Guitar sounds like...Not so great. Hum, resonance, something?

[henryjarv]

So...I have no more ideas what to do or try.
Or, I have (DI box, Hum Eliminator, pickups...?), but I'm not sure if those help with this problem.

Everytime I play guitar, there's waaaay too much bass and low mid frequencies that make me crazy.
It can't be right to turn bass knob to 0, and scoop a lot of mids.

There's never a preset that works for me. Always too much low/mid frequencies.

Guitar is cheap, yes, but everyone says that those pickups are actually quite OK, so I just can't believe that different pickups can fix this...And I have tried 3 guitars.

And the problem is not only low notes chugging.
Even high single notes sound like a cheap synth wave (...attached files...).
Each note has that huge annoying peak.

Do I need a DI box, or what??


HJ

 

[Ngoc]

Please upload a file of your playing as DI - let me have a go with my amps to see if there is any difference. What IRs are you using? Some built in IRs in some amp sims are really weird sounding.

Please record a DI with a lot of Riffing, Chugging, Open Chords and another DI with Lead Playing, each at least 30 seconds long, then we can try to find the source of the problem.

 

[henryjarv]

Please upload a file of your playing as DI - let me have a go with my amps to see if there is any difference. What IRs are you using? Some built in IRs in some amp sims are really weird sounding.

Please record a DI with a lot of Riffing, Chugging, Open Chords and another DI with Lead Playing, each at least 30 seconds long, then we can try to find the source of the problem.

Thanks! I record something tomorrow, can't right now...

That short sound sample was just PodFarm, but I have tried almost everything. There are some really mid scooped impulses that sound quite ok...But it just isn't normal that I have to cut or compress so much lows and mids.

I also have tried mixing some multitracks, and it's so much easier to get a good mix or good guitar tone. DI tracks sound really different.

 

[henryjarv]

DI files:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/elb7b7poc30kvdf/DI_A.wav?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tukjszmymusfjmo/DI_B.wav?dl=0


Guitar strings are maybe 2 weeks old.
Jazz III pick
Audio interface is Line6 UX1, but I have also tried Focusrite. Almost no difference at all...Not so much that it would really fix anything.
Tried different cables, now using Planet Waves

Bass guitar sounds quite horrible too, Yamaha TRBX304.

So maybe it is a DI box what I need...? Does it really make so much difference?
And that Focusrite should be good enough for guitar DI recording, so....Hmm.

 

[Ngoc]

In my humble opinion, I think there are 2 reasons for this issue.

First and foremost, I think that your playing style is a little too soft, you don't pick hard enough in general, but especially the palm mutes need to be picked MUCH harder.

I have uploaded a reference DI+reamped track for you here (DI right at the start and another DI at 30sec in):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h141jnuww20sh2f/DI_AMP_Reference.wav?dl=0

Pay attention to the low notes - in the DI you can hear that the notes pop much louder than the higher picked notes. As a rule of thumb you can say that while you are playing the low notes or palm mutes, they need to be louder than the higher stringed notes.

Here is your DI-A track in comparison (DI+Reamp with nearly the same settings as the above track):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ootmulko8snb421/DI_A_REAMP.wav?dl=0

You can hear that your low notes are not louder, they are even quieter than the higher picked parts. Also you need to practice your precision because when you play the low string, there is always another note ringing with it, with ruins a tight sound.

I think for a starting point please try to track another DI, but this time pick harder and press your palm much more on the strings near the bridge while palm muting - please post it here so I can give another feedback, if you want.



second reason:

What pickups are you using? Maybe your pickups are more suited for a rock/bluesy playing that actually metal, as they have a lot of low end. The mids seem to be ok, as in my reamping test I found there were plenty of mids there.


My thoughts to DI-B:
I think it is usable, as long as you use a low-pass filter at around 8kHz. I still think it's because you are using amp sims which typically have harsh Hi-end, so they need to be tamed with a low pass filter and another notch at 4kHz for it to sound usable.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/13mpywgceaums55/DI_B_REAMP.wav?dl=0

 

[henryjarv]

First and foremost, I think that your playing style is a little too soft, you don't pick hard enough in general, but especially the palm mutes need to be picked MUCH harder.

I already use way too much force, but anyway, now I used even more https://www.dropbox.com/s/cmxlpqp4kndl254/DI_New.wav?dl=0
This is now like a boxing match with a guitar, can't play any louder. This can't be right, nobody plays guitar like this.

Also you need to practice your precision because when you play the low string, there is always another note ringing with it, with ruins a tight sound.

You're right about precision, I have had some kind of nerve problems for few years. But now I'm not sure what you mean with another note ringing...? I don't even try to hit only the low string. but using a basic power chord.
But I do hear some noise (grounding problem...?), that is not on your guitar track...

What pickups are you using? Maybe your pickups are more suited for a rock/bluesy playing that actually metal, as they have a lot of low end. The mids seem to be ok, as in my reamping test I found there were plenty of mids there.

Guitar is 7-string jackson, original pickup...But I would think it's not for blues Way too much low end anyway, makes me crazy.
Maybe I really need to buy a new pickup..

My thoughts to DI-B:
I think it is usable, as long as you use a low-pass filter at around 8kHz. I still think it's because you are using amp sims which typically have harsh Hi-end, so they need to be tamed with a low pass filter and another notch at 4kHz for it to sound usable.

I think it's horrible. With headphones my head is about to explode when I hear that annoying note ringing.
My problem is not the harsh hi-end, but something weird below 1kHz. See that picture on my first post.
Every note makes that loud peak that sounds like some kind of sine wave played from a keyboard.

I have tried so many amp sims and impulses, and tried to learn everything possible about mixing guitar.
And I have no problems at all when mixing some multitracks I find from this forum. It's almost too easy, just some amp and impulse, and done, sounds great.
Then I try the same with my guitar....And it's just BOOOOOM HUmMmmmMmmmm. Have to cut about everything below 300Hz

 

[henryjarv]

Just an update, a little bit late, but anyway.

A new active pickup fixed almost everything. EMG 81-7.