Baby steps in recording, need tips

[dr3amer]

Hey everyone, today I tried to record some simple ideas I had for a song a while ago. It's not coming out too good and I need your advice. My "chain" is as follows:
Jackson JS30 w/ EMG 81 + 85 (everything played on bridge 81) > KVR Audio Secret Overdrive > Dirthead > ENGL impulses > AcmeBarGig's Cabinet Enhancer 1.4. No EQ yet, as I seem to mess up completely whenever I try to tweak something And yes, it's all VST cause I can't afford amp & mics yet. Any and all feedback (especially negative) appreciated. Sorry for the sloppy playing, but you'll probably figure out everything. Here it is: http://www.4shared.com/file/145364602/79d998c9/test7.html

PS: No bass yet, still looking for a decent virtual bassist Suggestions welcome.

 

[ahjteam]

KVR Audio Secret Overdrive

a what?


edit: unless you are going for that steel barrel sound, it sounds pretty awful. Try to simplify the the signalchain to minimum and see how it sounds

GTR > (OD >) amp > cab impulse


edit2: and yeah, if you noticed, the dirthead already has a cabinet impulse, so if you have it turned on, you have two (or even three, I don't know what the cab enhancer does) cab sims, so no wonder it sounds bad

 

[dr3amer]

lol I knew this was coming This thingy here: http://www.kvraudio.com/get/2009.html Used as a booster in front of the amp.

 

[racy]

I don't really know too much about metal + vst's

sounds like you used a stereo widener on the rhythm guitar for the first bit?

try double tracking?

I can't really say much more because there's only so much you can do without using an amp and I don't know the limitations of getting a good sound through vst emulations

good luck

 

[dr3amer]

Thanks guys! I forgot that, it's double-tracked. The two bits are played with the same settings and the CabEnhancer had a "Widening delay" on, I'll turn it off. ahjteam, do you mean I should get rid of the overdrive before the amp?

 

[ahjteam]

I tried something similiar to your riff for this kind of bottom heavy sound with following signal chain, might be a bit fizzy and overgained, but it's just to give some pointers:

- Ibanez Artcore (cheap hollow body guitar with stock passive pups and old strings)
- Ibanes tubescreamer TS9 (hardware)
- Dirthead (otherwise default except red channel, voicing a bit left, slight bass boost, presence halfway, cabsim off)
- Habib KeFir (with Recabinet Ghandi impulse)

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1338211/bottomheavysound.mp3