Butch
Max Output Level: -87 dBFS
- Total Posts : 175
- Joined: 2005/07/13 08:17:27
- Location: Asheville, NC
- Status: offline
Elusive Guitar Tone
Hello all,
I was recording a section for a new song and miked up my guitar amp. After minimal tweaking, I got a tone I was really happy with. A few weeks later, I came up with another section for the same song and went to record it. I was using the same guitar, pickup, cable, amp, cabinet and mic...but I just can't seem to get the tone to match the tone of the section I recorded just a few weeks earlier. It seems that the only possible variables are the settings of the amp and the placement of the mic...but I still can't get it. How do any of you try to match a guitar tone from an earlier recording?
Thanks and happy recording!
Butch Let's make some art!
|
Slugbaby
Max Output Level: -33.5 dBFS
- Total Posts : 4172
- Joined: 2004/10/01 13:57:37
- Location: Toronto, Canada
- Status: offline
Re:Elusive Guitar Tone
2010/10/03 09:23:42
(permalink)
I've never been able to accomplish that.
I'd just go and re-record the entire song. A little more work, but it'll keep the consistancy.
|
gustabo
Max Output Level: -49.5 dBFS
- Total Posts : 2591
- Joined: 2009/01/05 17:32:38
- Status: offline
Re:Elusive Guitar Tone
2010/10/03 09:34:14
(permalink)
You can always use a spectrum-matching eq on your second section and set it to match the first one. Something like this.
post edited by gustabo - 2010/10/03 09:35:18
Cakewalk by Bandlab - Win10 Pro x64 - StudioCat Platinum Studio DAW - 32 GB Ram - MOTU UltraLite-mk3
M-Audio Keystation 88ES - Akai MPD26 (hot-rodded) - Alesis DM10 - a few guitars, a few amps
Novation Launch Control - Korg nanoKONTROL2 - PreSonus FaderPort - DAW Remote HD on iPad
Adam A7X - Behritone C50A
PreSonus Monitor Station v2 (controlling the mons)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/sonarusergroup/
|
The Maillard Reaction
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 31918
- Joined: 2004/07/09 20:02:20
- Status: offline
Re:Elusive Guitar Tone
2010/10/03 11:58:08
(permalink)
It's all in the fingers. :-)
Try to recall and recreate the attitude of the moment during that earlier take that you are using as reference.
best regards,
mike
|
StevenMikel
Max Output Level: -84 dBFS
- Total Posts : 319
- Joined: 2010/06/04 00:16:35
- Location: Greenfield In.
- Status: offline
Re:Elusive Guitar Tone
2010/10/03 12:27:40
(permalink)
I use an ampsim until I get everything where I want it then,I record my real amp.
|
Guitarhacker
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 24398
- Joined: 2007/12/07 12:51:18
- Location: NC
- Status: offline
Re:Elusive Guitar Tone
2010/10/03 14:37:50
(permalink)
Unless you record the exact settings this will be difficult to recreate.
The settings on the amp must be exact, the settings on the guitar must be exact, the settings in the DAW must be exact.....
This is true for guitar and also for vocals.
I can not count the times where I have attempted to "match" the tone from a performance just the day before and no matter how I try, I can not make the two sound like they were recorded from the same guitar.
So, I often do exactly as Slugbaby points out.... record it ALL again.
This used to cause me concern...."man that was the perfect take...wadda mean do it over?" but I soon learned that the second or third take was often much better than the first take. (guitar & vocally)
I like to use saved presets on my POD2.... but if I tweeze the mids.... or the highs, or the gain...all bets are off to recapture the exact tone....
On my latest tune: Emerald Eyes, this is evident. the guitar tone varies in the parts..... cause I was too lazy, didn't have the time, didn't want to (pick one excuse) to redo it all.
My website & music: www.herbhartley.com MC4/5/6/X1e.c, on a Custom DAW Focusrite Firewire Saffire Interface BMI/NSAI "Just as the blade chooses the warrior, so too, the song chooses the writer "
|
Dave Modisette
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 11050
- Joined: 2003/11/13 22:12:55
- Location: Brandon, Florida
- Status: offline
Re:Elusive Guitar Tone
2010/10/03 17:16:21
(permalink)
I think another factor is the room. I have an ISO booth and my amps and mic positions are fairly consistent. I monitor the tone through my studio monitors so you would think that it would stay the same. Wrong, I was just noticing that my guitar was a little bassy. I moved to roll off a bit of bass on the mixer and when I moved to the mixer the extra bass went away.
The difference was that I was sitting a bit off of center because my dogs were napping next to me and they had pushed me about 12 inches left. Changed the perceived sound of the guitar. I'm just goofing around so it didn't matter and I decided to let sleeping dogs lie. ;)
|
marcos69
Max Output Level: -26 dBFS
- Total Posts : 4950
- Joined: 2004/11/05 21:44:33
- Location: Between my guitar and amp
- Status: offline
Re:Elusive Guitar Tone
2010/10/03 22:33:40
(permalink)
You don't say if you use a tube amp or not. If so your tubes need to be completely warmed up. Maybe that's the difference between the two sessions.
|
rotaholic
Max Output Level: -86 dBFS
- Total Posts : 204
- Joined: 2005/02/28 19:48:55
- Status: offline
Re:Elusive Guitar Tone
2010/10/04 00:06:13
(permalink)
Im picking your amp and mic are in a different place, use tape on the floor to mark amp locations and mic stand placements, also on the grill cloth of you amp for mic placement, then use to notes to say if it was on axis or of axis etc. You can also mark boom poles on the stands etc After that you may have been running more guitar volume and less preamp, most preamps have a sweet spot, look for it and adjust your amp to suit or vice versa. A bit over the top but might give you some ideas. The biggest instrument you own is the room, it is also they most neglected and out of tune instrument you have..........
post edited by rotaholic - 2010/10/04 00:08:30
|
gamblerschoice
Max Output Level: -43 dBFS
- Total Posts : 3226
- Joined: 2005/02/25 15:55:05
- Location: Johnstown, Pa
- Status: offline
Re:Elusive Guitar Tone
2010/10/04 00:53:41
(permalink)
In addition to marking with tape the positions as suggested above, I would also suggest writing things down.
If you took a few minutes and did a drawing of the knobs and switches on the amp, and then photo-copy it, at each circle for a knob, draw an arrow, points to 5, 6, whatever, switch "A" is up, switch "B" is in the middle, etc.
Even with software plugins, I will draw a picture, show the settings for each virtual "knob", and keep these notes with the track notes for the song. You do keep track notes, right? Walmart has tablets for school, $0.10 each, I have filled a stack of them, and if need be, can find the original settings for a song done three years ago....
Just a thought.
Later
Albert
|
Bristol_Jonesey
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 16775
- Joined: 2007/10/08 15:41:17
- Location: Bristol, UK
- Status: offline
Re:Elusive Guitar Tone
2010/10/04 05:31:45
(permalink)
Or you could simply take a photo of your amp settings with your phone.
This problem - which I guess all us guitarists suffer from - was no more acute than back in the early 70's.
Yes, when recording Close To The Edge, would be set up in the studio then at the end of a seesion, they'd pack all the gear up, and go and play a gig in the North of England.
Back in the studio a few days later, everything had changed.
They recorded the whole album that way.
CbB, Platinum, 64 bit throughoutCustom built i7 3930, 32Gb RAM, 2 x 1Tb Internal HDD, 1 x 1TB system SSD (Win 7), 1 x 500Gb system SSD (Win 10), 2 x 1Tb External HDD's, Dual boot Win 7 & Win 10 64 Bit, Saffire Pro 26, ISA One, Adam P11A,
|
Butch
Max Output Level: -87 dBFS
- Total Posts : 175
- Joined: 2005/07/13 08:17:27
- Location: Asheville, NC
- Status: offline
Re:Elusive Guitar Tone
2010/10/04 17:42:49
(permalink)
Thanks for the replies everyone, you have some good suggestions. I have a feeling even if I take all of the recommendations in order to get the same sound...I'll still end up having to re record eveything to match the tone exactly...but I will give it a try!
Butch Let's make some art!
|
jhughs
Max Output Level: -67 dBFS
- Total Posts : 1179
- Joined: 2007/11/23 13:58:23
- Location: Naperville, IL
- Status: offline
Re:Elusive Guitar Tone
2010/10/04 22:01:57
(permalink)
Just curious, when the pros record, do they document all variables in case something needs to be recreated? Amp settings, guitar settings (pickup, tone and volume), mic & mic placement, etc.?
ASUS P5ND/Intel E8500, Line6 Toneport UX2/PODFarm, Sonar, Axiom 25, Blue Bluebird, Audio-Technica AT3035s, Blue Snowflake, Line6 Spider IV 150 & AMPLIFI, Crate 1 J Hughs Soundclick
|
timidi
Max Output Level: -21 dBFS
- Total Posts : 5449
- Joined: 2006/04/11 12:55:15
- Location: SE Florida
- Status: offline
Re:Elusive Guitar Tone
2010/10/04 22:59:45
(permalink)
match the tone exactly.. Why?? Just go with what you got. Adds interest.
|