Any ideas on why this is hollow sounding?

[LosingReality]

So ive gotten a 5150, and been recording lately and havent been able to get this hollow sound out of my mixes.

This clip is single mic'ed with an SM7. Ive tried a SM57 and i get the same results. The guitars are quad tracked.....each one a dfferent take. How am i getting a phasey sound when its single mic'ed and each one are different takes. The SM7 is on axsis, right on the edge of the cone....on the grill.

I know there are a ton of mids on this clip. But it sounds even more hollow with out the mids IMO.

Any help or ideas why it sounds the way it does would help alot! Could it be the amp? Could it be the preamp im using? (podX3 mic pre) The amp doesnt sound like this at all....it sounds huge!

Thanks!

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=852198&songID=7377425

Heres one without the mids so high.....still alittle hollow. This is the SM57
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=852198&songID=7365306

 

[-J-]

mabye 2 well-placed mic'ed gits l and r with a nice bass in the mix would work? just an idear.

maybe bring down the levels of the additional 2 "helper" gits (as I typically call/use them) if they are too up there. just another idear to try.

maybe back off the grill about a pencil diameter, see what happens.

doesn't really sound too bad to me.

 

[ahjteam]

right on the edge of the cone

Assuming you meant the outer edge of the cone, then the problem most likely is that. Try this... Program a short clip of drums (I think 2-4 bars of basic beat is sufficient) and record bass on top if it. Nothing fancy, just eight notes of the same note is ok.

Then put two mics to the grille, at the same distance and at the same angle. Put the first one where you have put it now and one more near the center, where the cone meet the dustcap and then try to double/quadtrack a short clip (Don't worry about the phase between the two mics, you will only listen to one of them at a time). If you noticed, that the edge of the cone might give you a lot of more unnessacary low end, when the center gives more of the midrange. If the midrange is missing, it might sound pretty hollow, but it also might be a good thing, because then the vocals have more room

But if you want to get creative, try this... Use two takes of the edge clips and two takes of the center clips (all must be different takes!). Then pan the outer ones 100L/100R and the center ones 80L/80R, but put the outer ones just a tad quieter. This might give you the booooom AND clarity, but still... Don't try to get the main bottom end from the guitar, get it from the bass. Highpass all the guitars from 60/80hz.

If it doesn't work for you or isn't your cup o tea, carry on...

 

[LosingReality]

^ thanks guys, good tips. Will try them!

 

[ahjteam]

...and just to clarify myself if I was unclear..
- If you quadtrack, add 8 tracks of guitars (4 takes with 2 mics). Mic 1 = edge, mic 2 = center, so 4 tracks for mic1 and 4 tracks for mic2.
- Is suggest you only listen to one of the mics (both input and ones already recorded) when tracking, so the possible phasing doesn't distract you.
- Remember to pan the tracks out so its not just one big mono (first set hard left/right + the second set somewhere between 50-80 left/right seems to be a common practice on this forum, its a taste matter really)
- When you have tracked, mute the tracks that were tracked with mic 2. Listen. Unmute the muted tracks and mute the tracks that were tracked with mic 1. Listen. Repeat until satisfied.
- Only listen to one mic from one take at a time because of the possible phase issues. Also listen how they sound just doubletracked, because even doubletracking might be too much if the low end is really wild.

PS: post a clip of the comparison, we want to hear it too