Fendicator
Hey Danni, I am not sure if it is my DOD pedal, I have no effects going thru it, it's just set on a clean slate with max volume. I found the harsh points (or what I consider to be harsh) by setting my Q to 12.0, +15.0 DB then just moving around the frequency. I can hear the difference between smooth and harsh frequencies by doing this, for instance 4100 can sound smooth to me then 4200 starts to be ear piercing then 4300 can be unbearable, then moving thru to 4600 it can sound smooth again. Now, is this a good way to do it? That I don't know, but that's what I did.
 
I also just tested using a lowpass filter set to 7500 with a Q of 0.60 and it helped in the same way.

Yeah you're doing the right thing by moving things around and then adjusting. We just have to get to why you're getting the harshness to begin with. It's good that you can dial it out the way you're doing it or the way I told you with the low pass. The differences between the two ways are:
 
Your way, you can take care of the issue with a bit more pinpoint accuracy.
 
My way we're taking your highest frequency point and dropping the level all the way down to 7500 like you did. This takes all the frequencies above 7500 out a bit more resolving some of the harshness. My way adjusts more frequencies at once. In turn, you may affect frequencies that you DON'T want taken out completely.
 
So your way is the better way, but let's talk about a hybrid which I feel would be the over all best way.
 
Most times, (depending on the sound) you're probably not going to want much 6k (6000) on up to 8k (8000) in a guitar tone. However, there are times where you may want just a little sizzle at 10k (10,000) up to 12k. (12,000)
 
We call those (10k to 12k) the presence frequencies...some refer to them as "air" frequencies if you use a narrow Q and are careful with them. The can add just a little sparkle to a tone...but most times, you won't want them in there. See, it all depends on what the tone sounds like before you touch anything, know what I mean?
 
We don't just want to low pass down to 4k if the guitar tone in question is LACKING 4k. So you have to sweep through like you're doing. What I like to do is the hybrid method. Low pass until you get the majority of the harshness out of the tone. Then look for specific frequencies to remove (or sometimes boost a bit if need be) that will sweeten up the tone even more. This way you're removing the sizzle from the upper end of the spectrum with the low pass and then you're dialing in (or out) the other frequencies manually so that you don't just kill all the good stuff with the low pass.
 
Most guitar tones start to accentuate highs to where you hear treble at 2k to 5k. They are the prime frequencies that give guitar that presence/treble/sizzle to cut through. Anything over 5k is usually too sizzly and airy sounding, but can also help a tone depending on what it sounds like coming out of the gate. See, that's the hard thing about this...each tone is different and you'll need to evaluate it differently each time unless you hone in on something for yourself and use the same tone consistently. You'll still need to make a few changes, but they will be minimal.
 
The best thing to do Fender, is to make sure this harshness isn't even there before you even record. Though we have incredible tools to fix things in the mix these days, it's really not the right way to do it. For example, take guys like bats, Chuck and bitflipper who have given you awesome tone advice. When they record something, the sound they put in is usually not altered to the point of "ok, this no longer sounds like the sound I recorded" unless they are manipulating a sound purposely.
 
What you record as a core tone.....is what you should have for the most part. Granted, we have to fit each tone we record to the mix we are working with...but it should be minimal. Those guys know that they need to remove any excessive low end from the guitar before they record it. So they will make sure the mic they use or the way they are capturing the guitar, does not contain artifacts that would drive them crazy in a mix.
 
Even there though, sometimes we all fail. We can record the greatest guitar tone known to man....and sometimes have a problem fitting it in a mix. This is where knowing about good tones and not so good tones can help you immensely. So much so, it can save you hours, days, weeks of time. When you have your low end, your mids and your highs under control before you record, it will ALWAYS make for a good tone that is easy to work with inside of a mix.
 
So definitely try to do a process of elimination and find out where this harshness is coming from. Maybe it's not the DOD, but try with and without....do some experimenting and keep the things I said in mind in my last post. I still think it's in the cab sim you are using because a lot of them are VERY fizzy sounding and unrealistic. Some are killer, but the ones that are killer, you either have to search for or pay for. Redwirez has some really nice cab impulses that are worth checking out. http://redwirez.com/
 
Good luck man, I hope some of this stuff points you in the right direction and remedies your issues. :)
 
-Danny

I always try for the best sound I can from the amp, miking a few different positions if I have to. The EQ settings will vary depending on what you want to achieve with the song and what other instruments are present.
I'll spend a few minutes with the guitarist playing while I monitor, listening for the best placement, to capture the sweetest spots, this could be several places depending on the amp sound your after.

I am with the "whatever it takes" for the song approach like you guys have stated. 
Not much to add other than sometimes the guitarist's chain of effects can ruin the recorded sound due to too much stuff.  The simpler the chain the better source sound IMO.

Fendicator
Hey Danni, I am not sure if it is my DOD pedal, I have no effects going thru it, it's just set on a clean slate with max volume. I found the harsh points (or what I consider to be harsh) by setting my Q to 12.0, +15.0 DB then just moving around the frequency. I can hear the difference between smooth and harsh frequencies by doing this, for instance 4100 can sound smooth to me then 4200 starts to be ear piercing then 4300 can be unbearable, then moving thru to 4600 it can sound smooth again. Now, is this a good way to do it? That I don't know, but that's what I did.
 
I also just tested using a lowpass filter set to 7500 with a Q of 0.60 and it helped in the same way.

Hi, Unsure if you've had this sorted out, but I'd be thinking could this not be an issue as well? It might be too much for the input.

I have since upgraded my hardware now. I got a Focusrite Forte, I do however still have issues with my Lead tone being too harsh at some points. At least it's not 4 points anymore it's just 1 or 2. I have been messing around with my mic placements. Still have not tried RedWirez impulses yet, I will soon I though just need to do some research on the mics in Amplitube 3 compared the to the mics in redwirez and the real mics they all copy. Right now with my amplitube 3 I got a dynamic mic setup right in the center and a condenser mic just inside the far left edge of the cone (both mics close to the speaker).
 
I am wondering however if some of my harshness could be due to old strings and worn frets?

Hey Fendicator!
 
I still think it's how you're eqing your sound inside Amplitube or the speaker sim choices you're making.
 
Then again, just about any sound you create (even with a real mic and cab) will need to be high passed to remove unwanted lows and and low passed to remove harsh highs. 2 points out isn't such a bad thing bro. There are times when I low pass down to 7k. So that means all the frequencies ABOVE 7k are curbed so that there is no longer harsh highs in my tone.
 
In other cases, I may not need to low pass at all or I may use the Sonar default in pro channel which is about 10k. Every situation is different. But removing frequencies by a few dB here and there is common and nothing you should worry about. The thing *I* personally worry about is when the sound I recorded, is no longer the sound I recorded once it's in a mix, understand?
 
Meaning, you start with the tone you recorded and by the time you make it work in the mix, the sound is drastically different. Even there, it's not a cause for major concern really. As long as you can make a tone work in the context of a mix, you're right where you need to be. But my point in even mentioning this is.....when you record a sound, that sound you record should be as good as you can get it before you press record. 9 times out of 10, if we end up with a tone that is totally different from what we recorded, we worked hours on it and more than likely, polished a turd to make it work. It's not supposed to work that way. What you record, is what you should end up with using minimal tweaks UNLESS you are going for a specific sound that is supposed to sound like a special effect. So just keep that in mind. Based on what you've said here, it sounds like you ARE creating a tone you're happy with that is just getting minimal adjustments. So I'd not even worry about it.
 
A word on modeling etc: You more than likely will NOT get identical sims. Meaning, just because you use a 57 on a cab in Amplitube....that doesn't mean that's what a real 57 would sound like on a physical cab. Look at all the mic's and cabs you have as starting points to create new tones. Don't worry so much about them being authentic or the need to do intense research. Sure, it's always good to know how a mic will make a difference and know what the stats on paper tell you. BUT...in this field...the thing that matters most is what your ears tell you. So mess with a few combinations and see how you fair. When you are ready to really mic a cab, then for sure, make sure you research how certain mic's interact with certain cabs. Even there....one man's experience may not be yours. So remember, even though what you read at times will be important, if your ears tell you something else, what you read can be a little less important in certain situations.
 
As for the strings and frets question you posted, it depends. Most times, dead strings give you dead sounding tone. Worn frets however, can force you to fret out. If you are hearing more fret buzz than actual tone and resonation coming out of your guitar, there's a good chance you are literally fretting out and buzzing which can DEFINITELY make your tone a bit more abrasive. Keep in mind though, there is a difference between "fretting out" and "a little string buzz".
 
Fretting out is nothing but buzz and very little tone coming out of the instrument. It doesn't matter whether the guitar is plugged in or not...it will buzz like mad and not give you any solid note "ring".
 
A little buzz is different. You hear the note, you hear the note ring, yet you hear a little light fret buzz going on. Most rock or metal guitar players allow a bit of this for two reasons.
 
1. They like low action which allows them to do some of the pyrotechnic licks they do.
 
2. A little string buzz also adds a bit of punch/presence to a tone. When you have 0 string buzz, the tone can be a bit too open sounding. Meaning, chocolatey and warm without any percussive string presence. When we allow a little string buzz, it literally enhances a little high end presence and gives our tone a bit more of a percussive sound. A jazz guy wouldn't want a tone like this...but a blues guy or rock/metal guy most definitely might. It depends on the style and tone you are looking for. I like a little string buzz on my guitars for tonal purposes. 0 string buzz made me have to turn up my treble and the treble you get from an amp is not the same kind of treble/presence you get from a little string buzz.
 
Hope this helps a bit. Good luck. :)
 
-Danny

Hey Danni,
 
First off, thanks for the detailed response, much appreciated sir. I completely understand about not losing the initial tone during the mixing process. I make sure to keep it as natural as possible and it's what I started out with. Just those harsh points at certain times in a song stand out more then I like. That's when I start doing the minor tweaks, I'm just glad my new mic and hardware setup help take it down too just 2 points instead of 4. I just gotta learn to not be so picky cause I will end up losing my initial tone.
 
I actually have my guitar setup for low-action and it does have that slight string buzz, but I have not noticed it causing any problems with the sound. Like you said, it can add to it or help it in a way depending on the player.
 
I wanna throw a link up to my latest recording so you can hear my current guitar tone, but I am not able to yet. However if you guys don't mind searching YouTube for a vid, you can search for "Jeremy McGrew Megaman 3" I should be the first vid I'm the guy with the black shirt, red Ibanez guitar.

Hey man,
 
Not a problem. No, definitely stay picky about your tone. It will sometimes hinder your performance during tone chasing situations, but you will learn so much doing things that way. There are 3 types of players.
 
1. The tone chasers: Sometimes they are great, other times they suck...but they just about always have a cool tone that is both unique and original.
 
2. The I don't give a craps: These dudes usually have a mediocre tone and are either the worst players you ever heard, or they have incredible natural talent that comes from their fingers. They'll tell you stuff like "just buy an amp, a stomp box and play."
 
3. The gifted: These people just plug into anything and sound ferocious. They play great, they pay attention to detail and usually have such an incredible tone, you spend a year trying to cop what they've created.
 
I like tone chasing. I just got a Fractal Audio Axe Fx II in August and I've actually had more fun programming and tweaking it than I've had actually playing through it.....go figure. Just when I thought I wouldn't be tweaking tones anymore...this thing comes a long and totally takes me by surprise. I have some of the best tones I've ever had in my life and am so glad I bought this thing, the money I spent for it and the pedal board and Mission pedals doesn't even phase me. I cringed at the $3300 price tag I've paid for the entire rig at first....but now I'd be lost without it as there is nothing I can't get out of it.
 
That said, it's VERY easy to lose some of your skills if you tone chase bad enough. You're so busy tweaking, your chops suffer. So remember to take a little break and get some work done. Worst case scenario, limit your tweak time like you would a video game. You know how easy it is to get lost in Xbox 360 or Playstation etc. I have to limit myself on my games or I'll become a loser in 1 day. LOL! Same with tone chasing. I love it....and one of the down sides of it is how much time passes and you don't even realize it.
 
So definitely stay picky brother.....just make sure you use the time wisely and tweak in the right areas without allowing your playing to suffer.
 
I checked out your video. I assume this is you? http://youtu.be/70tihyDTg9M
 
If so, I don't hear any problems with that tone at all. Tone will always be subjective man, so it's hard to comment on another mans baby. Especially when you put weeks or months into it. That said, when I comment on a tone, I try not to ever be harsh in my comments because of the subjectivity of tone. But, I WOULD tell you if I felt it was too bass heavy, too much mids or had too much harsh highs. Even there, who am I (or anyone else) to tell you what sounds good to you? But I look/listen for blatant areas of "uggh that needs work" when I listen to something. It's your art brother, it should sound the way YOU want it to sound regardless of what anyone says, know what I mean? But honestly, that's a healthy enough tone to where I wouldn't stress about anything. I don't hear any bass pumping or "whoomfing" and I don't hear any of the harsh high end you've been talking about. So it's safe to say you've corrected it. Nice job and nice playing too! :)
 
-Danny

Hey Danny,
 
Yeah, that video is me. I have been doing a lot of video game covers to try and help promote my original songs.
 
I am happy to hear my tone sounds good to you. I feel my rhythm guitars are solid and my lead is really close to what I want. I have been messing around with my lead tone trying to add some mid range to it. As of right now it's light on the bass end and mid-to-high on the high & presence levels. It has no mid at all, I feel adding mid will help separate it from the rest of the mix but too much and it starts to sounds to twangy for my liking. There's my pickiness creeping up again lol.
 
I have also experienced that loss of time when it comes to tweaking and trying to find that perfect tone. While your doing it, you think to yourself, this will only take a few minutes, next thing you know 2 hours have gone by and in the end all you did was turn the treble up 1.0db. LOL, at least you learn a few things while your doing it.

Right on, covers are lots of fun. Especially video game covers.
 
On the mid range thing, you shouldn't be getting twang from it. It should be making your tone thicker if you add just the right amount. If you're hearing twang, that sounds more like upper mids or the beginning of the high end spectrum. When I add mids to my tone, it makes it thicker and gives it more body. The mids *I* add in my tone are anywhere from 640 Hz up to about 860 Hz. Those to me, are the "meat" of the mids for guitar. Anything higher than that and you're going to start getting high end and this may be what you're experiencing.
 
Too much mids can give you boxy congestion as I like to call it. Try adding those frequencies I mentioned in excess and you'll hear what I mean. If you add just the right amount, it warms things up....too much....it's like a blanket gets thrown over your cab and you definitely don't want that. :)
 
Hahaha....I hear ya on the 2 hours worth of 1 dB! I got one worse....you're sitting there tweaking like mad, think you have a killer tone that's better than your last tone and you find out what you thought you were messing with....was bypassed all along. The last thing you want to do is tweak stuff when you're tired. It can really be a long way back...especially if you save something. Thankfully I have back ups of all my stuff so if I do screw up, I can get back to where I was. Whew....thank God for back-up ability! :)
 
-Danny