Need help with leadtone

[ahjteam]

I have a massive problem getting a pleasant sounding leadtone. I have this really dreamy/cloudy mix with a lot of guitars, so the current leadtone sounds really stingy, because I just can't seem to make it cut thru otherwise without overpowering the whole mix.

ahjteam - Floating (demoversion)

The thing is that the main problem is mostly in the fingers and I acknowledge it, but there is nothing I can do about it in a short timeframe except practice practice practice.

I am using the Marshall's Crunch channel boosted with TS9 to 2x12" with V30's to SM57 (and after processed with delay in the DAW). The guitarchoise might also be the reason, I only have Les Paul type LTD EC-1000 with EMG pickups (and a hollow body Ibanez Artcore with passive humbuckers).

Any tips on how to improve is appriciated, I'm also willing to retrack for the DI-version if you want to try it out.

 

[Sacha]

Your whole chain is set up for upper mid bite so it may just be too much. Try cutting some above 3k and maybe boost at 1k and 500 area. I like a bit of extra compression in the mix on leads to smooth them out even further. I also tend to find lower output passive pickups give a smoother tone.

 

[ahjteam]

I tried this... I created a harmony guitar for the lead with the mokafix metalzone sim (+ gate, eq, compressor, rotary drum, and reverb from podfarm). And for some reason it sounds quite nice, atleast to my ears.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1338211/ahjteam/ahjteam_floating_v05.mp3

 

[Eddy]

Have you tried to play it with the neck pickup?

 

[ahjteam]

Have you tried to play it with the neck pickup?

I played both of those leads with neck pickup

 

[ScootBaloo]

Hi Anssi,

The lead tone sounds OK to me in your clips but if you want it to cut
thru more then maybe use the high gain channel on the amp and set
the treble and presence on the amp higher.
If you post the lead DI then you could hear the lead tone reamped
through some different amps.

 

[Eddy]

I played both of those leads with neck pickup

I must have been still half asleep, to me the first version sounded "sharp" like it was played with bridge pickup.

But that new version sounds good to me, much better.

 

[MightyThor]

I used to have this problem too. I'd have a sweet sounding lead tone when played by itself then get nasally when in a mix. My solution was to crank the hell out of the mids and then adjust the highs to get the bite I wanted.