The Tone Thread

[liv_rong]

This is the track I was messing about with re-doing last weekend and I posted up a tone from. Greg suggested a slight mid scoop and more gain (both very un-greg things to say!) but it worked, think I have a fairly decent classic metal tone.

Any other comments you can pick up on the mix at this stage would also be helpful as I hope to crack on with the vocal next weekend.

Sounds pretty good to me.

[JD01]

This is the track I was messing about with re-doing last weekend and I posted up a tone from. Greg suggested a slight mid scoop and more gain (both very un-greg things to say!) but it worked, think I have a fairly decent classic metal tone.

Any other comments you can pick up on the mix at this stage would also be helpful as I hope to crack on with the vocal next weekend.

Sounds pretty good to me.

Cheers, mate.

[ido1957]

Clip from something I'm working on....
Les Paul Custom (2 tracks mono)
Settings - clock position - JCM900 Clean channel
Bass - 10:00
Treble - 11:00
Mid - 1:00
Gain - 12:00
Master - 10:00
Tiny bit of amp reverb
Comp, EQ, OD1, Delay on GP8 rack - this is my LPC OD A setting
MP3 320

[Greg_L]

Clip from something I'm working on....
Les Paul Custom (2 tracks mono)
Settings - clock position - JCM900 Clean channel
Bass - 10:00
Treble - 11:00
Mid - 1:00
Gain - 12:00
Master - 10:00
Tiny bit of amp reverb
Comp, EQ, OD1, Delay on GP8 rack - this is my LPC OD A setting
MP3 320

Sounds kind of distant to me, but I also think there's some good rock and roll tone in there. So that's two mono tracks stacked? And how's it mic'd? I'd like it a little more in my face, but it's not bad. That one really needs to be tested in a basic mix to see how it fits IMO.

[ido1957]

Yes 2 tracks mono but I exported them as a stereo file from Sonar (just realized that's the default which I forgot to check). I used my SM57 pretty much centered on the speaker. I can turn down the reverb, it's minimal but can do. I think the mix is going to need something behind this, like a lighter rhythm just to fill it in a bit. And this is the Bridge pickup, with both knobs set to 8.

[rammer24]

I used my SM57 pretty much centered on the speaker.

Ok, but what about the other mic?

It's hard to have an opinion on this because it sounds like a "mix" tone. In other words, it sounds a little distant and weak now, but it might be perfect in a mix that needs this.

[ido1957]

I used my SM57 pretty much centered on the speaker.

Ok, but what about the other mic?

It's hard to have an opinion on this because it sounds like a "mix" tone. In other words, it sounds a little distant and weak now, but it might be perfect in a mix that needs this.

Other mic - My new one? Haven't gotten to use it on guitar yet. I'm going to have to try that. Considering the amount of gunk on my 57 after 30+ years....
Yeah it's a little empty too, because of the pattern. I'm mulling about what (besides bass/drums/vocals) to fill this in with. Another rhythm but different pattern/tone, not sure yet.

[rammer24]

Other mic - My new one?

Oh, no I must have mis-understood. You said it's 2 mono tracks. I thought that meant 2 mics.

So, in that case, what are the 2 mono tracks all about?

[ido1957]

Oh the 2 tracks are just mono stacked to get some beef

[rammer24]

The same thing on both tracks? That doesn't do anything other than make them louder, no?

[miroslav]

So I ordered a couple of speakers from Warehouse Guitar Speakers the other day.
They had a bunch up on Reverb...many were being sold as B-stock, because WGS was changing the color of the baskets on those models...
...so essentially new speakers with their full 1 year warranty...but at like 2/3 the price.

I ordered a WGS British Lead - 16 ohm/80w
This one is going to probably end up in the custom 212 slant I got from Sour Mash Cabs back in the fall. Right now I have a WGS Invader in there and an older Weber Chicago, which at the time was based also on the Celestion Lead 80. This cab is pretty much attached to my Carol Ann OD2r, which calls for higher power and more transparent sounding speakers...and the Lead 80 is one of the recommendations.
I really like the combination I have with the WGS Invader (one of my current favorite sounding speakers from WGS)...but I want to try it with the WGS/Weber "80" combination.

The other one I got is a WGS Retro 30 - 16 ohm/75w
This is more of a WGS signature sounding speaker. I have one in a 112 combo (Savage Macht 12X) and I just love the sound of it.
So I'm probably going to pair it up with that WGS Invader, when it comes out of the 212 slant...and put them both in my other 212 (Swart) where I currently have a Celestion G12H and Greenback....a good sounding combination for that cab, but I got a feeling the WGS Retro and Invader will win the tone war.

Got the pair for like $52 each...plus there was $18 and $20 shipping on each (not sure why the $2 difference)...but then WGS refunded $11 on their own, since they were going to combine ship them in one box (very nice of them)...so not a bad deal overall.

Should have them sometime mid-week...so I hope to be testing them out by the weekend.
I'll see about capturing some tones...maybe one of each purely for speaker comparison, and not so much any amp tone.

[Greg_L]

That sounds great. I loves me some speaker shootouts. I've said it a million times...but to me speakers are an important and often overlooked part of the final tone character.

[jonny deep]

That sounds great. I loves me some speaker shootouts. I've said it a million times...but to me speakers are an important and often overlooked part of the final tone character.

Yep, agreed on that one. I hear a major difference between a G12H30 and a Greenback (I think the main thing is the different type of magnet on those two). I love the sound of the G12H30 in my 2x12 and much prefer the recorded sound I get micing that speaker rather than the Greenback in the same cab.

[liv_rong]

Alrighty, trying to get better at recording the gain channel on my amp. Set up is a Backstar HT Studio 20 head into an Orange 1x12 that contains a V30. Mic is a SM57 on axis in the following locations:

1. Just off cone, 1/2" off grill
2. Just off cone, 2" off grill
3. Between cone and edge of speaker, 1/2" off grill
4. Between cone and edge of speaker, 2" off grill

guitar test 1.mp3

guitar test 2.mp3

guitar test 3.mp3

guitar test 4.mp3

[liv_rong]

Two more(since you can only attach 5 files at a time).

5. Edge of speaker, 1/2" off grill
6. edge of speaker, 2" off grill.

guitar test 5.mp3

guitar test 6.mp3

[liv_rong]

Another questions, should placement be the same for clean and dirty sounds? I would hope so. I get ok, IMO, clean sounds(besides the bad tube you hear, lol). Here is a scratch track I did yesterday right before I did this test above.

intro.mp3

[Greg_L]

Another questions, should placement be the same for clean and dirty sounds?

It's not usually for me.

I'll check all those clips later.

[Bill L]

Alrighty, trying to get better at recording the gain channel on my amp. Set up is a Backstar HT Studio 20 head into an Orange 1x12 that contains a V30. Mic is a SM57 on axis in the following locations:

1. Just off cone, 1/2" off grill
2. Just off cone, 2" off grill
3. Between cone and edge of speaker, 1/2" off grill
4. Between cone and edge of speaker, 2" off grill


guitar test 1.mp3
guitar test 2.mp3
guitar test 3.mp3
guitar test 4.mp3

I'm not positive what you're going for exactly but I liked 1 and 2 the best. The first is a bit brighter than the second and they (to me) got progressively bassier. Not muddy but more bass. My guess is it'd be easier to drop the first one into a mix.

On a side note, I never** have the mic straight at the speaker, I am usually somewhere on the speaker cone but my mic is usually angled (mostly parallel to the speaker cone but not always). Distance and placement are always determined when recording, obviously. Good stuff!


**I suppose I should not say never. I don't normally do that but I have in the past. Usually out of necessity. Like I've run out stands and have to hang a Senn E609 of the front of the grill.

[Bill L]

5 and 6 seemed pretty dark too (comparatively). I like the intro, though. Very cool stuff.

[liv_rong]

Thanks for the listen! So for the first two I may not be far off after all? Meaning with eq and compression and in a mix with everything else it may be alright? It sounds soooo much better standing in my room playing then it does recorded.