Recording/mixing:Width and Size, single guitar track

[alanfc]

I'm in this crazy neverending quest to keep the touch and the presence of a single guitar performance, but get the width and size of a doubled track. No matter how perfect I play the double, the touch is lost. And I always end up going with the double. I know there's a few tricks that are probably over my head (the mid/side processing, or the Van Halen dry left/wet right return)...

But from some simpler music with raw guitars, how about some examples
Can anyone give me their read on these ones?:

Soundgarden's "Spoonman" and "Jesus Christ Pose";
wonderful large heavy wide sounds there.

Are they single performances made wide and large somehow ?,

or really tight human doubles?

thanks

[b-squared]

In my soundclick there's a track we did for a buddy going through recording school (Metal Edge Magazine) SoundClick artist: Robert BB Wiggs - page with MP3 music downloads

Although it sounds like it, there's not a doubling in the rhythm or lead tracks. We close-miked the cab with an SM57, then put a Nueman mic about 10 feet away for ambient sound (in another track). The result was a nice doubling effect because of the space between the mics and the sound pickup.. Disregard the severe compression...he's was a student, after all. (Note--I did add some lead guitar track in the chorus, chugging on chords and such).

An added bonus--with the second track he could add effects without messing with the original track.

Also--if you can throw another mic on and record a simultaneous dry track you'll thank yourself later--you can manipulate it to your hearts content with effects, etc., and it'll match the track perfectly since it's the same take!



Hope that helped.

BB

[Big John]

Originally Posted by alanfc

...mid/side processing...

You nailed it. Just add the right compression and EQ to the side mic and you're there.

[alanfc]

aha thank you ! .. I will DL tonight

[alanfc]

Originally Posted by Big John

You nailed it. Just add the right compression and EQ to the side mic and you're there.

yikes but I'd skipped it before, due the plug-ins to buy !

I DO have the free Voxengo "Stereoizer Pro" which sounds a bit swirly and artifical. And I have Endorphin which has a M/S setting that I couldn't get clear and real enough.

Is it possible to creat my own mid-side setup with 3 clones of the track? What to do with the middle and 2 sides, without stepping on the vocal and drum/bass in the center ? Panning clones 100% left and right puts me back to mono I think... atleast to my ear. I don't want Mono. (not looking for KORN wall of guitars either)
thanks

[alanfc]

is this a way I can do it 'by-hand' without special plug-ins?

CD Mastering Services and Media Production.

[LoKi]

If you have an open back cabinet, I like putting 1 mic in front and one behind, and setting them out of phase with each other. Makes it record HUGE.

[alanfc]

hmmmmmm,, I use this homemade 1x12 isocab and the cab is closed back, but i added that,,,
maybe to remove it.

Also, its this generic stock Carvin speaker, supposedly imitation of a V30.
maybe I should try one of these others I have around,,, an Eminence GuvNor, Celestion GT-85, and another Carvin knockoff of a gt-75

[alanfc]

my front mic is an SM-57.... my second mic in back could be a cheap MXL v63 condensor or an SM-58

[Big John]

Originally Posted by alanfc

...Panning clones 100% left and right puts me back to mono I think...

Nope. If done by the book, the left channel is M-S and the right channel is M+S. By slighlty compressing and EQ'ing the S signal, the stereo spread really stands out on it's own nicely. Try not to run the mono channel too high during mixdown. Make sure you've got pro headphones to really dial it in...makes all the difference.

[b-squared]

Save up some cash and get a used Shure KSM-27. The -37 and -47 are pretty expensive, but you should be able to score a -27 for a decent price.

Make sure it comes with the shock mount.

AWESOME mike for everything. We use it for our drum kit...one of those for overhead covers all toms and cymbals. SM57 for Snare, Beta 58 for kick. Great drum mix.

BB

[alanfc]

Originally Posted by Big John

Nope. If done by the book, the left channel is M-S and the right channel is M+S. By slighlty compressing and EQ'ing the S signal, the stereo spread really stands out on it's own nicely. Try not to run the mono channel too high during mixdown. Make sure you've got pro headphones to really dial it in...makes all the difference.

ok thanks!

[alanfc]

Originally Posted by b-squared

Save up some cash and get a used Shure KSM-27. The -37 and -47 are pretty expensive, but you should be able to score a -27 for a decent price.

Make sure it comes with the shock mount.

AWESOME mike for everything. We use it for our drum kit...one of those for overhead covers all toms and cymbals. SM57 for Snare, Beta 58 for kick. Great drum mix.

BB

Excellent