Tips & Techniques:Elec Gtr - Getting the pick attack back on over distorted sounds - Mike Tarsia

on many hard rock tracks by inexperienced players the amps are overdriven driven so hard that there is no "front end"

to get that front end back insert a compressor with a 5-8 ms attack and a 10-20 ms release..put in about 3 dB of compression..the attack of the pick should now push out a bit making the gtrs bite more

[Sigma]

Originally Posted by Jax

I know there are varying opinions on this, but a good clean signal from the output of a DI can also bring definition to an overly gain-heavy guitar track.

Blending just the DI signal into the heavy disto track isn't quite the way to do it, though. I've had good luck applying a small amount of amp-simulated disto (plug-in or other). Just enough that it blends in well with the real amp track. It is usually fairly low in the mix, you don't need much.

The other alternative is re-amping, which probably deserves its own Tip thread.

good point..

i generally cut a DI track when i am cutting gtrs..to put some pick bak if i have too..this was more for." i got these tracks i gotta mix and the gtrs have no front",,
..if i was cutting i would do my best to not have it be an issue in the mix as my motto is always "get it in the room"

but you are right on in the di part..it's ALWAYS great saftey net..especially when people are cutting od by od so you [the eng] don't know the final arrrangemet till it's all cut

[Kadden Heart]

agreed

i run a DI box to split into the amp and into my DAW, i've never used a raw DI signal for attack, usually i throw a light overdrive on it and duplicate it, just to fill it up bit more.

and usually i require the gutiarists to give me a good DI take because they're so certain they're fender cyber twin turned all the way up with all the onboard effects cranked sounds good