Guitars-boosting frequencies when recording? With/without impulses? Thickening..????!

["Evil" Aidy]

Anybody out there boosting certain frequencies when recording guitars? Particularly with cab impulses.

I find that the guitars come out a bit thin and fizzy sounding and there's always a distinct lack of bottom end to the point where you don't even need to roll off any of the low end!

Apart from double tracking are there any other popular techniques for making guitars sound thicker?

I also find I have to eq out a LOT of the top end when recording guitars or they sound too fizzy (somewhere around about 10000khz) and then re-boosting the top end later on to brighten them up in the mix. Is that just me?

I find that way the guitars sound nice n' bright but some of the horrible FIZZ has gone.

I've read Colin's mixing guide for guitars on here which was helpful.

Lastly, when using multiple impulses is it best to have a seperate track for each impulse - therefore simulating each microphone? (in the way of if you were micing a real amp)

For instance with double tracking :
1 performance (panned left) times 3 impulses = 3 tracks. Another performance (panned left) = 3 more tracks.

And the same for panning right so you end up with 12 tracks in total just for guitar?

Is there a way to get more spread across the mix for single tracking too? I've heard single tracked guitars that fill much more space in mix than all being panned 100% left and right. Is it simply done by not panning them all the way over 100% or is it a case of spreading the different mics something like 60% then 80% then the last one 100%?

Questions questions questions!

Thnx in advance!

 

[ahjteam]

I find that the guitars come out a bit thin and fizzy sounding and there's always a distinct lack of bottom end to the point where you don't even need to roll off any of the low end!

I bolded out the keywords ^

THIN: The thinness usually means you don't have enough bottom end, you can fix this by taking the microphone away from the middle of the cone, pointing in an angle to corner of the cone. You can try it, but I suggest that you shouldn't do it if you track with one mic only. How about after you have quad tracked, is the bottom end still too thin? It shouldn't, but IF it is, why do you have a bass player in your band? I mean I usually highpass EVERYTHING that shouldn't hit the subs at 80-120hz to increase overall clarity, so you wouldn't get that bottom end anyways. (= everything except kick, cello, bass, toms, bass-synth and bass-orientated effects... And yes, I have mixed cello too, only live tho)

FIZZ: and the fizz usually means you have the microphone pointed too directly/too near to the center of the cone so it has too much treble. But I say you should not take off the fizz from the mixer, take it off from the amplifier. And I think everything sounds usually pretty harsh when listened alone, but music is (usually) about the whole picture - the fizziness usually dissappears a little, when everything else is added around. If it doesn't, remove it at the MIXING stage, or reamp the guitars if they sound totally awful as a package.

And why do you want to add so much mud to the mix with so many different reverbs, thats like drinking cream with coffee, not coffee with cream, I mean I usually use only like... 3-4(?) reverbsfFor the whole project (snare, drums, vocals + extra). Use them ONLY if you need them.

If I am entirely way of, please correct me.

PS: And ironically what will most propably happen, is that when you start mixing, you will keep the bottom end and top as is and scoop off stuff from the middle to give room for the vocals

edit: found this, hope it helps, see the chart at halfway the article with topic of "1/3 Octave Frequency Charts **":
http://www.studioauditions.com/proaudioarticledetail.php?WritingID=741

 

[JBroll]

No, you're getting it right, but he did also note that he had problems with impulses. I don't think I've ever found a good reason to use more than one impulse, it's possible that using too many is causing some funky comb-filter shit and that's why things sound odd.

I personally like to compress the low-mids, to make them seem more 'up front', and often I wind up tinkering with a bit of compression on the high end so I can have it 'backed off' but not actually just cut.

Best way to get a feel for what needs to go where is to just take a surgical EQ, set the Q wherever you want it and the gain as high or low as you can, and sweep the bastard across.

Examine your source closely if you need drastic EQing, and don't be afraid to try compression if boosting is making things too boomy - or if cutting is making them sound too 'processed' - multiband compressors are your friend.

Jeff

 

[fatalforce]

[quote="Evil" Aidy;6843463]
I've read Colin's mixing guide for guitars on here which was helpful.
[/quote]

I can't seem to find this, anyone have a link?

 

[JBroll]

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/andy-sneap/258421-eq-rhythm-guitars-mixdown.html

Time to start reading stickies...

Jeff

 

[fatalforce]

D'oh! I was searching with a different subject name. Thanks.