Shit Guitars... need help!!

[Pedro Teixeira]

Hey guys, I tracked today some guitars, it's not exactly metal, more of a stoner rock band...

The guitar was an LTD, don't remember the model, into a Marshall Valvestate, mics were SM57, i5 and AT4050.

So, we had only 2 hours to do this so it had to be pretty fast, basically the 57 solo'd sounds like shite, the i5 REALLY agressive and the AT4050 has more beef to it, so I did a really quick mix (I just got home) just with i5 and AT4050, and I want you guys to help me improve the guitar in the mix please, btw, there is no bass off yet... I really can't seem to get that really great tone and "power", although I did this in like 15min... anyways have a look please.

Guitars were doubletracked, this is mixed with all 3 mics, SM57 really low in volume, i5 middle, at4050 a little louder... I just need your guys help 'cause it's the first time I mic'ed a guitar and mix it

Btw volumes are not right obviously, guitars are too loud, I'm just concentrating on getting a good sound on guitars right now (I mixed drums previously)

http://www.filefreak.com/pfiles/77821/ShipWreck%20Guitars%20Try.mp3

 

[Mad-Max]

Men U have really a TONS of resonances around 300hz to 600hz...(talking bout the Gtrs!)I would FIRST starting CUT the hell out from that Range!

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

Hm... I will do that and then post there. Someone on gearslutz told me it could also be something with delay compensation?? I'm using parallel compression and such, and he said it sounded a bit weird and could be because of that... I'm on Protools mpowered...

 

[Mad-Max]

Hm... I will do that and then post there. Someone on gearslutz told me it could also be something with delay compensation?? I'm using parallel compression and such, and he said it sounded a bit weird and could be because of that... I'm on Protools mpowered...

listen to the Gtrs in solo, if this could be the problem (delay compensation) it appears when U makes all the tracks playing togheter...
Usually when there are phases Issues dued to the lack of delay compensation, parallel comp on drums sounds as a noticeble overall sibilance in the drums sounds...
Honestly I don't think is this kinda issue, even if I know that Protools LE has this big limitation...

 

[Keiffer]

first simplify...

one mic on one speaker.

no post parallel compression, etc.

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

Hm... I'll try mixing with just the SM57 then, and see what comes up

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

Dammit, I'm really freaking out, I tried mixing with just the SM57 tracks and it's just god awful, I don't know what kind of processing to do right now... anyone has any tips?? What kind of signal chain do you use, ITB I mean, plugin wise etc? thx

 

[paladin shredder]

you are having phase issues between the mics it sounds like. why don't you just post some raw clips of each mic'd track you used for one guitar take.

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

Hm... want me to post 3 files then? Each one solo'd? Gonna do that.

With or without processing?

 

[paladin shredder]

without

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

Here they are:

SM57 - http://www.filefreak.com/pfiles/77821/SM57.wav
Audix i5 - http://www.filefreak.com/pfiles/77821/i5.wav
AT4050 - http://www.filefreak.com/pfiles/77821/AT4050.wav

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

I think the AT4050 is what's causing the trouble here, it sounds to me that's what's most out of phase... I did a really quick mix with the 57's hard panned and the i5 L20 and R20 with very very low volume, scooped the shit out of the 57's and gave a little bit of mids in the i5's to create the "connection" between the scooped 57's... but it still lacks punch! :[ after EQ I used a C4 to control the low mids and the highs... and sidechained the kick just a little bit

http://www.filefreak.com/pfiles/77821/Shipwreck%2057%20and%20i5%20mix1.mp3

 

[paladin shredder]

that mix sounds much better. why don't you just move the tracks so that they are more in phase with each other?

edit: here's an example of what a difference it make when all the guitar tracks are manually phase aligned. this example is all three audio tracks playing at equal volume with no processing.

before: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/333261/test 1.wav

after: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/333261/test 2.wav

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

Hey just did a quick run, moved the AT4050 because it's the one that I placed farther, 57 and i5 we're practically identical... just moved until it sounded right then lowered the volume quite a bit.

http://www.filefreak.com/pfiles/77821/Shipwreck%20guitars%20phased%20mp3.mp3

 

[paladin shredder]

sounds like your problem's fixed! i'm really liking the tone.

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

Thanks for the tip paladin! Btw, Tomorrow and saturday, I'm gonna record the rest of the songs, should I place the mics exactly as I did and then move it, or should I try measure the distance and put the 4050 at the same distance as of the 57 and i5?

 

[Keiffer]

Hey just did a quick run...

that sounds cool... liked it.

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

HAHAHA OMG that's the worst guitar tone i've ever heard!!! Too bad, the playing is good!!!! LOL that was great!!!

edit: meaning the original posted file was awful

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

ahah you got that right! At least it's fixed now... what I'm finding really hard is that I have no acoustic treatment in my room, and have the M-audio Bx5a's, they seem a bit dark, and even more, I'm in the corner of my room, they are like 5cm from the wall :X so basically my mixes don't translate very well here... oh, and to add to the top of that in my house you hear every single step you take

So you see, it sounded bad to me, but it didn't sound REALLY bad, because there is really not much definition here... : \