Lead Guitar Recording Tips

[MetalWorks]

I've tried searching the forum for some handy tips on getting a great lead guitar tone but didn't pull much up.

I only remember vague comments in other discussions about boosting mids and cutting lows.

Can anyone provide some great tips for lead guitar tones to make them really hold their own in the mix?

I have a potential project that is a solo guitarist and if Im gonna do it I wanna be sure I can do it justice.

I am comfortable with Recording Rythm guitars but the leads can get tricky.

I am usually able to dial stuff in that does the job but for this kind of effort there will be alot of attention to detail and every little tap, legato, harmonic etc needs to stand out as it would for Satriani, Vai, etc.

Alot of that can tend to get lost at times so I'd like to know what frequencies to enhance, what frequencies to gut out of other instruments to make room, etc?

Also, do we want to use the same mic placement that was suitable for Rythm guitars as the Lead?

Any tips or links are appreciated!

 

[Metaltastic]

As far as things before the computer, I like the same mic placement as rhythms; any closer to the dustcap would be fizzier/harsher obviously, but while any further away from it would be fuller, it's an unpleasantly cloudy, muffled kind of fullness that I'm not partial to. As for tweaking the amp, I'd say a maybe bit more mids (but not too much more, cuz it can get stuffy which kills attack) and a bit less treble and/or presence so it's not as harsh. Once its recorded, boosting at 1k is the most popular, and has always worked for me! (2k is too nasal IMO, and from 1k to 700 too cocked-wah esque and 400-600 too honky)

 

[NickL]

Recording a good lead tone is very similar to recording a good rhythm tone. But, as you said, you may want to add a solid amount of mids. It really depends on the amp. Its in the mixing stage that things get a lot different. You want to mix the lead the way that you would mix a vocal, because a lead is in fact taking the place of the vocal in the mix. You want it to slide it at identical level and similar frequency content and level of compression. So try using a compressor with a ratio of around 4:1 and pulling down around 5dB or so. Maybe boost some of the mids around 1.5-2.5k like you might with a vocal. You can set a high-pass filter pretty high up to clear things up without affecting the tone too much. Maybe 150 Hz or a bit lower. And ambient effects should not be ignored, even if they are extremely subtle. I usually pull a reverb up until I can definitely hear it and then back it off some.

If you want a good idea of lead tone amp settings, heres a PDF of the 5150 settings Jason Suecof says he uses as a starting point for leads.

http://3chordmediaworks.com/FullSize/Features_MonitorSF07.pdf

 

[MetalWorks]

Any additional Production tips are appreciated too.

I'm curious about effects. I have an Eventide H3000 D-SE that I could consider nice Chorus, Delay or Verbs from. Do these epic Vai Tones come through the Amp Loop into the Mic or through Aux channels in the Mix?

I've heard that the all mighty Passion and Warfare had 100's of guitar tracks.

I wouldn't know whether he played the same lead 5 times with different effects/tones each time or had 1 dry signal going through 4 additional effects sends with different presets/processors and blending into the final recorded tone.

 

[xFkx]

I would sugest tracking the lead's with a different amplifier, it really distances it from the rythm guitar tone

 

[gorath23]

I'd try and at least get some different tones going on straight away, whether this is a different guitar/amp/cab/mic or, hell, even just using the neck pup instead. Instead of using post-reverb, why don't you try putting a condenser off the cab a bit? I'd much rather use a stereo delay as well, set to 1/4 notes one side and 1/8 notes on the other. Helps widen and fatten up the leads whilst giving you some smooth ambience. The free VST TAL-Dub II is great for doing this. Reverbs will just get lost and muddy things up.

 

[Ermz]

Dear God, those Suecof settings are drastic. I can't imagine how that wouldn't sound like a horrible fuzz-pile in the room. Mids 9 on the rhythm channel!?? Resonance and Presence nearly maxed??? I struggle to put the mids above '1' on that amp without it sounding like a low-mid-laden box.

My tendency for leads is to use a different speaker just for a different tonality for the leads as opposed to the rhythms. This will make them naturally more inclined to stand out in the mix, and of course whatever mids you add help too. A tubescreamer can really come in handy with leads as it will compress the tone more, even the leads out and give you that necessary mid-boost. If you have a different amp on hand, that can help too. I tend to get as many in as I can and get as many different voicings on the CD as possible.

 

[Skinny Viking]

I'd try and at least get some different tones going on straight away, whether this is a different guitar/amp/cab/mic or, hell, even just using the neck pup instead. Instead of using post-reverb, why don't you try putting a condenser off the cab a bit? I'd much rather use a stereo delay as well, set to 1/4 notes one side and 1/8 notes on the other. Helps widen and fatten up the leads whilst giving you some smooth ambience. The free VST TAL-Dub II is great for doing this. Reverbs will just get lost and muddy things up.

+1

for myself, I usually try to use a different guitar for tracking my leads. My rhythms are usually done on a guitar with passive pups so I do leads with another guitar that has actives in it. Right away that helps it stand out ... throw a tubescreamer in front, helps even more. As far as in the mix, again, I have to agree that I'm more into using delays vs. verbs for lead tones unless you are specifically trying to achieve some kinda verby sound. As for setting delays, keep it light but mess around and find what you dig. Don't forget to set your tempo to match the song or part. EQ ... with my particular setup I hi-pass at around 150 but thats also because of my tuning (C#) .. it can change depending on the guitar, the amp sound, the tuning, etc ... small boosts in mids are good (not too much) and for volume keep relative to the lead vocals. As for compression, I actually like to squeeze my solos a bit because I like the sound of it. You may want a little more compression for faster solos to help balance it all but again, its all a matter of what you are trying to achieve for that particular part or song

 

[Metaltastic]

Good call on using a different speaker Ermz, makes sense And as for FX, I just like a time-synced delay on solos, with the feedback adjusted for about 3 perceptible echoes (when the track is solo'ed). However, I usually have been doing it mono as an insert (so it's panned the same as the solo) - how do you guys do the panning for yours?

 

[Jaymz]

The free VST TAL-Dub II is great for doing this.

Woah just got it, it sounds pretty darn good

 

[grywolf627]

Woah just got it, it sounds pretty darn good

Yeah, definitely. I'll be using this on my current projects, for sure. Thanks for the tip Gorath.

 

[Skinny Viking]

Good call on using a different speaker Ermz, makes sense And as for FX, I just like a time-synced delay on solos, with the feedback adjusted for about 3 perceptible echoes (when the track is solo'ed). However, I usually have been doing it mono as an insert (so it's panned the same as the solo) - how do you guys do the panning for yours?

Usually the same as you unless I'm trying for an effect where I want the echo in to bounce over to the other side, even with that I never pan out opposite any further than where the original is panned ... ie- my solo is panned to 20-25 left, I might as an effect for some parts of the solo have the echo panned to 20-25 right. But usually just the same as the solo

 

[slashvanyoung]

The lead tone could obviously make or break such a record. Shitloads of talented players out there but if you're looking at the players who will be remembered forever (Hendrix, EVH, Vai, Wylde, Dime etc.), they are all having a very unique tone.

But what works for one, doesn't necessarily work for someone else (our own Dimi comes to mind with his unique style). So it would be nice to know where that guy stands stylistically?

If it's a metal mix, I often prefer a Plexi like amp for solos. In addition to modernly voiced hi gain amps for rhythms, they sit just very nice on top of the mix (without much eq) and sing very pleasantly.

The Bogner Ecstasy for example is awesome for amazing lead tones IMO.

 

[blackbird]

The lead tone is an art... Vai uses 2-3 or 4 microphones mixed together. I'm using software these days and on some of my lead tones I have used 2 different mic positioned impulses loaded in Voxengo Pristine Space and one Studio Room Impulse to imitate the ambience of the recording studio. About the FX it depends on the mix and arrangement. I'm not sure 100% but in the metal mixes the solo guitar is using MONO delay 1-3 times of feedback repeat. If you want more body use 250-300 hz boost and around 2.5 and 5khz for more presence. Also most of the time is more important to choose the right amp+cab timbre in interrelation with the rhythm guitars.

Ohh the new version of TH1 Software Amp has The Bogner Ecstasy amp....I hope it will give me an inspiration for new tunes...

 

[blackbird]

Here is a song that I'm working on: http://www.nalbantov.com/VaniasGardenSolo_Dimi.mp3
The solo guitar is the new Vandal Amp+little delay and one Lexicon Room Impulse Response.

 

[joeymusicguy]

some tips for good performance:

1. use a mute on the strings if there are no open notes, a velcro cable tie fixated between the strings and the fret (around the second or first fret area) will mute strings that aren't being pressed down

2. observe solo, make sure there are no accidental polyphony parts (a part where a single note is supposed to be played but two notes are being played accidentally. after a while this can start to sound like something is wrong with the tone when you've been tracking for hours, but its really just bad performance)

3. use your ears to decide the right pickup for the part. some solos require multiple pickup switching to get the right tone out of the notes / octave...

4. if the sound is right for the project, put an overdrive before the amp

5. don't gate too hard