Author Topic: Does My Tone Suck? (Read 15025 times)

Searcher · « **Reply #15 on:** February 07, 2006, 07:53:23 AM »

Hey Willo, it's hard to tell tone from clips that are recorded like this. I have stuff I've done in a pro studio and stuff I've recorded at home and the studio stuff is heaps better. Of course, that sounds obvious when you think about it, but what I'm saying is that it is difficult for us to accurately know what you're hearing at home from what you post.

That said, on a couple of tracks your tone was a bit muddy. I can't say what's causing it, but it's the kind of sound you get when the strings haven't been changed in a while. The bass strings, in particular, sounded much less defined than I like to hear them. This could also be your amp or nearly anything else in the chain.

On the second track you weren't properly in tune with the rhythm. Sounds flat to me. It varies throughout the song a bit, and you can PM me if you want to know my theories. ;)

jt · « **Reply #16 on:** February 07, 2006, 08:56:19 AM »

:D As i said mate don`t read to much into any of this as we`ve all heard pops & farts on your recordings. The truth is that it sounds like the cheap sound card your useing. It`s very difficult to get your Tone down on a recording. I`ve been using a digital recording unit & look at the trouble i`ve had trying to get it to sound "Real"

Remember nothing counts untill you do "That" recording that says This is who & what i am. ie
Get your band together, Write 10 - 15 songs, select the 4-5 best & then blow £1000 + in a recording session !!! THEN ask people if you`ve got a good Tone !!! :lol:

:D 8)

willo · « **Reply #17 on:** February 07, 2006, 03:56:05 PM »

Hey WFD, I think it's interesting that you like the first one most - the most fuzzy one, right? Why is that? Is that cos you can hear the sound of the pickup more or something?

I'd also be really interested if you could tell me what it is you look for in 'good' tone - I honestly am so undereducated when it comes to this kind of issue.

Quote from: WITH FULL DISTORTION

and don´t get upset.
i´m just helping
#$%!& Hails
J.P

I won't get upset! It's not particularly nice to hear if someone doesn't like your tone, but then I guess it's not a nice thing to have to say either! I certainly think that, if I do have a problem, its better to get it sorted ASAP than swan around thinking everything's fine when it isn't really.

Searcher - I pm'd you...I'm interested in your theories!

badgermark · « **Reply #18 on:** February 07, 2006, 04:16:39 PM »

shite! sorry willo, i never expected this much to come from a lil comment...

twas me that voiced my criticism on the tone, but i did hear a rough fuzz/boost demo and thought it sounded AWFUL.

and i never post clips because i havent anything to record with (yet...) and im not a show off, i'd rather strum some chords than widdle for hours.

i've explained to willo about the tone i heard, and he is decent enough not to take offence to it. and i never realised the tone could be blamed on the recording software until after i posted my comment (im really slow sometimes...).

willo · « **Reply #19 on:** February 07, 2006, 04:37:02 PM »

Quote from: badgermark

shitee! sorry willo, i never expected this much to come from a lil comment...

twas me that voiced my criticism on the tone, but i did hear a rough fuzz/boost demo and thought it sounded AWFUL.

and i never post clips because i havent anything to record with (yet...) and im not a show off, i'd rather strum some chords than widdle for hours.

i've explained to willo about the tone i heard, and he is decent enough not to take offence to it. and i never realised the tone could be blamed on the recording software until after i posted my comment (im really slow sometimes...).

I've seen you about here, Badger...i thought it was a coincedence, not 'the' Badger! :D

Dude, there's nothing to apologise for! Don't feel bad about it...I'm not posting this here on some kind of self-pity crusade, I just thought it would be good to get some objective, independent opinion on my tone. It is important to me, so if it does sound cr@p (and I'm oblivious) I'd like to know, and do something about it. :D

badgermark · « **Reply #20 on:** February 07, 2006, 04:43:02 PM »

well the clips you posted here sound pretty good, i think the tone is 'good'.

maybe my idea of good tone is different from everyone elses, i like to be able to hear whats going on, so note definition is a high priority. mind you thats probably why ive moved to acoustics more, gotta get a 12 string now i think.

i hate making new threads, so is there anything specific i need to look out for when buying a new 12 string?

willo · « **Reply #21 on:** February 07, 2006, 04:49:37 PM »

Regarding note definition - I do need to scale down the amount of gain I use...it's really strange, my priorities shift so much regarding playing guitar, one minute I'm in some Guns N Roses phase, the next I'm stuck on Marc Ribot. I think I might eventually buy a Fender amp, get a nicer clean tone.

12 strings, no idea! I'd make a new thread though, no-ones going to blame you - this is like the world's friendliest forum, unless you mention Nickelback...also, there are probably quite a few people who've got useful info on 12 strings that automatically look past this thread. :P

Gary · « **Reply #22 on:** February 07, 2006, 06:24:14 PM »

This is an interesting one for me because it's made me think about what I look for in 'good tone'. I would always start with a clean tone (hence why I've got a fender HRD and am lusting after a 57 Twin) and look for a good balance across bass, middle and treble. I'd then look to tweak this so that it sits properly in the mix so that would vary depending on whether you're playing solo, with a full band or something in between. I'd also look at the amount of overdrive/ distortion I'm using but only after I'm happy with the basic clean tone.

I've found that with twin channel amps the sound can change drastically from one channel to the next which is a problem if they've got shared eq and which is why I'm now only using one channel of my amp and using the guitar volume for different tones with a boost pedal for lead - that way I get consistency across clean, overdrive and lead sounds.

Hope this helps.

sambo · « **Reply #23 on:** February 07, 2006, 06:26:21 PM »

badgermark does the frog in your avatar have magnetic hands and feet by any chance?...... cause if it does...............

Kilby · « **Reply #24 on:** February 07, 2006, 06:40:04 PM »

Hey Willo,
Ideas about good tone change with mood, track, setting, band, recording equipment and playback equipment.

You are at the mercy of the sound cards in peoples PCs as well, the speakers on this laptop does this wierd phasing shite on some MP3s and not on others.

If you have some cash then even something like the cheaper USB based stuff which is now competing with the Line 6 tone ports will let you get the sound onboard the PC in a reasionable state.

Even in your current stage export the sound as a .wav and use somthing free like Lame encoder (free) to do an mp3 at a decent bitrate (not all mp3 converters are equal.)

Change of subject to 12 strings now:

I spent a lot of time trying out 12 strings before christmas (both electrics and acoustics) and found that it was difficult finding a neck that I found comfortable, they vary much more than 6 strings do.

If it dosn't feel comfortable you won't play it enough to get used with it.

What else I suggest getting the Roger McGuinn DVD, theres some 12 string acoustic stuff at the end of it. It's also a good intro of what can be acheived with a 12 string.

Needless to say I went for an electric 12 (I may want the neck pickup rewound so I suppose there is some bareknuckle content in this post)

Rob...

Bainzy · « **Reply #25 on:** February 07, 2006, 06:50:04 PM »

Try getting an SM57 and a cheap mic preamp, plugging into the line in of your soundcard. It'll make the recordings sound a lot more natural and professional, if that's what you're concerned about. Personally I think your tone sounds fine, much better tone than I've ever been able to coax out of a solid state amp. :twisted:

badgermark · « **Reply #26 on:** February 07, 2006, 07:00:43 PM »

Quote from: sambo

badgermark does the frog in your avatar have magnetic hands and feet by any chance?...... cause if it does...............

...if it does what? its a kerotan frog, not sure where or what it is originally though.

sambo · « **Reply #27 on:** February 07, 2006, 07:40:17 PM »

but does it have magnetic hands or feet? whats kerotan?

badgermark · « **Reply #28 on:** February 07, 2006, 08:05:15 PM »

no it doesnt have magnetic hands OR feet. sorry to disapoint you. and google is your friend

sambo · « **Reply #29 on:** February 07, 2006, 08:08:55 PM »

no google WAS my friend until he denied me acces to lots of chinas files and now hes not coming to my birthday party so NER!!!!!!