Tips on getting that huge KSE-ish sound

C

CheesusKrist

New Metal Member
Sep 6, 2014
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Hey guys, complete and utter noob here in dire need of your expertise.

First of all are there any useful guides/articles that would help me achieve my desired tone?

Right now my signal chain is Ibanez RG1570->Zoom G7.1ut->TSE 808->LePou Legion->NadIR with Catharsis's impulses.

I just want to get that massive "chunky" sound, like my mix wants to hit you in the face with a sledgehammer. Every time I record 2 tracks panned L/R it sounds like a pack of squirrel nibbling at a pine nut; wafer thin and just plain awful.

This is what I'm going for. I hear mixes on here all the time that have that same "punch" ( really sorry, I wasn't kidding when I said I'm a noob, I have no idea what the correct terms are).



Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
 
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I´m more of a noob than a pro aswell but if it sounds too thin then add a good amount of mids on your amp sim and if you want a big sound try quadtracking with 2 tracks panned hard left/hard right and 2 tracks panned 75% L and 75% R - that helps to make that "wall" appear.
 
HannesITS said:
I´m more of a noob than a pro aswell but if it sounds too thin then add a good amount of mids on your amp sim and if you want a big sound try quadtracking with 2 tracks panned hard left/hard right and 2 tracks panned 75% L and 75% R - that helps to make that "wall" appear.
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Thanks a lot man! Will definitely try it out.

Ermz said:
Much of that sound comes from Adam's guitar playing. The 6505 and Cobra help too - they naturally blend really well.
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I understand, I'm not nearly as good as either one of the guitarists from KSE but I'm not that bad either.

Also, do we have any ampsims that are modeled after the Cobra? I know the X50 v2 is a 6505 sim, but is it worth 50$ if I'm only recording for fun?
 
CheesusKrist said:
Also, do we have any ampsims that are modeled after the Cobra? I know the X50 v2 is a 6505 sim, but is it worth 50$ if I'm only recording for fun?
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I don't mean to sound condescending but if your attitude is "only for fun" and you're only using free plugins then you aren't going to get the same sound.

FWIW I'd go for EMG's, hard but clean and controlled picking, tubescreamer, 6505/triple rec/soldano/cobra/v30's/sm57 quite far back from the cab. The playing and particularly Palm mutes will be the difference. X50 is well worth it but if you want great recorded guitar sounds invest the time, money and effort in micing up real amps.
 
The cheating option. Use match eq and try to mimic the desired kse tone by changing picking techniques until it sounds like you want. Use high output pickups. If done right you can gett at least 75% there. As for actually achieving the tone from scratch, I have no idea.
 
CheesusKrist said:
Also, do we have any ampsims that are modeled after the Cobra? I know the X50 v2 is a 6505 sim, but is it worth 50$ if I'm only recording for fun?
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The new version of Recabinet is going to have a Cobra sim, but you do have to pay for it. Nick Crow's 8505 is a 6505 sim, and the 7170 is a 5150, both free. IMO the TSE is totally, totally worth it. Even if you're recording for fun (I am too), you'll get annoyed when you can't get "that sound" and your stuff sounds worse than everybody else around here, and you'll eventually want to spend enough to get it sound realistic. Just buy it now and be satisfied :lol:

Also worth noting that the isolated guitar tracks from The End of Heartache are on YouTube. They're real as far as I know. Surprisingly mids-dominant, and most of that chunk really comes from a nice, well-eq'd bass. I'd just try the 8505 with a screamer sim in front and the ASEM recto impulses to start.

 
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Thanks for all the replies fellas :heh:

I will definitely consider buying the X50, after all 50$ isn't that all that much. And I fully understand about having to pay for premium sound, it's fair. Also those isolated tracks sound worlds different from the actual song! Wow, that blew my mind. And He's Dead, Jim, thanks a lot man for the ampsim/impulse recommendations.

Also when you're recording say, 4 tracks, do you record multiple tracks at the same time or do each and every track one by one? When I try to do the latter it always ends up sounding a little messy. Probably my shit playing though :lol:
 
Quad-tracking means recording four different takes playing the same thing. It's a bit tricky to get to sound tight, but if you take your time, practice generously to a metronome, and record as cleanly as possible, the subtle difference between each take is what makes it sound sooooooo thick and big. :)
 
Quad tracking require TIGHT playing. You basically have to play each side twice EXACTLY the same, but human factor play it's role and create subtle differences and act similar to chorus effect without that phasiness.

Can someone tell me where are those KSE stems coming from? Youtube have it low quality and I don't want to bother myself with such quality, but I want to get them to have more reference tracks.
 
Rex Rocker said:
Quad-tracking means recording four different takes playing the same thing. It's a bit tricky to get to sound tight, but if you take your time, practice generously to a metronome, and record as cleanly as possible, the subtle difference between each take is what makes it sound sooooooo thick and big. :)
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nezvers said:
Quad tracking require TIGHT playing. You basically have to play each side twice EXACTLY the same, but human factor play it's role and create subtle differences and act similar to chorus effect without that phasiness.

Can someone tell me where are those KSE stems coming from? Youtube have it low quality and I don't want to bother myself with such quality, but I want to get them to have more reference tracks.
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Thanks guys, I was messing around quad tracking today no matter how hard I try, how easy the riff is, whenever I quad track it comes out sounding too chorus-ey. It seems pretty impossible thus far.

When you guys quad track do you run the same amp/eq settings for 2 tracks on the same side? or do you switch it up like do a low-mid heavy track on the 100L panned track and the 75L panned one with a more tops/mid heavy setting?
 
I don't know what the professional/standard approach is with quad tracking as far as levels, but in my experimenting with it I only ever like the sound when there is still a dominant hard panned l/r pair, then a 75%(or so) panned pair mixed lower.
It might seem to defeat the purpose, but if you A/B this approach you'll see that it still has an effect even with the inner pair mixed quite a bit lower.
I think it still adds some thickening.. it still seems to fill the gaps so to speak.
 
nezvers said:
Can someone tell me where are those KSE stems coming from? Youtube have it low quality and I don't want to bother myself with such quality, but I want to get them to have more reference tracks.
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I believe these are the multichannel oggs coming from the game "Rock Band". At least that's the case with "My Curse".
 
CheesusKrist said:
When you guys quad track do you run the same amp/eq settings for 2 tracks on the same side? or do you switch it up like do a low-mid heavy track on the 100L panned track and the 75L panned one with a more tops/mid heavy setting?
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I usually run one amp for both 100%L/R tracks and a different one for the 75% panned tracks. My recommendation would be a 6505 for the 100% to get that fat sound and a Mesa DR for the 75% for the wideness.
 
Didn't read the whole thread but if I didn't miss anything, no one suggested the normal X50... If he want's to keep it free, that would be the way to go imo.
 
Always always keep in mind:

Play like a badass -> sound like a badass.
Adam D plays like a badass & if you don't have that part down 98% already it's only going to be even harder for you to get there with ampsims and impulses.
Chunky playing, really focus on where you mute and how to hit the strings.

Apart from that, +1 to most things mentioned.


Also: post a clip dude, easier to listen to something to be able to tell you what could be improved!
 
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