Recording pedal steel guitar...

[AlexLakis]

Never had to do it before. Would anyone like to share their experiences?

[ozraves]

I like to close mic in stereo (two amps).

[indie]

421--- api pre --- distressor. The bomb! And of course you need Mike Johnson from Nashville playing.
Good Luck,
Micah

[AlexLakis]

Thanks for the feeback! After this gig, I'll have enough to buy the distressors I've been saving up for. 421s seem to be a popular choice. Sounds like most people aim for a lower, phatter sound. I'm looking forward to recording and mixing this upcoming project, it will be my first go at production for a full country album. The thought of a new set of sounds to mix is exciting to me, I normally deal with mostly rock and orchestral stuff. How do you guys generally like to sit your pedal steel in a mix for traditional country? There'll be drums, bass, acoustic guitar/banjo, and a string quartet to mingle with for the most part...

[blastula]

you might try going direct.
i dont' have much experience with pedal steel but i recorded a great player here recently (Doug Livingstone) and he suggested going direct.
i used the d/i on an averell api312, and i was surprised at how right it sounded. i think i used a Requisite (tube) compressor...


rob

[T_R_S]

Go Direct

[TYY]

Most stuff is recorded direct these days, though I hate that sound. I like a more traditional sound; a close mic'd twin sounds great. Use the amp's reverb for oldschool sound.

I have tried a few different condensers, but nothing has worked better for me than a 57. It just plain works. I think the 421 was a little papery sounding.

[indie]

Here's a clip of that session with the chain I described above...
I like a little ambience but still upfront in the mix.

[AlexLakis]

Thanks for the upload, Micah! The track sounds great. I love the sound of the steel, and where it sits in the mix. Can I borrow your API for a week or two? I'll give it back...I swear!

It seems to me that good outboard gear and fidelity in general is more important in country music than in rock for the most part, because there seems to be more space available. Less distortion and compression involved, less things you can hide behind...

Since I'll have plenty of tracks, I'll probably run direct, and mic an amp...421 in the front, 57 in back...Should give me plenty of options...Perhaps I'll try my Voxbox on the 421...

Thank you all for your input so far! I'm very interested to see how I'll sit the pedal steel in the mix. In many country tracks I've heard with pedal steel and acoustic guitar, it seems that the pedal steel, while it may not be the most prominent instrument in the arrangement, will actually take up a fatter part of the frequency spectrum...

[TYY]

That is a great example of well recorded and mixed "modern" steel down. I personally don't like it. Give me a twin into a JBL any day...


Anyways, the comment about steel taking up more bandwidth is mostly an illusion. I used to think the same thing, but it really sits right where any clean electric guitar would be. If anything its narrower (assuming were talking E9 here), mostly upper mids. I highpass at 80 Hz when tracking , then take a big bite out with a low shelf. Modern steel pickups are so hot that there's not much top end either. You could probably low pass it at 5K (or lower) and not even tell in the mix. However a twangy old pushpull emmons or shobud through a JBL will give some sparkling highs, but still not much above 8K. Even JBLs roll off steeply above 6K.

C6 I suppose has lower fundamentals; if you are mixing it with bass guitar in a typical western swing or even jazz mix, you will need to dip the lows a lot to keep it from getting muddy.

[indie]

Originally Posted by AlexLakis

Thanks for the upload, Micah! The track sounds great. I love the sound of the steel, and where it sits in the mix. Can I borrow your API for a week or two? I'll give it back...I swear!

It seems to me that good outboard gear and fidelity in general is more important in country music than in rock for the most part, because there seems to be more space available. Less distortion and compression involved, less things you can hide behind...

Since I'll have plenty of tracks, I'll probably run direct, and mic an amp...421 in the front, 57 in back...Should give me plenty of options...Perhaps I'll try my Voxbox on the 421...

Thank you all for your input so far! I'm very interested to see how I'll sit the pedal steel in the mix. In many country tracks I've heard with pedal steel and acoustic guitar, it seems that the pedal steel, while it may not be the most prominent instrument in the arrangement, will actually take up a fatter part of the frequency spectrum...

No problem Alex, I must confess recording country is new to me. We take a monthly trip to Nashville to record demos for our publisher to pitch...my normal genre is pop/rock. So TYY is defintely correct, its the modern steel sound.
The voxbox should sound nice on steel with that 421...good luck!
Micah

[Faderjockey]

I always mic...Most of the time Fender amps with Royer and some condensers..

I always like hearing the air...BUT! with that said... i'm working on my buddies Cd. He's a session bassist in Nashville..But lives here in Baltimore. He had a buddy in Nashville play some Pedal Steel. The Pedal Steel guy just tracked in at his home in Nashville in Pro tools and sent us the file.. This guy plays on a ton of the big Nashville stuff..He's like an A list player..

Anyway..The track sounded great...I ask my buddy if he knew how he tracked it. He said No. I joked saying watch it be through a Pod or something...Well few weeks later my buddy called from Nashville and said...The guy told him he just tracked it through his Pod.. I started laughing...

It was one of the best Pedal Steel recordings I've heard...When I mixed the tune I had to do nothing really....I was shocked. Just because I'm such an amp guy. The right player helps A TON!!!!

[blackcatdigi]

Last time I recorded steel, the band was in the CR as we tracked drums in the Live room, so steel went DI>Spider>Radar. Then we set up the amp in the live room(some super-clean, old Peavey tube amp with a ton of spring reverb), reamped thru a littlelabs, and shot out mics. 421 won (although I personally preferred the MTG71) into the Spider, with tape on about 60%. I also set up a SD in omni 15' or so, out in the room for ambience. Steel player was very happy with the tone.

BTW, he had a ruff time tracking DI (w/o all the spring verb and room interaction). Completely thru his 'touch' off. In retrospect, I should've stuck his amp in a booth and let him roll; Ah, well...

[T bill]

Fet 47 or 67 on the amp off center 1/3 of the cone 4-6 inches back, api or Neve pre.


If they have the TONE they wil love it

[AntillesSound]

This thread is REALLY old, but I had such great results last night that I felt I should contribute to the general knowledge base that is the Slutz.

Last night I tracked a mid level 80's instrument into a 1x12 Peavey Nashville. The chain was a u89 in the "semi-omni" setting, 3 inches left of center, 1 inch off into a Neve 33115 pre, into a blackface 1176. It sounded INCREDIBLE. I boosted around 180 on the Neve, goosed the input to the 1176 [medium attack/release] and voila! Pedal steel yumminess!

The player was REALLY happy with the tone and really thrived off what he heard. Great feeling on both ends last night

[druhms]

I've cut steel a few times and used a di into an ADL comp and had great success. I don't favor the ADL on too many things, but I think they should start marketing it to steel players.
JJ

[Drumsound]

With an amp that can handle the Steel's pickup output, an M88 sounds great.

[Teddy Ray]

steel guitar black box>>>peavey nashville 400>>>> Ribbon of choice.
thumbsup

[nightscope]

YouTube - Daniel Lanois In The Studio

Nice.

ns