Systematic Mixing Series #1: Poking Holes in High-Gain Guitars

Vinny said:
I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but to remember this picture of Nordstrom's studio when yall were talking about room size...

25z0brt.jpgl


Of course Norstrom is a legend, but this room is nowhere near 5x5m, or 10x10m for that matter, and he gets some of the greatest tones in all of Metal.
Just saying, for those of you who think you are doomed with small rooms. It comes down to how well you know how to actually mic a guitar cab up and make use of what you have.
Click to expand...

This is the live room of one of his last studios and it's not the legendary Studio Fredman (actually IF Studios). On IF Studio there is an enormous live room and the "legendary" tone was done there (anyway in my opinion that sound becomes legendary because of the period and the genre, not for the quality).
In that room he recorded Dimmu Borgir "in sorte diaboli".
Actually he has another place with a bigger live room
 
::XeS:: said:
This is the live room of one of his last studios and it's not the legendary Studio Fredman (actually IF Studios). On IF Studio there is an enormous live room and the "legendary" tone was done there (anyway in my opinion that sound becomes legendary because of the period and the genre, not for the quality).
In that room he recorded Dimmu Borgir "in sorte diaboli".
Actually he has another place with a bigger live room
Click to expand...


There's definitely pics from back then where he's got that same ENGL cab inside the vocal booth, which is TINY.
 
AHH! finally found one of the main problems in my guitars...

thank you so fuckin much Ermz :worship::worship::worship:
 
I find the discussion as vital as the OP's post myself. No offense to Ermz, but it'd be boring to read just one dudes take on everything, especially when that one dude doesn't have a well known back catalog to reference like someone like Colin, Andy, Mark/Suecof, Dave Otero, etc...At least for me. I don't know too many bands Ermz has done aside from I think 2 he posted on here, so a lot of the stuff he writes may or may not be useful to someone in my shoes (i.e. someone who doesn't know if the end result meshes well with the gospel they are preaching). ALthough the points he makes are valid, the resulting dialog and clarifications prove the overall thread read to be valuable. I'd hate to see dissenting opinions squashed or removed simply to make it easier for the OP to not have to defend his viewpoint.

All that said, I think the overprocessing of guitar tracks is a bigger killer than anything else, assuming tracking, miking and playing are good.

One of my proudest moments on my last project was that the whole album had at least quad tracked rhythms using 2 amps and the only EQ I used was on group channel (all the rhythm tracks) using the SSL EChannel (HP and LP and some notchy boosts and cut) and the SSL G-EQ (1 band notch). Whether or not anyone else thinks the resulting tone was any good is subjective, but to know I reached my desired tonal goal without a lot of processing was a big step for this noob. I definitely agree overprocessing can kill guitars, and seems to be more evident in the mix than a lot of other elements.
 
That's a valid point, and it may be one others bring up as well. For those who are uncertain about the validity of where the information is coming from, they can simply take the banner link in my signature and take a listen to the free samples on offer for streaming. If they're extra investigative they can look into the CDs themselves. The simple answer here is: if they like what they hear, then great, they might get something from reading the guide. If they don't, well they've saved themselves a lot of time!

I'd prefer for each individual to make up their own mind about the validity of the content, based both on my work, and how well they feel the techniques and methodologies incorporate into their own workflow.
 
Great tutorial! I've found and known about most of these regions for years, but this tutorial gives me proper guidance in how to treat them.
 
I just read the whole thread, and even if technically I didn't learn more (but this is normal considering I've been lurking to some similar posts here and there for years) I appreciated the explanations around the end result (id est : the frequency bands your mention in the end). I'm more in a virtual place where I need to experiment than to read since i've already read too much.

I know you've passed through some moments when you were feeling this board was more or less dying but since you've been more from the side of the ones who "know" and share their knowledge a bit more, for good reasons. And as someone pretty cartesian myself, I appreciate your style because you make the effort to choose the right term, the right image, and you have some sort of scientific approach to things which I appreciate as a first approach to things before it's time to make them instinctive or "let's fuck it".

I just wanted to say that what you are doing with your 5 threads (and I'm about to read your extensive other one after this post) is just awesome and is why I'm coming back here some time to time between very intensive periods of my pro life (which is unrelated to sound or music). So I just wanted to thank you for your efforts cause this is beyong awesome.
 
Will come in very handy for me as i'm not that experienced, and it'll probably aid me in learning a bit of basics and such :) Already saved it and will print it soon.

Also on his site check out Peace by Eye of the Enemy! I don't have the background to tell you if it's the best mix ever, but to me it sounds great! It's super bt00al and they're now one of my favorite bands :)
 
i just would like to send Ermin a BIG THANK U :wave:for taking the time and effort to write and share with us all these details:D

THREAD APPROVED;)
 
This may sound like a stupid question, but after some Googling, I'm confused...

How do I see all the frequencies in my guitar track? To truly reduce spikes and the sort, I need to pin point them visually I'm assuming? Or is it really something you must develop an ear for?
 
The later. Try picking one band. Set the highest Q factor you possibly can, with boost like +15-18dB. Then sweep it around the frequency spectrum. Eventually, you'll find offending frequencies, because they will really jump out. When you find them, just turn that boost the opposite way, so it becomes a notch.
 
Heavy Jerk said:
The later. Try picking one band. Set the highest Q factor you possibly can, with boost like +15-18dB. Then sweep it around the frequency spectrum. Eventually, you'll find offending frequencies, because they will really jump out. When you find them, just turn that boost the opposite way, so it becomes a notch.
Click to expand...

Thanks a ton dude. That's a lot more intuitive then I would have imagined. I'll have to give it a shot soon.
 
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