Bright Highs for tone in Standard (POD or other)

[aerolite]

So I just picked up a POD X3 bean and I'm really digging it.

I've got a pretty solid chain right now that sounds really dirty if I'm playing anywhere from G-A# (Noise Gate -> Line 6 Big Bottom -> 96 Brit Celest V30 Off Axis Mic -> Boost + EQ -> Compression ::::: Low bass, High mid, Medium treble, High presence, etc. etc.).

My only complaint is that it doesn't hit sound "bright" enough in the higher registers. I'm really striving for something that will give the same grimey tone down low, but with really strong and in-your-face highs. I like to play in higher tunings as well (standard, drop D, drop C), and this djent-like chain I'm using right now isn't cutting it too much.

A good example of something similar is Sithu Aye's tones off of Isles. He plays in Drop D and his highs are just gorgeous.


Any steps in the right direction would be much appreciated!
Thanks.

I'm still totally a novice in terms of production and after-effects, but I'm learning.
Note: I also tried creating another chain that seemed alright, but I relied too much on Parametric EQ to generate a synthetic tone that almost hurt my ears due to the gain. Noise Gate -> 2002 Criminal -> 96 Brit Celest V30 Dynamic Mic -> Boost + EQ -> Compression with high Mids and Treble and Presence, and Parametric EQ boosted Low (slightly), High-mid (slightly), and High (excessively).

 

[Manicompression]

This guy actually posts here. I commented on an early mix of one of his tunes. Pretty cool stuff. Here is the thread.
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/practice-room/791483-heres-short-clip-my-upcoming-album-mellow-prog-metal-content.html

 

[C2Aye]

Hey dude, here's the chain I used for both my strat and my 7 string on Isles EP. I hope it helps!

Distorted: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/39302626/Signal Chain 2.jpg
Clean: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/39302626/Signal Chain Clean.jpg

And oh yeah, using a stratocaster definitely means a much more pronounced high end and you can tell which tracks I used it on Isles, Skye being one of them!

 

[aerolite]

Thanks Sithu. You're a huge inspiration.

I also had another question for anyone willing to answer. I figured I could just use this thread since there's no need to make another.

On my POD X3 bean I'm receiving a really shitty tone in recordings [in Reaper] in comparison to what the tone coming from my headphones/speakers is when I'm monitoring. I'm using USB 2.0 through ASIO, and here are my settings. http://i.imgur.com/TUkZZ.png and http://i.imgur.com/VHaWn.png I feel like at times I'm also getting some minor clipping (even though the clipping light doesn't turn on via the POD unit). Any ideas?

I can post more screenshots if any more information is needed.
Thanks, I appreciate all the help!

 

[thefalloftheheretic]

Clips are needed.

 

[aerolite]

Clips are needed.

In what sense? Sorry if this is a really dumb question, but I'm new to recording. I don't really know what "clips" are in the sense of recording.

Edit: Do you mean like a recording example? Let me upload something right quick.

Edit edit: Part of a quick groove I was working on. I get a great tone during monitoring, but this [shit] is the result. http://soundcloud.com/aereolaite/groove-sample-raw (It also seems to be affecting the percussion VST as well, so maybe it has to do with Reaper settings?)

 

[thefalloftheheretic]

First: did you double track the guitars?
Second: the tone is really, really muddy and fizzy. Scoop some of those low mids out and throw a LP filter at maybe 10 kHz.
THIRD AND PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT: Buy the Systematic Mixing Guide. Your mixes and tones will improve 10 fold, I assure you.

 

[aerolite]

I double tracked the left/right channels, but the lead was one track. The tone sounds perfectly fine and I don't want it any different when I'm monitoring, but as soon as the recording gets played back it sounds like shit.
Should I mess with the buffer size at all?

I checked out the Systematic Mixing Guide and I'll probably pick that up soon. It looks like something I could definitely benefit from.

 

[aerolite]

Update.

Went back and worked a bit more on the chain. Turned out that there was a dry tone that was getting recorded (I told you I was new to recording, ha). I cut that out, bumped up the sample rate to 96k, put a Low Pass filter at 12kHz, and played with the EQ a bit and I've achieved something I'm somewhat satisfied with.

Thanks guys!