Guitar Cab in a Closet

[LumenStudio]

Has anybody here ever gotten good results using a closet as an iso booth for guitar cab? I have a really small closet here I was thinking of turning into an ISO booth for cranking the cab.

Thanks!
Jon

[djui5]

might want to put up some foam to dampen the wall's a little depending on the size of the closet....other than that it would work great for home studio recording.

[el cochino]

I'm recording guitar in a closet (8 ft x 5,5 ft and 6 ft high) with carpets on the floor and walls and acoustic foam on the ceiling, but my recordings tend to sound very dull and boxy. I have some Mini Traps on order and I hope to get rid of the booming lows, once I put them in there. I've placed the speaker cab on top of 8" thick foam blocks, but nothing really seems to improve my situation. Any suggestions what else I could try?

[CV7]

When I record at home I always use heavy movers blankets, I put them over the cabs to isolate, close mic, and I get fantastic results. Obviously your not going to get any room, but when you record at home thats the trade off, unless you have great acoustics.

[jpaudio]

Originally posted by CV7
When I record at home I always use heavy movers blankets, I put them over the cabs to isolate, close mic, and I get fantastic results. Obviously your not going to get any room, but when you record at home thats the trade off, unless you have great acoustics.

I do the same... NO ROOM is much better than BAD ROOM! I'd hang heavy packing blankets along the walls and ceiling of said closet. They'll work WAY better than foam. Got a friend who used a walk-in closet, covered in packing blankets, exclusively for guitar and bass on several major-label projects, all very heavy (modern rock and nu-metal).

I'll usually make a little house out of gobos and use 2 layers of packing blanket as the roof... pain in the ass if you need to tweak mic placement, but once you've settled on something, it's a great way to contain and control the sound for home recording.

[CV7]

Yes, Definitely JP, and the tones I get that way are incredible! it's a very cool way to get around a room problem, and still have great sounding material.

[CV7]

cool!

[djui5]

Originally posted by el cochino
I'm recording guitar in a closet (8 ft x 5,5 ft and 6 ft high) with carpets on the floor and walls and acoustic foam on the ceiling, but my recordings tend to sound very dull and boxy. I have some Mini Traps on order and I hope to get rid of the booming lows, once I put them in there. I've placed the speaker cab on top of 8" thick foam blocks, but nothing really seems to improve my situation. Any suggestions what else I could try?

I think you might have overcoated the closet....took all the room out of it. Also cutting some 400-600 will rid you of some of that boxy sound...
As for the dull...try using some fx or trickery to glisten them up..

[el cochino]

Originally posted by djui5
I think you might have overcoated the closet....took all the room out of it. Also cutting some 400-600 will rid you of some of that boxy sound...
As for the dull...try using some fx or trickery to glisten them up..

That was my intention, because I really don't need any room sound since I'm only recording heavy guitars and a dry in-your-face sound is what I'm after. I was thinking of removing the carpet from the floor again to see if this will take awyay some of the dullness. But I'll try the packing blankets, too.

[AlphaDingo]

you may want to try hanging a North Face brand jacket in there.North Face is known in this part of the world for providing the best "warming". I've got one and it never fails.

[Ruphus]

You could also try this
from Demeter.

Unloaded US$529.00

w/ 80 Watt Eminence 629$

w/ Celestion Vintage 30 60 Watt Speaker 719$ list.

Ruphus

[Midlandmorgan]

Those Demeter boxes work well...as does recording with a 3-6 watt amp...and things like speaker emulators, Hot Plates, and so on really do work...

[Fletcher]

One of my more favorite tricks is to put a "full stack" caddy corner in a closet and crank the **** out of it... if it's loud enough you can actually raise the air pressure in the closet [small iso booth] which gives the coolest compression for guitar sounds known to humans!!

There are studios where I've designed small closet like rooms with brass sheeting on the walls covered with somewhat randomly spaced wooden slats with funny angles for just this sort of purpose... but in a pinch, putting a full stack caddy corner in a tiny room can net some way cool results.

Best of luck.

[el cochino]

Originally posted by Fletcher
One of my more favorite tricks is to put a "full stack" caddy corner in a closet and crank the **** out of it... if it's loud enough you can actually raise the air pressure in the closet [small iso booth] which gives the coolest compression for guitar sounds known to humans!!

There are studios where I've designed small closet like rooms with brass sheeting on the walls covered with somewhat randomly spaced wooden slats with funny angles for just this sort of purpose... but in a pinch, putting a full stack caddy corner in a tiny room can net some way cool results.

Best of luck.

What's a full stack caddy corner, Fletcher? I don't know shit about cadillacs or golf, if that's got anything to do with it.

[djui5]

Originally posted by el cochino
What's a full stack caddy corner, Fletcher? I don't know shit about cadillacs or golf, if that's got anything to do with it.

Caddy Shack!!....Fletcher and all.............


Cochino,
I know you want fat, in your face sound, but a tad of room won't hurt. I also believe if you cover all the walls in a closet then you wind up with this lifeless dull crappy sounding guitars. I also hate "vocal booths" but that's for another thread.

I was thinking a tad bit of reflections in your closet would do some good.....

[jpaudio]

Originally posted by djui5

I know you want fat, in your face sound, but a tad of room won't hurt.

Yes, a touch of room is definately nice, pending it's a decent-sounding room. If it's a small closet with 90 degree angles and parrallel surfaces everywhere, avoid it like the plague.


PS- Those Demeter boxes really suck too... the gooseneck mounted inside is damn near impossible to set in one place without it wobbling and shaking, and the box itself sounds like shit. Been there, done that, went with a real cab...

[alphajerk]

Originally posted by Fletcher
One of my more favorite tricks is to put a "full stack" caddy corner in a closet and crank the **** out of it... if it's loud enough you can actually raise the air pressure in the closet [small iso booth] which gives the coolest compression for guitar sounds known to humans!!

i was in a studio once that has the coolest thing. he had build cinderblock structure with a cement top about the size of a halfstack with that side open to slide the cab in... compression was ********... coolest sounding guitar tone. just massive with full iso. im going to build on in my new place fo sho.

[el cochino]

Originally posted by djui5
Caddy Shack!!....Fletcher and all.............


Cochino,
I know you want fat, in your face sound, but a tad of room won't hurt. I also believe if you cover all the walls in a closet then you wind up with this lifeless dull crappy sounding guitars. I also hate "vocal booths" but that's for another thread.

I was thinking a tad bit of reflections in your closet would do some good.....

I'll try to put up some wood panels on one wall and remove the carpet, but since the room is so tiny it will always sound tiny, right. Well, it's worth a try I guess.

Thanks for your input!

[el cochino]

Originally posted by alphajerk
i was in a studio once that has the coolest thing. he had build cinderblock structure with a cement top about the size of a halfstack with that side open to slide the cab in... compression was ********... coolest sounding guitar tone. just massive with full iso. im going to build on in my new place fo sho.

That's interesting. Did it have some foam in it or was it just plain concrete? How much room was between the front of the cab and the wall?

[kevinc]

Originally posted by jpaudio

PS- Those Demeter boxes really suck too... the gooseneck mounted inside is damn near impossible to set in one place without it wobbling and shaking, and the box itself sounds like shit. Been there, done that, went with a real cab...

That`s too bad.

I`m tring to find a solution for recording at home when I don`t feel like driving out to the studio to do my stuff.

Does that thing really sound that bad ?
It seems like it would be cool to plug a pod into that thing and go.
Gotta sound better than a pod direct at least right ?

Theres no way I could even get a practice amp to the level I`d need to record in here.
I was thinking of just throwing up some kind of mega soundproof solution in a closet here and getting a small low wattage amp but the Demeter thing kind of looked like the ticket.

[jpaudio]

Originally posted by kevinc
That`s too bad.

I`m tring to find a solution for recording at home when I don`t feel like driving out to the studio to do my stuff.

Does that thing really sound that bad ?
It seems like it would be cool to plug a pod into that thing and go.
Gotta sound better than a pod direct at least right ?

Theres no way I could even get a practice amp to the level I`d need to record in here.
I was thinking of just throwing up some kind of mega soundproof solution in a closet here and getting a small low wattage amp but the Demeter thing kind of looked like the ticket.

If you're using a POD anyway, the Demeter would be the lesser of two evils for sure. But you'd still need some sort of power amp to drive the speaker.

[el cochino]

Originally posted by kevinc
That`s too bad.

I`m tring to find a solution for recording at home when I don`t feel like driving out to the studio to do my stuff.

Does that thing really sound that bad ?
It seems like it would be cool to plug a pod into that thing and go.
Gotta sound better than a pod direct at least right ?

Theres no way I could even get a practice amp to the level I`d need to record in here.
I was thinking of just throwing up some kind of mega soundproof solution in a closet here and getting a small low wattage amp but the Demeter thing kind of looked like the ticket.

Since you have access to a studio anyway, I'd recommend to buy the Motherload speaker emulator (or the Palmer box) and a Little Labs DI box. That way you can record with a real amp and print a DI signal at the same time. Then you take the session to the studio and reamp the DI track later.

[CV7]

I have the Demeter Silent speaker chamber and I hate it! the damn thing still needed an attenuator or it would buzz like crazy, imo the tone wasn't there.

[texmarkmusic]

Moving blankets draped over a PVC frame....I went to the local home improvement store and purchased PVC and basically built a frame I drape the blankets over. The cabinets are off the floor via those Auralex isolators..I think they're magmas or something like that. I use a R-121 and a SM-57 on the cabinets through a Chandler TG-2. No EQ. Just good mic placement. Holy half stack Batman! It's AWESOME!!!

[jpaudio]

Originally posted by jpaudio
If you're using a POD anyway, the Demeter would be the lesser of two evils for sure. But you'd still need some sort of power amp to drive the speaker.

Ya know, after thinking about it, if you're just gonna use a POD anyway, don't bother with the Demeter, power amp, or any cab at all. Honestly, it's not gonna make it sound much better, if you're hoping to obtain useful tracks at home. Just go straight in with the POD to capture your ideas, and plan to retrack in a more appropriate environment. Just my $0.02, i'd rather see you save the $$$

[djui5]

Originally posted by el cochino
I'll try to put up some wood panels on one wall and remove the carpet, but since the room is so tiny it will always sound tiny, right. Well, it's worth a try I guess.

Thanks for your input!

Unlike drums big guitar sound has nothing to do with the room it's in. I thought you didn't like the sound of your recordings because of the closet, but if it's a "big" sound you're after then you need to do some mixing tricks to acomplish that sound like doubling guitar tracks and using delays/choruses to fatten things up.

If you don't like the sound of your closet then I'd recommend maybe adjusting the damping, but if it's something else then I'd recommend adjusting the mix or for a small fee I could come fix it for ya .

[jpaudio]

Originally posted by djui5
Unlike drums big guitar sound has nothing to do with the room it's in. I thought you didn't like the sound of your recordings because of the closet, but if it's a "big" sound you're after then you need to do some mixing tricks to acomplish that sound like doubling guitar tracks and using delays/choruses to fatten things up.

If you don't like the sound of your closet then I'd recommend maybe adjusting the damping, but if it's something else then I'd recommend adjusting the mix or for a small fee I could come fix it for ya .

Over on PSW, in Slipperman's infamous Distorted Guitar thread, the topic of mix placement and instrument/track relationship had just come up before the thread died down... the thought is that guitars don't necessarily make a track heavy on their own, and people tend to overcompensate when hearing a guitar tone by itself. Real heaviness comes from the guitar sitting in proper context with the bass and drums. It's surprising to hear how thin a solo'd guitar on an otherwise very heavy recording sounds... almost hard to believe. But without hearing your tracks, or knowing how you plan to seat them in the mix, it's really a crapshoot.

[djui5]

Originally posted by jpaudio
Over on PSW, in Slipperman's infamous Distorted Guitar thread, the topic of mix placement and instrument/track relationship had just come up before the thread died down... the thought is that guitars don't necessarily make a track heavy on their own, and people tend to overcompensate when hearing a guitar tone by itself. Real heaviness comes from the guitar sitting in proper context with the bass and drums. It's surprising to hear how thin a solo'd guitar on an otherwise very heavy recording sounds... almost hard to believe. But without hearing your tracks, or knowing how you plan to seat them in the mix, it's really a crapshoot.

That's crazy...I just said something about that on another post somewhere. Not sure which forum...I post on quite a few.

It is funny how when a kick, guitar, and bass all chime in at the same time how big thing's sound. Maybe it's one of those "industry secrets" that most people don't figure out...

Arrangement, arrangement, arrangement.

[kevinc]

Originally posted by jpaudio
Ya know, after thinking about it, if you're just gonna use a POD anyway, don't bother with the Demeter, power amp, or any cab at all. Honestly, it's not gonna make it sound much better, if you're hoping to obtain useful tracks at home. Just go straight in with the POD to capture your ideas, and plan to retrack in a more appropriate environment. Just my $0.02, i'd rather see you save the $$$

Thanks JP.

I guess it really comes down to getting my lazy butt down to the studio more because the POD doesn`t cut it for me for a real guitar tone. I`ve tried pretty hard with a bunch of the settings and a bunch of verbs and it aint even close.

I`m too spoiled after years of Marshalls and Fenders ringing in my face.

It`s O.K. just to get some ideas down like you say though.

[kevinc]

Originally posted by el cochino
Since you have access to a studio anyway, I'd recommend to buy the Motherload speaker emulator (or the Palmer box) and a Little Labs DI box. That way you can record with a real amp and print a DI signal at the same time. Then you take the session to the studio and reamp the DI track later.

That`s a good idea El cochino.

Is the motherload really good enough to groove on with headphones or is it like the POD ?