at all costs to have a middle of the road signal, then add EQ to it as necessary while mixing?

I'd imagine that the above scenarios would sound slightly different, no?

I'd imagine there are merits to both. Just wondered what people were doing.

Cheers
Keith

Comments

RecorderMan Fri, 04/29/2005 - 22:35

ALWAYS make the guitar and amp sound combination the way you want it to sound. The more experiance you accumulate, the more you'll be able to know what sound you should be dhooting for based upon the song/style/arrangement and what is already in the track and what else will go on too. So...play with those amp controls and have fun.

Davedog Sat, 04/30/2005 - 09:52

Yep and yep.I cant imagine a Fender amp without some serious dialing on its tone controls.Or a Strat without some backing off of the volume control for that chime and sweetness.This pretty much goes for any combination of guitar and amp. One good hard and fast rule from eons ago says 'Get it right at the source...'Which goes hand and hand with another old rule that says 'Crap in = crap out'......Always seek your best sound possible before the red light goes on.

KurtFoster Sat, 04/30/2005 - 10:24

I dial in guitar tones by sitting in the CR and tweaking at all stages (amp choice & tone, mic placment & choice, pre amps, comp, eq) the sound through the mains.

I've found that it is very difficult to get the tone heard at the the amp out of the recorder. There are many elements in the chain between amp / room and playback that change the sound.

took-the-red-pill Sat, 04/30/2005 - 21:08

Thanks. That helps.

Ironically, the bitchinest sound I ever got from my G was with all the controls flat, so I was just wondering if that was a fluke or not.

Actually I beamed when the mixdown guy said he loved it and asked how I'd recorded it. (the secret is a new Canadian quarter as the pick...)

anyway, great info as always.

Thanks gents
Keith

took-the-red-pill Sat, 04/30/2005 - 21:19

Whoaaaah, that spawns another more important question.

If what you guys say is correct, and I believe it to be so, then one ought to try to record the electric guitar as close to the END of the process as possible, not?

It seems that if one, as Kurt says, 'sits in the control room and experiments with the guitar sounds,' one has to be able to hear it WITH the rest of the mix. This so you don't end up with a guitar sound that's fabulous on it's own, but a piece of excrement with the rest of the band.

Zat make sense? Is that how you guys approach it?

Keith

gumplunger Sat, 04/30/2005 - 21:46

took-the-red-pill wrote: Thanks. That helps.

Ironically, the bitchinest sound I ever got from my G was with all the controls flat, so I was just wondering if that was a fluke or not.

Actually I beamed when the mixdown guy said he loved it and asked how I'd recorded it. (the secret is a new Canadian quarter as the pick...)

anyway, great info as always.

Thanks gents
Keith

If you have a quality amp (say, for instance a Mesa), the guys who designed it probably knew what they were doing and the tone they were shooting for is probably right there where all the controls are flat.

That's my take on it at least.

RecorderMan Mon, 05/02/2005 - 08:40

gumplunger wrote: [quote=took-the-red-pill]Thanks. That helps.

Ironically, the bitchinest sound I ever got from my G was with all the controls flat, so I was just wondering if that was a fluke or not.

Actually I beamed when the mixdown guy said he loved it and asked how I'd recorded it. (the secret is a new Canadian quarter as the pick...)

anyway, great info as always.

Thanks gents
Keith

If you have a quality amp (say, for instance a Mesa), the guys who designed it probably knew what they were doing and the tone they were shooting for is probably right there where all the controls are flat.

That's my take on it at least.

I'm sorry..but no this isn't quite correct.

If you are recording the guitar/amp as a solo piece..then yes flat may be just the ticket. The tone controls are there to allow you to sculpt the sound for the port your playing. Motown rythm chinks that doulble the snare (strat/twin verb part) are going to ask for different eq than a heavy metal chunk. So use those tone controls (and gain, etc....not to mention pick-up choices and gtr level/tone controls) to sculpt.