Supersize Your Tone | Recording Guitars

Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Rich Tozzoil

           
 

TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR RECORDING KILLER ELECTRIC-GUITAR SOUNDS IN YOUR APARTMENT OR SMALL STUDIO

BONUS MATERIAL
Interview With Guitarist Chris Muth

Capturing great guitar sounds is easier said than done. This is especially true for people working with amps in small-to-medium-size home studios or personal-producer rooms. Still, when you're plugging in an electric guitar, you don't always need a big room to get a big sound. With a little creative use of space, a few choice pieces of gear, and some solid fundamental recording techniques, you can turn out killer tracks.

It all boils down to the amp, the microphone, and the sound of the guitarist. In my experience as a player and from recording countless guitar sessions as an engineer, the rest of the variables (including preamps, pickups, cables, picks, speakers, strings, and ambient room tone) are important but not primary.

These days, many guitarists solve the problem of getting big sounds in small places by using amp modelers (software or hardware based), bypassing actual amps altogether. This technique can be very effective, and I frequently use amp modelers for some sounds. What's more, if you have noise restrictions in your studio, using an amp modeler may be the only way to go. But this article will focus mainly on getting your tone the old-fashioned way: by miking an amp.

Amped Up

With the huge range of amps on the market, there is no right or wrong make or model for the job. From vintage classics to small cheapies, there's something out there for every budget. That said, the amp is a crucial part of your overall tone. There's a reason why great guitarists use great amps. That's not to say you can't get creative sounds from less expensive models — you certainly can. But by choosing an amp that outputs a high-quality sound that inspires you, you're starting with the right ingredients before cooking.

Many amps, especially tube models, need a little extra love in order for you to coax out a sound worthy of recording. In my studio, I have a small but effective collection of amps that need to be maintained, just like my car. Because amp maintenance is not my forte, I have an amp technician keep them updated with such things as tubes, capacitors, and resistors (see the online bonus material “Amp Tune-up” at emusician.com).

Other small touches, such as making sure your amps are grounded properly, will pay dividends when the red light is on and it's tracking time. For example, on my old '62 Gibson Falcon, I had an amp technician change the AC cord from the original 2-prong to a 3-prong, which helped dramatically with buzz and grounding issues.

Also, don't forget to listen to the amp's speaker. Doing so serves two purposes. The first is to check for cracks or tears — you don't want your session to come to a halt after you find out that a rip is causing unwanted crackling. If you can, have someone else play through the amp so you can focus on just listening. Make sure to give the speaker a visual inspection as well.

The second purpose is to enable you to find the best speaker (or speakers) to place the mics on. Most often in 2 × 12 or 4 × 12 cabinets, each speaker will sound different. Be careful when exposing your ears to loud volumes, but at least have a listen to each speaker (this time just for the tone). Then choose the one or two that sound best and work from there.

I Like Mics

As with amps, countless brands and types of mics are available, at prices ranging from $50 to $5,000. A great mic to use for starting out any amped-guitar session is the Shure SM57 (see the online bonus material “Manufacturer Contacts”). Many engineers would say it's their “desert island” mic. This dependable, inexpensive dynamic cardioid-pattern mic has a frequency response from 40 Hz to 15 kHz and has recorded innumerable classic guitar tones through the years. It can be placed quite close to the cabinet and can handle extremely high sound-pressure levels. Of course, placing the mic on-axis (directly facing the speaker) or off-axis (slightly angled) will each yield different tonal results. The only way to find out what works for your session is to try both and use your ears.

A variety of modifications can be made to the standard SM57 to alter its sound. Engineer-producer Pete Moshay, whose multi-Platinum work includes the likes of Hall & Oates, Ian Hunter, and the Average White Band, has three different kinds of 57s in his collection. “The stock 57 is like your mama,” says Moshay. “It's such a familiar sound, you have to love it.

“However,” he continues, “if you pull the transformer from the 57, it will have at least 10 dB less gain. But the trannyless model also has more balls to the sound, with more bottom pushing out. It's a bit more muffled, but in a good way.”

The last model Moshay uses has a different transformer (T58), made by Tab-Funkenwerk. “It's the same guts and glory as our old friend, but with a more inviting mid quality. It's like a 57 just got a more hi-fi sound without losing the classic character. The word open seems the best way to describe it.” Moshay notes that he sometimes uses his three different 57s together (held with a rubber band) and adjusts their levels as needed.