To start off, you should probably keep it as simple as possible and build from there. I'd remove compression and stuff and just start with a simple amp+cab+mic setup (or the digital variety thereoff). Just set all tone controls to 12 oclock and gain at a point where stuff starts to sound cool on palmmutes. Don't overdo this, cause if you quadtrack with too much gain, anything will sound like shit. Too little, and it sounds like a wet towel. Trial and error
What you hear now is pretty much the character of your chain. Tone controls on the amp can balance the different parts of the spectrum out, but the character is something that is very prominent. Trying to fight this will usually result in dead sounding guitars. So if you don't like the character at this point already, chances are the amp/cab/mic aren't really what you are looking for on the project.
So this would be the ideal point to try some other options. Don't like the structure of the gain? Try a different amp, or channel. Don't like the timbre of the tone? Maybe try a different cab. Like the gain and the timbre, but the tone is too dark/bright/bassy/etc for your tastes? Try a different microphoneposition/distance or a different mic altogether.
If everything sounds cool to you, you can use the amp's tonecontrols to finetune the sound to fit the project as well as possible, to prevent overprocessing down the line. The mids are probably the most important part to get right, since that will be what defines your guitars in your mix. Leave some room in the lows for the bassguitar, and maybe try to set the highs a bit darker than you would intuitively. Come mix time, this really helps the vocals and cymbals to cut through naturally.
This isn't in specific order by the way. Tweak as you see fit. After you find something you like this way, you can go and EQ fizz-spikes and stuff out. It's pretty much a requirement for distorted guitars, but make sure the cut is needed. Give your ears a LOT of breaks while doing this, because once you start to hear those spikes, it's VERY easy to go overboard and play whack-a-mole, leaving you with a battered wreckage of a guitartone.
I have found that the key to a cool guitartone is to not fight the character of your chain, but help the good parts stand out by subdueing the shit around it.
To start off, you should probably keep it as simple as possible and build from there. I'd remove compression and stuff and just start with a simple amp+cab+mic setup (or the digital variety thereoff). Just set all tone controls to 12 oclock and gain at a point where stuff starts to sound cool on palmmutes. Don't overdo this, cause if you quadtrack with too much gain, anything will sound like shit. Too little, and it sounds like a wet towel. Trial and error
What you hear now is pretty much the character of your chain. Tone controls on the amp can balance the different parts of the spectrum out, but the character is something that is very prominent. Trying to fight this will usually result in dead sounding guitars. So if you don't like the character at this point already, chances are the amp/cab/mic aren't really what you are looking for on the project.
So this would be the ideal point to try some other options. Don't like the structure of the gain? Try a different amp, or channel. Don't like the timbre of the tone? Maybe try a different cab. Like the gain and the timbre, but the tone is too dark/bright/bassy/etc for your tastes? Try a different microphoneposition/distance or a different mic altogether.
If everything sounds cool to you, you can use the amp's tonecontrols to finetune the sound to fit the project as well as possible, to prevent overprocessing down the line. The mids are probably the most important part to get right, since that will be what defines your guitars in your mix. Leave some room in the lows for the bassguitar, and maybe try to set the highs a bit darker than you would intuitively. Come mix time, this really helps the vocals and cymbals to cut through naturally.
This isn't in specific order by the way. Tweak as you see fit. After you find something you like this way, you can go and EQ fizz-spikes and stuff out. It's pretty much a requirement for distorted guitars, but make sure the cut is needed. Give your ears a LOT of breaks while doing this, because once you start to hear those spikes, it's VERY easy to go overboard and play whack-a-mole, leaving you with a battered wreckage of a guitartone.
I have found that the key to a cool guitartone is to not fight the character of your chain, but help the good parts stand out by subdueing the shit around it.
