What?!!???!?

[sweet]

This is an except from a thread on tracking heavy guitar. Can someone translate this to laymans terms?

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AN EXAMPLE with a 'common' pre/eq. module:

 

Take a AMEK9098 module, 'shunt' the nasty/toppy crap with the low pass at say 7-9k, trap the 'mud' with the hi-pass at 50-90 range(whatever.... sweep it around, freaky). Great. Now rip the 'wool' at 130-240 narrow with the low-mid on either 'wide notch' or 'narrow bell'. Then, engage "bell" on the low band and roll it up to the top of it's range(300) and slam a couple of db off the low-mids 'murk' area. Now engage a similar 'Q' shape on the hi mid band and suck the hell outta the 'rat' at 6k. Now, being the sneaky {censored} that you are.... Flip the top band around between bell, sheen and shelf, and boost ABOVE the low pass. Like 15-26k. That's right freaky.... 26k. Keep shifting the low pass filter point and the hi-boost against each other until you've lost the nasty 'fizz' and haven't KILLED the top end. The effect of the different 'stupid' combinations is quite an eye opener. PHASE ANOMALIES AS A CREATIVE TOOL. Don't leave home without them. Great analog EQ's {censored} {censored} UP when you abuse them. Impress me.

 

Similar work can be done with ANY 'money' pre/4+2 parametric eq. out there. Now the whole time you were doing those rips what where you doing?

 

You were boosting the 5db clickstops on the mic level and goosing the trim as you WATCHED (and listened) to the signal slam the {censored} outta the 2". You've now ended up with a 'sensitivity' level on the front end that would flatten everything to hell and back if you disengaged the Eq in button. Your pre is running MUCH hotter on the front end. In a lot (not all) of pre/mic combinations this is HUGE.

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[Guest Anonymous]

as I understand it, you're cuttin' the crap out of the guitar with the eq, all the while BOOSTING the mic gain. Lose some bandwidth on the guitar signal, boost the rest, you're gonna get more of the signal you want to tape.

 

Right?

[Kiwiburger]

Obviously you would do things a little differently if tracking digitally. That is excellent advice from somebody who knows how to get good guitar sounds using multiple mics, analog eq and 2" magnetic tape. Very few people have that luxury.

 

He is absolutely right though. Phase Anomalies for creative effect - absolutely! Ever heard Bohemian Rhapsody? I've always loved Brian May's guitar tone texture. There is a lot of information in the public domain about how he achieved those unique phasey sounds. (not just AC30's - think battery amps, 6" speakers, mic's inserted in tubes, lots of tricks).

 

As soon as you have multiple mics, multiple speakers, or multiple pickups, you have a lot of opportunities to screw up, or enhance, the sound due to phase cancellations. Sometimes a single mic on a single cone for a bright, pure, in-your-face sound is what you want. Sometimes, you want a more textured laid-back sound from multiple sources.

 

Mixing between multiple tracks of the same guitar sound can give you a range of phase cancellations that are more powerful than an eq. If you also combine with use of polarity/phase switch, or short delays, you have a lot more control.

[sweet]

Ahhh... tape, analog.... I'm such an idiot.

 

My feeble brain couldn't possibly comprehend recording advice that doesn't include a mouse and keyboard.

 

DOH!

 

Kiwi, (or anyone) any ideas on how I might apply this concept using Cubase? Eliminating the "fizz" is what I think I'm after.

 

I know, I know... "you think?" (as in, "what are you, stupid?":D)

 

Yes, I think, because it's difficult to articulate the sound I'm hearing on my favorite albums.

[Kiwiburger]

I use Cubase SX, but I don't like the channel eq. I use GEQ-7 from www.kjaerhusaudio.com. Try the demo - it's a very sweet sounding eq, with plenty of options.

 

Using that (or even your channel eq) you can practice the eq tricks mentioned in that text you posted.

 

Fizz is in the high end. Your guitar cab rolls off a lot of fizz, but depending on you mic, mic placement and amp eq settings, you might want to roll off some more. Or are you using digital amp simulations? They are notoriously fizzy.

 

Here is what your guy recommends: "Take a AMEK9098 module, 'shunt' the nasty/toppy crap with the low pass at say 7-9k, ". The GEQ-7 has a low pass (i.e. hi rolloff) and you could try setting that at around 7kHz to 9kHz and try various slopes.

 

I just tweak to taste and don't really try to remember any formula. Mic choice, placement and phase issues (if using multiple cabs or mics) give you a lot of choice to start with, so I don't always need to use low passing.

[sweet]

Yeah, I don't like the channel EQ in Cubase LE either (probably the same as SX??). I fiddled around today and got some results. I need to work on it more when I's sitting in front of my monitors.

 

The one I use can LP, but I can't easily change the slope. It's kinda goofy. I need to try a few others...

[Zooey]

The author recommends boosting the frequencies that are well above cutoff point of the low pass filter (so you're simultaneously cutting and boosting the same frequencies).

 

I have no idea if this works with plug-in EQs. Most plug-ins let you access a shelf or a low pass filter on the highest band, but not both at the same time.

[Eric Dahlberg]

That's the reason so many are using ribbons on electric guitars these days, they get rid of the fizz in a very natural way & add the bottom that you'd normally expect tape to give an SM57.