Guitar Experts please help

Thanks Draw! I appreciate the compliment.

Here's one I just finished this evening, completely different, but I'm really happy with it. It's called Ruth, after my mother, who passed away in 2005. If you like the others, you'll probably like this one as well. At least I sure hope you do.

http://www.superswamp.com/_music/Ruth.mp3

Awesome. I'll give it a listen when I get home.

I'll post some of my most recent material also. I'd love to get your opinion as well.

I am really surprised that nobody mentioned the method that I use. I actually thought it was more common, but apparently it isn't. Here it is - I record using a Palmer Speaker Simulator (PDI-09) right into my Audio Interface, while using a THD Hotplate as a loadbox for my amp. My audio interface has a DSP on it, so I use the on-board reverb for monitoring purposes. It works great. In fact, many guitarists have done exactly this method of recording tube amps. For example, Joe Satriani used the Palmer Speaker Simulator with a bunch of his heads right into a Neve mic pre, and then into Pro Tools. He even used a Tech21 Sansamp and fed it into the Palmer, and then into the Neve. The best way to description for the sound is "a well mic'd 4X12." And when I say well mic'd, think of using a Shure 57 on a cab with Celestions. That is what the Palmer sounds like, and the cool thing about the whole thing is that I can record in the middle of the night without upsetting anyone. I play through my monitor speakers, and the sound I get is the sound of my tube amp being cranked up all the way. Using a Palmer allows me to saturate my power tubes to get that violin-like sustain. Now, I like the digital units like Line 6, Roland/Boss COSM, REMS, etc., but there always seems to be a high transient frequency that makes things sound "digital," although I admit that it has gotten a lot better over the years. In fact, you can run a Line 6 though a Palmer PDI-09 and it will actually lessen that high-end transient. Still, it won't be as good as a real tube amp like a Bogner or Genz Benz going through the Palmer.

There are other direct boxes on the market, and you just need to make sure you have a load box like the THD Hot Plate (a great attenuator that can be used as a load box) to soak up the signal going to your speaker. Radial Engineering, Huges and Kettenor, and Behringer make these direct boxes, but I think the Palmer sounds the best. If you buy the PDI-04, you won't need a load box since it is built-in. It is the same one that Eddie Van Halen used for his sound in the mid-90s. Lots of pros use them, and they really are a secret weapon. 8)

For me, I use a small power tube amp (Emery sound super baby) which gives me a large range of tones with great quality but at lower volumes. But this is still too loud for using in my flat... so I use a Webber mini-mass to achieve acceptable volume while the tubes are running hot

Then, here is my way of recording guitars for a big tone : just put your microphone as far away of the speaker to fatten the tone. Depending on your setup you could also let a SM57 close to the speaker. Use as many sources as you can (output from effects for example, ...) Each ones could be later helpfull in the mix. Other tips, just records several takes for the same part and mix them or use a slight delay

I've been using Line 6 gear for a long time, but I could never get a good hot-but-not-super-high-gain tone out of it. Think 90s alt-rock: Pearl Jam, Weezer, the first Foo Fighters album. It does great clean-to-gritty tones (I love the Hiwatt sim), and pretty good heavy tones (if a little fizzy), but I can't quite get the in-between.

On a lark I picked up a Weber Load Dump to attenuate my Hot Rod Deluxe (which is insanely loud for only 40 watts, which doesn't fly in an apartment), and sticking an SM57 in front of that grille--even with its lame gain channel--really helps. Layer a cleaner tone (maybe something from Guitar Amp Pro, actually) on top, and it's really close. I'm thinking of trading down on the amp to something in the 15 watt range, actually, given what a difference recording a live amp--even one that doesn't sound great--makes.

...record using a Palmer Speaker Simulator (PDI-09) right into my Audio Interface, while using a THD Hotplate as a loadbox for my amp.

For recording a guitar amps properly, use a power soak and a Palmer. It's that, or building a sand-filled guitar amp coffin in your house. Or buck up and pay for the studio time for those screaming guitar tracks, like you would for the drum tracks anyway. Home studios are best used for over-dubbing.

Mac

noisenet nice songs ur great. You play those songs clean before you mix? That seems hard, but then again I am brand new at this.

I was having the same prob getting good sounds from logic.

So far nobody mentioned how to get great sounds out of Logic alone. Does anyone know how to do this? I like sounds like Guns, AC-DC, Metallica, and my fav the Foo fighters.

In the mean time I'll give this Amplitude 2 a try.

Good post.

Heya Tommie,

No, when I'm playing the parts, I hear 'em going through Amplitube, but only the clean guitar is actually recorded. i would definitely not be able to get down the stuff I play cause for me, 90% of playing well is being inspired, it's not technical, so the tone has to be there, otherwise it's just scales........

Thank you for the kind words Bro!

Hey, remember those songs I posted? The one, Swami, that wasn't finished yet, I just finished and uploaded it. The link above should link to the new version. Ummm, it took a real turn into left field, LOL! I'm really digging it. It'll definitely be the opener on the CD I'm working on!

 

Just in case, the link is http://www.superswamp.com/_music/swami.mp3

 

Excuse the ending solo, I kinda went nuts and assumed a different personality. You'll know who I'm talking about when you hear it, LOL! I just had to......

What a storming track... truly superb. I wasn't wild about the way the track starts, but once it gets going it really is awesome. Amazing guitar work and a great production job too. Good work fella.

Heya Jon,

Thanks for the kind words my friend. Yeah, the beginning is a little odd, but it's that way for a purpose

Again, thanks a billion!

...Yeah, the beginning is a little odd, but it's that way for a purpose ...

Actually, after a couple more listens, it's really, really grown on me – as all the best music should. So yeah, let's say cool beginning too...

Nice to see you using a Strat too – and getting some awesome tones. I've a '69 CS Olympic White with a Rosewood board (very Blackmore LOL) and have always said you don't need twin humbuckers to sound heavy as lead. Nice to hear you proving it man – very, very massive track, with beautiful dynamics.

Let me know when the CD's available for purchase.

Heya Jon,

Actually, on that song (and most of the others), I'm using an ESP LTD Les Paul copy with a Duncan JB in the bridge, except at the end of the song, that's all Strat, LOL! Including the YJM pickup in the neck position. Hey, it's not jus for Yngwie tones, LOL! It also sounds great for more clean bluesy tones as well. Reference the following URL. This is pretty much all Strat, 'cept for the wah part, which I may redo with the Strat.

http://www.superswamp.com/_music/cop_show.mp3

After listening to that, I might just have to go and jump in the old Red Gran Torino parked outside LOL

Very, very nice guitar work again – you can certainly play my man, superb stuff.

Waterboy,

 

anything heavy from their first album. Basically, an incredibly heavy but clean (if that makes any freakin' sense) distortion with a lot of presence, sustain and ability to reproduce false harmonics. Everytime I try any of the pre-canned junk with Logic, pinch and false harmonic.

Now youre getting in to more guitar (pickup) related specifics....Get some Di Marzio Evolution pick ups and there you have it.