What's my problem?

[Mr. Brokenamp]

I've listened to countless guitar clips on this forum and alot of them sound really
good. When I try to record a heavy guitar sound it gets all outta control like my monitors are going to rumble themselves apart. I back off on the lows but then it sounds thin. Is it my eq'ing? My mic placement? Fact I don't have a speaker grill? Combination of things? I give up.
Maybe someone could post a totally raw clip of what I should be getting onto tape like just one track, one amp, into an SM57 into a pre and then the recording device.
Because I feel like a real dumbass right about now.

 

[Kazrog]

Give us some details about your setup. What kind of computer, OS, recording interface or sound card, and DAW software are you running? What kind of amplifier, cabinet, and mic preamp is being used? Post some clips while you're at it!

 

[Mr. Brokenamp]

Ok here is a clip.
http://www.soundclick.com/angleofincidence
Here's the signal path:
Les Paul->Fulltone Fulldrive->Marshall tube preamp->VHT 2150 power amp->Isolation box with a Carvin vintage lead 12 incher->Shure SM57->Old School Audio (API clone) preamp->a creative soundcard->Cakewalk on an Windows XP
I'm pretty new to this so I don't know if my soundcard is good for this or even how good cakewalk is.
Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

 

[006]

How far back is the mic from the speaker? Sounds like mad proximity effect going on in there. Also an iso box is a bit different than standard cab mic'ing.

~006

 

[Carcass29]

I don't know much about recording but you have some serious bottom end(bass) going on....try lowering it.

 

[Kazrog]

Ok here is a clip.
http://www.soundclick.com/angleofincidence
Here's the signal path:
Les Paul->Fulltone Fulldrive->Marshall tube preamp->VHT 2150 power amp->Isolation box with a Carvin vintage lead 12 incher->Shure SM57->Old School Audio (API clone) preamp->a creative soundcard->Cakewalk on an Windows XP
I'm pretty new to this so I don't know if my soundcard is good for this or even how good cakewalk is.
Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

Sounds a lot better than your description. The clipping and low end problem is your Creative soundcard most likely, it probably just can't handle the dynamics and frequency response that your rig is serving up. Creative doesn't make any products suitable for pro audio applications, they're a consumer-grade company. I'd suggest getting an external audio interface such as a MOTU UltraLite.

Your tone is a little bit distant sounding - I'd like to see a picture of your isolation setup. Experiment with mic position also.

 

[Mr. Brokenamp]

I tried to estimate where the mic would be if I had a grill on it. Maybe move it back a little?
That Motu piece is buku $ anything a little gentler on the wallet?
I'll post more info soon.

 

[Kazrog]

I tried to estimate where the mic would be if I had a grill on it. Maybe move it back a little?
That Motu piece is buku $ anything a little gentler on the wallet?
I'll post more info soon.

You don't want to go too cheap, there's some decent, inexpensive interfaces that M-Audio makes like the FastTrack Pro that will work better than what you've got going now.

 

[JBroll]

Any suggestions for interfaces that aren't Firewire? My desktop is a wee bit old (FW was standard literally a month after we bought the box).

Oh, and for future reference, the word is 'beaucoup' - it's French for plenty/lots (it's always spelled wrong because those bloody Frenchmen like putting too many syllables in and then forgetting about them entirely). Nothing personal - it's just that improper spelling drives me nuts.

Jeff

 

[JeffTD]

If you have a Desktop, just get a firewire PCI card. They're liek 15 bucks! LOL

 

[sorceron]

i think you need a new soundcard

edit: by the time i posted this there was already 3 posts talking about cards. im to slow to hit post.

 

[JBroll]

If you have a Desktop, just get a firewire PCI card. They're like 15 bucks! LOL

They're either taken or fried - a power surge literally fried all but two of them which are taken for my network and sound cards.

Jeff

 

[Kenneth R.]

soundcard it is then... i'm looking at upgrading myself

 

[Kazrog]

M-Audio makes plenty of USB audio interfaces, as does MOTU, there's lots of options out there.

 

[006]

I have an M-Audio MobilePre USB at home for tracking PODxt and such when I leave my 002R at the studio. It's pretty decent. I think it was $150. There are a ton of USB interfaces nowadays, just go on SweetWater and search around in the USB Interface section under Recording.

~006

 

[Mr. Brokenamp]

006, what is this proximity effect you speak of and how is it eliminated?
I have the mic dead center to the speaker.

 

[EtherForBreakfast]

Broken. Proximity effect is when the mic is so close it will hyper boost/exxagerate, and I'm going to say EXACERBATE!! the low end... and you end up with BOOOOOOOOOOOM like you have here.

I have never had much luck with iso cabinets... I think they are rubbish. Especially the ones that you pay $9,000,000 for. I exacerbated that figure, but I have seen some pretty outrageously priced "iso boxes" that really just help to make more bass in your house or apt. than you would ever want.

You have a (JMP-1?) and your carvin tube power amp, and a cab... You will pretty much need to get the cab and mic as far away from your listening position as you can so you can get a healthy level without it fucking with what you hear from your monitors. You could use headphones, but...

For soundcard, look at the EMU 1212m (PCI). They are $160 on eBay new and they kill in the ADDA department. Everything else in your chain is Tip Fuckin Top, Samuel L. Jackson.

* I'd like to take this opportunity to mention that Roger Federer will win Wimbledon tomorrow, and that France will win the World Cup. Thank you.

 

[Mr. Brokenamp]

I got an old Marshall pre like a 9001 or 9000 one of those I'm not even sure which the power amp is a VHT 2150 the speaker is a Carvin Vintage lead. I think I might swap it for one of my V30's.