Peavey 6505+ recording test

[Kazrog]

Last night I got my isolation foam set up around my Mesa oversize 4x12 cabinet and I had the chance to run a test. This has a Maxon OD 820 and Boss NS-2 in front, and I used an SM 57 on axis. Rhythm channel of the 6505+ on crunch, one track, excuse the semi-sloppy playing, just a test.

http://www.shanemcfee.com/preproduction/5150 Test.aif

UPDATED: Photos from the session are here:

http://homepage.mac.com/shanemcfee/PhotoAlbum6.html

I think I need to dial in a little bit more noise reduction (a little bit of a feedback problem - and this was running through a reamp box, not a live amp take), but overall I'm very happy with this tone and I'm looking forward to doing some more extensive tests in the context of mixes.

PS - The guitar in question is an ESP LTD MH 400NT with EMG 85 in the bridge, tuned to C.

 

[sah5150]

Sounds excellent. Would love to hear that in a mix...

Steve

 

[sah5150]

Oh... in the picture of the 6505+... Were those the actual settings you used for this or were you just setting up?

Steve

 

[Kazrog]

Oh... in the picture of the 6505+... Were those the actual settings you used for this or were you just setting up?

Steve

Actual settings.

 

[sah5150]

Actual settings.

Thanks man!

Steve

 

[Glenn Fricker]

Thanks for the demo.... Nice tone.

A word of caution, however.... I wouldn't leave that sheet/blanket on top of the head very long, you could wind up with a fire on your hands!

Safety first

-0z-

 

[Kazrog]

Thanks for the demo.... Nice tone.

A word of caution, however.... I wouldn't leave that sheet/blanket on top of the head very long, you could wind up with a fire on your hands!

Safety first

-0z-

What you can't see in that photo is that the blanket doesn't go over the top of the head (there's a bit of an illusion happening.) No worries, I've intentionally kept the grill free of obstructions. Thanks for the word of advice in any case!

 

[vile_ator]

After hearing your tone, I plugged into my 5150 II(same as yours), and used the rythym channel on crunch for the first time! I also used a NS-2 and a Tube Screamer. And I think I like that channel more than the lead channel. Its got a bit more definition. But not as much low end, expecially with the TS.

Thanks for turning me on to it!

Colin

 

[Kazrog]

After hearing your tone, I plugged into my 5150 II(same as yours), and used the rythym channel on crunch for the first time! I also used a NS-2 and a Tube Screamer. And I think I like that channel more than the lead channel. Its got a bit more definition. But not as much low end, expecially with the TS.

Thanks for turning me on to it!

Colin

No problem! I actually thought it had less low end at first too, but then I realized that it's just tighter in the low end and the gain is better if you're into quad tracking. By itself, the lead channel sounds killer and I'd probably use it live, but in the studio, rhythm channel on crunch is awesome.

 

[~BURNY~]

Is your cab the v30 one or the s90 one?
Could you do a clip without the foam? Just curious...

 

[Kazrog]

Is your cab the v30 one or the s90 one?
Could you do a clip without the foam? Just curious...

V30, and I do have a clip I did before I'd finished making the foam boards, and I can post that later today. It sounded pretty good, better than I expected, but less tight/clean than the foam version obviously.

 

[jamesboyd]

sounds cool kazrog, personally I find it easier to critique rhy gat sounds when they are double tracked.

For what it's worth I think foam/sheets/etc are unecessary.
If you take a close listen to practically any well produced hi gain sound (but in particular andy's work) you'll hear a lot more room sound (is that early reflections?)

anyway you might only notice it fully when listening in a studio but that 'bit of room sound' just makes the guitars sit much better than without it.

try moving your mic back about an inch and set the cab up in a tasteful spot in the room and crank her to about 3-5 on the master

Your clip just didn't seem to breathe to me, and I'm sure what I mentioned was part of it.

Bit more midrange wouldn't hurt either

 

[Kazrog]

sounds cool kazrog, personally I find it easier to critique rhy gat sounds when they are double tracked.

For what it's worth I think foam/sheets/etc are unecessary.
If you take a close listen to practically any well produced hi gain sound (but in particular andy's work) you'll hear a lot more room sound (is that early reflections?)

anyway you might only notice it fully when listening in a studio but that 'bit of room sound' just makes the guitars sit much better than without it.

try moving your mic back about an inch and set the cab up in a tasteful spot in the room and crank her to about 3-5 on the master

Your clip just didn't seem to breathe to me, and I'm sure what I mentioned was part of it.

Bit more midrange wouldn't hurt either

Thanks for the tips. I think this is a matter of taste. I don't want "room tone" and I certaintly don't want my tone to "breathe," but if I do, I'll use some convolution reverb, as my room isn't intrinsically good sounding, it's a condominium! This tone is supposed to be mid-scooped and I will more than likely quad track it alongside something with more mids.

 

[kaomao]

Last night I got my isolation foam set up around my Mesa oversize 4x12 cabinet and I had the chance to run a test.

Yes good starting point Shane!!
I like the sample!!!!
5150 on the crunch sounds very good, I love it
Here my settings

pre gain : 1
bass: 6 (as you)
mid: 0 (really depends on the guitar used)
treble: 6 (still the same as you)
post gain: 3 (or more if you can , my house walls at 3 tremble)
resonance: 7
presence: 6

my maxon od9
gain: 3 o'clock
tone: 10 o'clock
level: 12 o'clock

edit: pre gain on 8 sorry!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jamesboyd]

yup I hear ya, tomatoes, tamatoes

That's the change I would personally make, if you're happy then it's perfect

rock on

 

[Black neon bob]

Man, i really want to hear this one, since i am looking into buying one as well in the future! but i can't seem to play that aif file in my windows media player at all...

any chance you might have it in mp3 form or WAV, Shane?

 

[Razorjack]

Awesome tone Shane!! I hope you get round to recording some new material with the 6505+ soon, I'd love to hear the new direction you are taking and with that tone it'll crush!!

One quick question, what guage strings do you use?

 

[James Murphy]

For what it's worth I think foam/sheets/etc are unecessary.
If you take a close listen to practically any well produced hi gain sound (but in particular andy's work) you'll hear a lot more room sound (is that early reflections?)

not sure where you get this info, but you're wrong.. Andy often uses the "foam sheets".. and in fact i think Kazrog has the same ones that Andy does:

ignore the "dildo" mic... lol... but you can see the foam panels just behind andy, and there were more on the other side where i was standing to take the pic as well.... i don't think andy ever uses much "room" sound in his guitars, not for heavy stuff anyway and nor do i, much less would you find such on "practically any well produced hi gain sound" on modern metal cds for the most part either.

 

[JeffTD]

Man, i really want to hear this one, since i am looking into buying one as well in the future! but i can't seem to play that aif file in my windows media player at all...

any chance you might have it in mp3 form or WAV, Shane?

Quicktime and Itunes will play it .

 

[jamesboyd]

well according to a post by andy he doesn't 'bother with covering the amp anymore' maybe he just meant he doesn't enclose the whole cabinet with sheets etc.

lotta room sound/ambience in a lot of what I'm hearing of andy's, but when I say a lot I mean you can hear *some* room in there, and not just the gtr sound direct like say a pod with no mic/room settings on.

That's how it sounds to me on a lot of records, the new arch enemy record (track 7 or 8) when one of the rhythm guitars goes off on it's own doing some low-E and octave work is a prime example of the sound breathing a bit.