Recording great-sounding guitars can often be a daunting task. There are countless ways to get what you are looking for, and it all boils down to what works best for you. Here is a helpful list that covers some of the basics to help you start recording great tracks before sending in a song for audio mastering.
- The most important step in recording great guitar sounds is to ensure that the guitar is in the best condition possible. Many people often overlook the importance of playing with new strings, checking out the neck, making sure it is straight, tuning, tightening the input jack, and checking that all pickups are working properly. It is completely worth the few extra bucks to get new strings or even take the guitar into a professional for adjustments and the correct setup.
- It is imperative to check tuning before every take. Listeners will be able to hear an instrument that is out of tune even if it is only a fraction off, which could ultimately ruin a great song. When tuning, it is best to stretch out the strings with your hand and then tune. This will make the strings less likely to get out of tune due to the climate in the room you are playing in.
- Try to keep your distance from computer monitors and other electronic devices because the pickups will actually pick up unwanted frequencies and sounds. Move around and find the best spot in the room with the least amount of unwanted sounds.
- Record tracks using 2 different guitars. Single coiled and humbucker guitars offer great varieties of sound. The single-coil will capture the higher tones, whereas the humbuckers are perfect for a fuller, lower sound.
- It is ideal for recording guitars by miking the amp and capturing the sound it produces and how the room shapes the sound. Suppose you do not have the means to record using a mic or don't have a reasonably good-sounding acoustic space; keep in mind that many amps have great quality line-outs that can often produce awesome tones.
- When miking the amps, try different mic placements throughout the room. Try moving the mic further from the amp or even pointing the amp towards a corner and the mic behind it. Also, try positioning the mic towards the center cone of the speaker for a deeper sound and away from the center to capture brighter tones with acoustic guitars, mic near the soundhole to get the lower tones, and near the 12th fret for a bright sound from the strings. The possibilities are endless, and experimenting could lead to the perfect sound you are looking for.
- A helpful trick for trying to find a good placement for a mic is to move your head around the amp or room and let your ear be the judge of the best spot.
- Experiment with different mics and different amps if you have the extra equipment. It's better to record multiple instrument tones and have many options when mixing instead of limiting yourself and only having a couple of tracks to work with.
- If possible, try playing outside of the room that the amp is miked in so you can hear the actual tones that are being recorded.
- When doubling guitars, record two different performances instead of simply copying and pasting the same track into the mix. The slight differences in the takes will give you a much better, fuller sound instead of only adding to the volume.
Conclusion:
Experimenting on mic placement and tone adjustment cannot be stressed enough. There is no one set way to record any instrument, but these tips will definitely help build the foundation of recording great-sounding guitars before mixed and sent in for cd mastering services.
Make Pro Songs
There are 8 unique value-points inside the Sage Audio membership, so let’s go over each one so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.
1. 50 Free Mastered Songs Per Year
- 50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
- You’ll get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
- Unlimited revisions with your dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer. As a standard of our service, we are not happy until you are happy with the sound of your masters.
- All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.
Learn more
2. 1-on-1 Mentorship
- The Sage Audio 1:1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us to answer all your questions and receive unlimited advanced mixing feedback directly from us.
- Unlimited direct access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve your mixes and masters.
- Unlimited advanced mixing feedback with detailed suggestions for improvement.
- Fast communication to answer all your questions and get tailored guidance that’s specific to your needs.
Learn more
3. Unlimited Mixing Feedback
- Unlimited mixing feedback so you can improve your mixes quickly.
- This is highly valuable - giving you access to a thriving community of mixing engineers who can provide feedback about what you can improve before sending your mix to be professionally mastered.
Learn more
4. Sage Audio University™ (SAU) — (Mixing and Mastering Education Platform)
- SAU is a modern audio engineering education platform that includes in-depth mixing and mastering course curriculums that match the new music industry.
- SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from first-time mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout every course curriculum.
- SAU course curriculums include Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
- SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website, social channels, and portfolio for as long as you remain a member.
- Get first access to all future SAU course curriculums to continually build and refine your mixing and mastering skills as the industry evolves.
Learn more
5. Mixing and Mastering Competitions
- Compete in Mixing Competitions and Mastering Competitions to win prizes and connect with friends and colleagues.
- This is a great collaborative way to improve your skills alongside both aspiring engineers and seasoned industry professionals.
Learn more
6. Community
- The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.
Learn more
7. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content, Including:
- 36 multitrack sessions spanning multiple genres for mixing practice.
- 57 un-mastered mixes spanning multiple genres for mastering practice.
- 62 Recommended Free Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 39 Recommended Paid Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 71 Sage Audio custom plugin presets to improve your mixes and masters.
- Sage Audio Membership Badge to showcase on your website, social channels, and portfolio.
Learn more
8. 700+ Video Catalog
- Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into playlists so you can take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your mixing and mastering skills at your own pace.
Learn more
