Any tips for recording metal guitar

[gmixstudios]

I no longer have the pod
I have an ibanez axe Marshall 100w combo with gain bass mid treble contour and fx
sm57 rode n t 1 and the studio on a daw

[Hibernatus]

Rhythm or lead?

[starfighter]

Start with the SM57 dead center on one speaker; nudge slightly to the side if it's too bright...

Put the NT1 up slightly tilted (something like 30-45 degrees) on another speaker and blend to taste...

Make sure the distance to the speakers are the same; quarter of an inch can make a world of difference in comb filtering..

M

[Chris Williams]

A couple of links everone should have :

Slipperman's Recording Distorted Guitars From Hell

Guitar Tone video

Not the last word by any means but there's a lot in there that will help you

[gmixstudios]

Originally Posted by Hibernatus

Rhythm or lead?

lead

[gmixstudios]

Originally Posted by Chris Williams

A couple of links everone should have :

Slipperman's Recording Distorted Guitars From Hell

Guitar Tone video

Not the last word by any means but there's a lot in there that will help you

slipperman is making me choke LOL

[Colorblind]

Originally Posted by Chris Williams

Slipperman's Recording Distorted Guitars From Hell

I'd forgotten how amazing this is.thumbsup

C

[Newcleardaze]

Originally Posted by gmixstudios

I no longer have the pod
I have an ibanez axe Marshall 100w combo with gain bass mid treble contour and fx
sm57 rode n t 1 and the studio on a daw

Turn the gain down a bit more than your gut tells you -- I get more hardcore and metal bands who insist on keeping the gain full tilt until they hear the results then give into the suggestion of rolling it back a bit.

[Cameron Johnson]

I agree - when it comes to overdrive/distortion, less is often more. Use compression afterward to add even more fullness (if you want).

[trevoire520]

Check out Andy Sneaps forum. Everything you ever wanted to know about recording distorted guitar and more!

Cant say that you're gonna get great results out of a solid state Marshall though...

[stagefright13]

Remember the mic hears what's in front of it. Not what you hear standing in the room. Put your ear in front of the speaker at low volume.

That set aside. Your 57 should do a good job slapped just about on the grill just slightly tilted from the center of the cone. And adjust your amp and guitar tone from there. And slight mic positioning. Also you can put your LDC in addition a couple feet off the floor about 4 to 5 feet back and move it closer and farther 'till it doesn't get phasey on you. Do that in mono. But you can also split that mic across the stereo buss when done.

John

[moon_unit]

Any tips for recording metal guitar

1. Start with a really awesome guitar
2. Plug it in to a killer amp
3. Dial in a bitchin tone
4. Point a 57 at the speaker
5. Hit record

[aclarson]

Don't forget the common "less is more" mentality when it comes to gain. What sounds good in the room by itself won't necessarily translate to tape well. I think this especially applies to rhythm parts when you layer tracks, too much gain turns quickly into a big mush.

Oh, and one thing I think low-enders have a habit of overlooking: tuning and intonation! I find myself tuning every take and if tuning and intonation aren't perfect, you'll get a chorusy effect on layered tracks that can be rather undesirable when you're going for an aggressive, in-your-face sound.

I agree that the Slipperman guide is brilliant in its profane glory. Just use what you can, I know most of us lowenders don't have 2" tape machines, Pultec EQs, Neve 1073s etc., but the mic techinique stuff is really insightful. This guide is a gold mine for good tips.

Some good isolated headphones are also very helpful for getting the tone right on-the-spot and saving on tons of trial-and-error.

Building some acoustic panels and making a little "fort" around the cab allows you to more easily do "control room" style monitoring directly through the monitors rather than using headphones. I haven't had any bleed problems with a 57 and have found that my tone and technique are better when I don't have to use headphones.

[tigheguy]

Try to dial the sound in while the guitarist is playing to the track. Moving the mic even the smallist bit will sound different in context. Saves potentially eq'ing the life out of it in the end, too.