Audio - Recording Electric Guitar

Here are a few tips for recording the electric guitar. The techniques here are mostly for more aggressive types of music, where clarity is important on distorted tones and fast playing.

You:

The player is obviously the most important part of the equation. Any parts you wish to record, practice them over and over again till they are perfect. I used to spend so much time trying to fiddle with buttons, mixes, amp settings, etc... only to realize I just needed to practice the riff some more - to gain consistency with the track... Think of all of those awesome tracks, some over 50 years old - their equipment was no where near what we have today... it was the player!

Amp/Guitar:

The amp (this includes the cab) is the 2nd most important aspect. Many will disagree saying mic placement or the actual guitar is more important. I disagree. *Decent* solidbody electric guitars (esp. those used for hard rock or metal) will sound similar. A decent solidbody will have ample sustain and decent pickups. Other than the tone of the guitar, it is the actual playability I find more important. Just because it sounds good does not mean it will fit your playing style.

The amp, however, is not something that many players spend as much time with. I have built and played quite a few guitar amplifiers and it is my honest opinion that a good ol tube amp cannot be beat. Modeling amps and boards have come a long way, but they still haven't reached the level of a nice tube amp.

For those on a budget, or who can only record in small or 'low-volume-only' home studios, cranking a tube amp is not an option. This is my case when recording at home. Despite the many tube amps I have, I cannot use them in my recording environment for practical limitations (neighbors, no room large enough, etc...). So I compromise. I use a $100 Roland MicroCube. This uses the COSM technology you'll find in BOSS's higher end boards. While not as good sounding as my Mesa 295 through a few 4-12's, it is an excellent compromise. In addition, it only weighs a few pounds and will fit anywhere. Works for me!

Mic Placement:

I wont spend too much time here because it really comes down to experimentation. Moving mics around and listening to the result is quite easy so do it! I find for aggressive styles, having a mic too far from the speaker makes the track too muddy. This may be fine for slower styles or where clarity isn't desired. I use a 2 mic setup. The mics I use are 57s or Beta 58s. One mic is positioned orthogonal to the center of the speaker approximately 1" from the grill face about 1" offset from the speaker center. Another mic is positioned about 15deg from grill face (almost parallel to the face), again, about 1" from the grill face. Later, in the DAW, you can easily fade different combos of each mic to your liking. You can also add many more mics... toggling between and mixing sounds is much easier in software!

When I find the combo I like, I take a few pics of the setup and amp settings. These are documented in the folder for the DAW project. I started doing this when I would return to a track in a project and dig the sound I had there... reproducing it is impossible if you have not documented what you've done. You may have better memory than me, but I cannot recall anything I did if the project is over a month old.

Recording HW:

Simple - use a decent interface with nice-sounding pres with enough gain for your uses.

Environmental:

Windows, AC/Heater vents, fluorescents, dogs/cats, rain, thunder, etc... all can ruin a perfect track. Be sure to do a test track before doing a final run. Crank up the levels (just be sure not to accidentally pop the mic or play) and listen...

I hope these tips are useful!

- Phil