My XXX Tone- Need Some Ears....

[Wolfeman]

Just got done building my isolation box. Now I can crank my Peavey and not piss off the neighbors. And no more POD. I'm trying to get a base tone locked down, and could use some advice. XXX Tone

Here's the setup-

Guitars(left side SD live wires, right side emg 85) -> XXX -> V30 -> SM57/E609 -> C4 -> Sonic Maximizer

High's at 11 o'clock, mid at 10 o'clock, low at 8 o'clock. I think it could use some more bass, but I can't put the bass control past 8 o'clock or it rattles the apartment. Funny thing is I built the iso box pretty well, no sound escapes from it, but it shakes like crazy when I crank it. I didn't use my rack or my Maxon since I want to get a good base first. Mic's are as follows- The 609 is up against the grill, to the left of the cone, straight forward. The 57 is the same, only to the right of the cone. The 57 is a tad higher in the mix than the 609. I only did on quick track on each side. Excuse the sloppy playing, this is just a test and I pulled a quick riff out of my ass.

Have at it.

Edit:- Updated tone- XXX test 2

 

[Wolfeman]

Thought you guys might like to see the iso box... Pretty beefy. It's a bitch and a half to move.

 

[ApolloSpeed]

nice box........

tone is ok, but I'd say move the mikes around. Sounds a little thin and highended for my taste. I agree with needing more bass.

I got an idea, if your box is rattling from the bass, put foam all around the bottom where it meets the floor. It might help.

 

[Tachy]

Sound good! with a drums your sound will be very good man.

 

[Wolfeman]

nice box........

tone is ok, but I'd say move the mikes around. Sounds a little thin and highended for my taste. I agree with needing more bass.

I got an idea, if your box is rattling from the bass, put foam all around the bottom where it meets the floor. It might help.

Yeah the mics have to be adjusted. I pretty much just placed them and went with it. I'm going to pic up some crappy bed foam or something tomorrow to put under the box. I blew too much money on the wood and interior sound proofing shit so I really can't afford anything good to put under it. I was also thinking about throwing the whole setup in the closet, but it just won't fit.

 

[ApolloSpeed]

maybe some blankets or towels might work?

 

[KillDivision]

You build a isolationcab around a 4x12 cabinet?????

 

[JeffTD]

I dig it, but yeah, definately move the mic's around. Is it a V30? I'd start with a single 57 pointed at where the cone meets the rest of the speaker.

I'd also ditch the BBE, and only use the C4 as far as plugins, and then filter below 60hz or so, and above 12khz.

 

[Wolfeman]

You build a isolationcab around a 4x12 cabinet?????

What's wrong with that?????

 

[Phase]

You have to turn down the presence on the amp and the Pod as well if you still use that too . Moving the mic is not going to get rid of all that nasty highend. Im sure the sonic maximizer is adding to the problem also

 

[Wolfeman]

Ok guys I updated my tone. I moved the mics around, and got rid of the C4 and the Maximizer to get a more raw tone. I think it sounds much better now.

XXX test 2

I found that the 609 sounds better on a different V30 than the one the 57 is on. I was also able to up the bass a bit.

 

[JeffTD]

Hmm... I'm not liking this one nearly as much. sounds a bit more fake, more grainy in the high end. Try the OD808, use the C4, and only use the 57, and see how that works.

 

[Wolfeman]

Ok, here it is with just the 57, and the 808 and a little C4

test3

 

[JeffTD]

Oh god... even worse LOL.

Where do you have that SM57 placed? I'd put it on a V30 aiming straight on, right at where the cone meets the rest of the speaker.

 

[Wolfeman]

Oh god... even worse LOL.

Where do you have that SM57 placed? I'd put it on a V30 aiming straight on, right at where the cone meets the rest of the speaker.

Thats where it is :zombie:

 

[Wolfeman]

Ok, moved the 57 to the other v30. It's on my soundclick page in the link above...... Better?

 

[JeffTD]

It's better than before, but I still think it should be sounding better than it does for some reason. Weeeird...

 

[madmuso]

Hey Wolfeman,

have you tried placing the 57 off axis?
Also, I used to always boost high's when recording gtrs then quickly found out that our ears already know what a gtr sound is made up of, it would become way to sizzly, the same result happens when boosting highs on hi hats and cymbals, we really dont need to because our brain is already educated in knowing the make up of these sounds, hence after boosting the high's on them
we scratch our heads a month after the mix saying.....what the hell!

Also, do you have like a little auratone or something you can monitor your gtr sound through? If a gtr sound sounds really good through one of those at any volume then you've got it. If not, back to the drawing board! Damn, I've been there many times!

hope this helps,

madmuso

 

[Nebulous]

Wow a Melbournian. Welcome. Whats an Auratone?

 

[madmuso]

Nebulous

Thanks for the welcome!

Its a very small monitor usualy used as a reference against your primary monitors. So when you think you've got the sound you want, check it against the auratone and it will reveal if you've done your job! When using normal full range monitors, we tend to turn them up in volume when previewing a sound we are working on in order to make up for the innacurate capture and lack of tone of that sound. The increase in volume tricks our brain and ears into thinking that we have done our job in capturing the sound/tone correctly because we are producing more energy by turning it up. You should get a boner listening to your guitar tone, or any other tone at low levels. I'm pretty sure Auratones aren't made any more but you can still find them second hand.

cheers,

madmuso