Recording Steel Guitar

[Gradation]

Mike -

Would you please take some time to discuss satisfying techniques associated with recording steel guitar?

Thanks!

[Dave Martin]

Well, like everything else, it comes from the player. A lot of the guys I work with record stereo; usually coming out of something like a TC G Force or 2290 delay. You can put a mike on the amps, just like you do a guitar amp.

Others I know record direct (though their own racks). In those cases,Itake the line from them and plug it into a tape machine. It's that easy...if it sounds good coming out of the speaker, it's easy to get to tape. If it doesn't, you're gonna have a hard time getting it to sound good despite whatever tricks you learn.

If you want a great steeol sound, you need to start with someone like Paul Franklin, John Hughey, Mike Johnson, or Sonny Garrish. Then it's easy to record a great steel sound...

By the way, I like to use 1176's on steel. Not much gain reduction, but it seems to add something nice to the steel sound.

[Ted Nightshade]

Often when I look at the ridges of the mountains around here, I hear steel guitar in my mind, echoing across the open spaces- I can't imagine what it would do to my head to be looking at Tennessee mountains!

I have dabbled with the lap steel guitar at various times in my life, but I think I am going to take it up again, and capture this sound in my head, of steel guitar echoing off the mountains.

If you ask me, outdoors is where those things belong!

[Ted Nightshade]

Also, I have experienced extreme frustration in recording electric guitar in a setting of acoustic instruments, despite being a capable long term player for many many years, with a nice enough guitar and several good amps. But steel guitar, without all that attack and with that subtle vibe and atmospheric sound, I have had some real luck with- so the Les Paul stays in the case, another year, and I pull out the Supro again!

It's a lot easier to record steel guitar IMHO, as the whole issue of attack is not as prevalent.

[ToddF]

I like a Shure Re20 on a Weber combo amp go through an 1176. Watch for lots of dynamics. Tell the player to open up as loud as they are going to play to set the level. A little delay and verb for monitoring always gets the sound the players like to play to. Todd F.

[tanker]

I think I can safely say, mike doesn't record much these days,let alone a steel guitar.
Mixing is his thing.

[Dave Martin]

And I've never seen Bob Bullock, who I think DID record the steel on Shania's new reocrd, on an audio forum. He's too busy making records...

[Gradation]

... let alone a steel guitar.

You find it undeserving of merit and discussion? Steel remains a valued component in much of today's music. I'm asking for Mike's, and others', critical input on ANYTHING relative to making the instrument more pleasing and effective. Thanks to those who have already done this.

[shipshape]

Well I don't record a lot of steel guitar , but I mix a fair bit of it !!!. My take on mixing steel is that it can take a lot of work if it's being used in a full on arrangement.
It can be a hard instrument to work with because it is so dynamic . With the Shania steel stuff we would pull the part to pieces and rebuild it to get the bends and timing and tuning how we wanted it and would volume graph each note to even it out These guys have a great sound on their own but it can still be manipulated.
We would re amp it and effect it and ask the players to take all the effects off their rig because the sound can take up too much space. That is fine for a traditional country record , but we would want more control of the sound for mixing a dense pop record. Plus it's good to take some players out of their safe environment and have them take a different aproach but thats a pretty difficult instrument to play and my hat goes off to steel players !!!!!

[flexoffset]

I read you loud and clear on that on Randall.

I remember being in a touring group in a studio in Nashville about 15 or 20 years ago and they had one of the steel guitars that Barbara Mandrell played sitting on the studio floor.

It had something like 32 foot pedals in addition to all the other stuff.

I was given the opportunity to try and play it. My hat is off to ANYone who can effectively play that thing.

[Sir Bob]

I don't have any idea of how to record a steel but I always like the ones with lots of Fender reverb. I even like them with lots of room in it. How to do?

[Dave Martin]

Originally posted by Sir Bob
I don't have any idea of how to record a steel but I always like the ones with lots of Fender reverb. I even like them with lots of room in it. How to do?

I'd suggest that you record one through a Fender amp with lots of reverb, and mic it in a room...

[Midlandmorgan]

Dave...are guys out your way still using the Peavey Session 400/500s in the studio? Those things and Evans still seem to be the choice of most steel guys I know/work with...

K

[Jules]

The thread lives on!

[Midlandmorgan]

Jules... Thanks!

A few of us have been discussing this via PM...some of the things covered were:

- Using components (preamp, effects, poweramp or DI) instead of a combo style amp
- Chorus on steel used to be mandatory...is it still?
- compression?

I really like the DI idea myself...add effects after tracking, but a steel playing friend of mine here swears the chorusing must be applied to the tracks...

[Gradation]

Rats! I wish I was witness to those discussions. I'm interested in the same issues. We're auditioning a Peavey TubeFex today. I've heard 'em sound pretty rich as the sole effects unit. Has anyone else had good / moderate / poor experiences with this unit?

Midland, can you summarize some of the findings that've surfaced beyond the public forum?

Much appreciated!

[Midlandmorgan]

I'll try...

Fender amps are almost always a good choice...

Chorusing is still OK, but not mandatory

DI works as well as any clean but warm guitar signal...

I knew a steel player that used the TubeFex...his sound was pretty good, but he had more trouble with it (effects resetting themselves, etc)...

Personal experience: compression added in mixdown is smoother than compression on inbound...but that's just me.

[Dave Martin]

I'll use something going to tape - if it's not an 1176, it'll be a tube comp. And when I mix, if it's not a tube based opto compressor, it's gonna be an 1176. These aren't huge amounts of gain reduction, but 2-4db tracking and again mixing.

[Gradation]

Thanks guys! Please keep the information coming.

Is anyone having good luck using the RNC compressor?

[mwkeene]

I've been getting some decent results with the RNC, however I like to record without it as it seems to work a little too much against the volume pedal (of course) unless it is in the Supernice mode. I use my Fender Hot Rod Deville 212 and a delay pedal most of the time, but lately I have been getting great results with a small solid state Fender Bronco amp (8" speaker). The bigger amps tend to fill out the range a lot more (giving more bass junk that will probably bite you in the butt later) than the smaller amps, and I think it helps at the mixing stage to have some of the lows filtered out by the smaller speaker. I tend to think of the pedal steel hovering over everything else in the stereo image, almost above the speakers.
-Mike