This takes me back about 15 years to opening for a well known national act. A couple of them came up after my set wondering what wizardry I had done for such an awesome guitar sound that sounded just like my recordings. They were baffled to find I was running a Korg Toneworks DI'd into the PA. No amp at all. This is pretty common now, but at the time it was just necessity. We tend to unnecessarily complicate things, and mixing is no different. Too much focus on trying to re-invent the wheel instead of just trusting what sounds good.
I'm lucky enough to have been recording with my brother for the last 20 years. We started with a Fostex 4 track cassette recorder and a mixer from the 70's! Home recording is magic now compared to then.
Nice channel, I love that you don’t push plugins and stuff we don’t need 😊 Maybe good to know that most pro mixers don’t listen to guitars in solo while mixing but always find the right tone in context of the mix. You’ll be amazed how they sound in solo, sometimes not so great at all but in the mix they sound excellent.
Dude your opinion is spot on. I only use a handful of plugins and 1 real amplifier and I can get way more tones and mix styles out of it by knowing the gear inside and out. I feel like its not the gear you have, but how many different ways you know how to use what you already own. Time is money and every gear purchase leads you to spend more time learning new stuff.
Man your channel is probably the best I've seen on the production niche so far. Especially as someone who's learning your videos are always clear and to the point. Like I love Dan Worral, but I get that he's advanced to a point where I can barely understand what he's doing, let alone use it well on a song.
If you zoom in real close on that first Wes Montgomery photo his ring finger is so close behind the metal fret it looks like he’s on the fret… but he’s not. Figuring out that sweet spot was like a whole new ampsim haha.
I had some of these issues. Focusing on the overall structure of my music has really helped a lot. It doesn't matter how good you are if you can't play tight.
Bobby, your advises are right on the money as always. We will continue chasing our own tails if we still wasting time in distractors (the new amp sim, the new midi drum pack, not finishing the songs, not improving our performances, etc). Thanks again for your advises.
I agree for the most part, but disagree on two points. (For reference, I play guitar, but not exclusively. My strongest point is probably drums and rhythm.) I think guitar tone does matter. I don't think it matters to the point of obsessing over it, but if a guitar tone is piercing or obscuring other instruments it can make a song practically unlistenable. Regarding plugins / amp sims / drum VSTs, I agree the most important thing is knowing the plugin in and out. However, amp sims / drum VSTs do matter to an extent, because there are limitations that exist in older amp sims / VSTs that may not be there for new ones. Example: the randomization of samples to reduce machine gunning. There is a clear difference in SD3 of now vs old school pre-2010 drum sims. Sure, most modern features aren't something that make an old amp sim or VST or plugin unusable, but there are often differences. I feel like once one gets to a point where they fix their fundamental mixing/writing issues and are experienced, getting better quality VSTs or amp sims (within reason) removes any software limitations that make mixes more challenging to get polished.
This is so interesting. I only started learning how to play the guitar 6 weeks ago & I'm documenting my entire learning journey on here so this was super motivational!
Amp sims have cursed my guitar playing as far as creativity. Too many options with each one claiming to be the best. Its an endless supply of snake oil. I got sick of it and have switched back to using the Poulin Hybrit with Nad IR and Redwirez 1960 free pack. Told myself I'm sticking with it and got back to writing songs instead of continuously searching for a perfect guitar sound. Damn good video man.
Honestly the more instruments I learned the more I thought about production and performance over tone. I use a DR a Revv and an AC30 for guitars on just about ever recording along with the same Ownhammer IRs I've used for 5 years and the same drums samples for at least as long. You'd be surprised how much better a mix you can get just understanding the tools you have.
Makes a lot of sense. Despite researching alternatives to Photoshop (as I kinda hate adobe), I always find myself sticking to it just because that's what I know the best. Only difference is that with plugins you don't at least usually have an expensive monthly cost to them, so there's literally no drawbacks to just sticking to the one you know. Also, if you just keep switching constantly, you'll never get to learn one properly in the first place.
CLA and Andy Wallace most likely are still using their "Signature drum sample" they got from the 90s, and they're one of the people most bands look up to for their mixes.
I have been binge watching CLA videos on TH-cam recently. I have come to the realization that because he is using a physical console, ALL of his tracks are fixed for their specific function. e.g ch 1 for tape delay, ch 2 for reverb, ch 3 for xxx. And because his effects are all analogue gears, this means he does every song with the same gear and same set up. He simply doesn't waste time on choosing plugs in. Granted all his gears are probably super high end stuffs but he knows what his gears can do inside and out.
Another aspect to unpack is to get the sound you hear in the published/rendered clip on social media/TH-cam to be similar/close to the the final mix within the DAW!
100% agree. Many musicians not just guitarists, do not focus enough on learning about production process, template utilization and creating tone presets. Also gain staging. And yes , the tools in your DAW provided are more than enough. Buying new sims and midi packs really is a waste.
I don't use plug-ins or whatever those things are (old boomer guy here), as I prefer to just plug into the Zoom r8 (although I suppose those amps are simulated as anything); don't fret too much about tone. However, I could definitely stand to apply more focus on melody lines. Oh and learning how to play better. reckon that couldn't hurt either.
Couple comments on this vid. First, what’s up with that old school tv in the background? Lol. But seriously, what you’re saying is 100% correct. You’ve addressed this several times in previous vids but it seems people just don’t get it until they experience it for themselves. Gotta have a good song & performance. I’ve bought all the major amp sims & have spent way too much time trying to dial in the “perfect tone”. Then I discovered if I used the simplest amp sim out there, the Bogren Digital BDH amp sims, they sounded the best in my mixes. I’m not affiliated with them in any way. I just adjust the gain on the amp sim, maybe add an EQ plug-in to slightly dial them in to fit the mix, & that’s it. I wish I’d wouldn’t have spent money on the other amp sims but lesson learned. Now I know if I have a solid performance, it’s easy to dial it in very quickly. 🤘🏻
Lol, I have so many different types of plugins right now that it’s like I own a billion dollars worth of emulated hardware. Definitely more than I need but I have a bunch of tones narrowed down and templates/settings saved in Logic Pro. The engineers who recorded the bands I grew up listening to are featured a lot on the Full In Bloom podcast and they offer a lot of great insight. I dialed in a drum kit using Superior Drummer and saved the template in a Logic Settings file. I might try a few things here and there but the bulk of the work is done and I have my drums dialed in like an engineer who had one day to dial in drums back in 1984. My guitar tone is definitely better than the majority of the guitar tones I loved growing up. Having so many crayons in the box actually makes it difficult to choose what to do so I’ve been simplifying my setup. My favorite clean tone right now is a piezo into an interface with no amp sim, some compression and an ambient reverb. It sounds incredible and it’s very simple to dial in. A mix of simple tones sounds so much better than a wall of overly processed instruments. Simple is better almost always. Plus, once you have a (for example) “lead tone”? Use it for everything! The uniformity from track to track is what I go for and my favorite guitarists sound the same from track to track on any given project. Dial in base tones like a studio engineer does (or did before sims) and stick with it. Get together a mix of all instruments in just E for 4 bars and EQ to taste or adjust the instrument. Do this for quiet guitars, loud guitars and a mix of quiet and loud guitars blended together. If all the instruments sound good start recording. I play instrumental guitar and even Buckethead records a lot of riffs without a lead or instrumental “vocal” but Satriani always has a guitar “voice” melody over his songs. I recommend singing over your backing track and transcribing the vocals to guitar. You sing much different than you play, guaranteed. You will choose notes you wouldn’t normally choose playing the guitar because you’re not simply playing the notes of a scale. Transcribe a vocal from a singer you like and you’ll see what I mean. Playing the vocal is eye opening, even refreshing. You’ll definitely be skipping strings if you’re doing it correctly. Learn to transcribe vocals and learn how to “sing” over your own chord progressions . Hell, write lyrics and just play them on the guitar. Your instrumental tracks will start to sound like songs and, because we’re guitar players, leave some space for a solo that sounds like a solo. Use effects to differentiate between the “vocal” and the guitar lead. It doesn’t have to be complicated either, neck pickup for a warm “vocal” melody and bridge for the shredded leads. Also, save the sweep picking runs for the solos. Try not to do anything with the “vocal” that a singer couldn’t do and maybe harmonize the chorus. That’s how I interpret the formula for great instrumental songwriting on guitar. Couldn’t agree more with the content of this video, hope my comments are half as helpful to instrumentalists looking to make music. Peace…
I have a couple of default guitar tones I use for my songwriting. More often than not, I actually try to create a nasty bass tone then adjust the guitars to blend with my bass. Probably unorthodox, but I enjoy it. Truth be told dude, I'm more obsessed with bass tone than guitars. The last month, we have been blessed with some new Dying Fetus, Atoll, Cryptopsy, & a new Cannibal Corpse drops tomorrow & I find myself at the gym listening to these records & focusing HARD on the bass tone; there is a lot to absorb as a producer if you focus on bass guitar just as much as guitar. Bass seems like such a criminally forgotten aspect to songwriting these days because it can really shape that guitar tone into some glorious nasty. Hope you are well bud!!!! Thanks for the video!!!!!
Am I the only one here to accept all what Mr. Bobby pictured?!! For me, it is what he mentioned and that is actually what keeping me to dragged to complete a song. Thanks a lot Mr. Bobby for always enlightening me
Great topic Bobby! We could all use a lil humble pie and learn from your points. I've decided to not purchase more amp sims, even with all hype around the new Bogren Digital amp sim. I already have plenty, and you're absolutely correct that free ones are killer! Nembrini Audio just put out a free one THIS week that sounds great. Also love you featuring Spindrift. I'm sure they'll be a sponsor soon!
2:20 - 2:33 I agree but not at the same time. The most important to know what you are doing but a "new toy" can be inspiring. We all know the feeling when we regret buying a plugin/sample library/VSTi because in the end we don't get what we expected or what we might have mistakenly imagined "how it will sound". But we all know the experience too when we get a good/great sound, when we get a "new color", an alternative to the sound of guitar, drums, bass (etc.). Since whatever plugin you use, YOU play the guitar, so it will sound "the same" to some extent (pick attack, phrasing, tone setting habits) but it's not true that it doesn't matter what you use. It is especially true for amplifier plugins. They have developed a lot in the last 4-5 years. It's always inspiring to find some new (good!) sound that can come from anywhere: an amp suite cabinet section, a good boost pedal, a well-simulated 5150/Mesa, you name it. Or to find a really good snare sound, or even a well-hit stock drum preset.
I got my Triple/dual rec sim, my jcm800 sim, my plexi sim, my soldano sim, my fender deluxe sim, my dumble sim, and my 5150 sim. EZ drummer 2/3 (and expansion groove packs as I want them, I just hate programing them manually, it ruins my flow and creative motivation). And I've never felt limited or boxed in. They sound good, feel good, and sound like the amps enough for me to know "oh thats a rec" or "oh thats a jcm800 or plexi". I barely even mess with IRs. A good sound is a good sound. Shit, I STILL use my Eleven Rack from time to time to record. It's also my live rig. It sounds good, and does what I need it to do, I use a POD HD500 as my midi controller and have patches that are close enough to what I need incase the 11R goes down or whatever,, then it's a couple pedal stomps and switching over a single cable.
I learned last year that Satriani and Steve Vai can sing.
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Hey, man. Sorry if this is an off topic, but I am looking for advice for a recording issue. I recorded a few songs with a guitar that is now already gone (sold). While tracking the bass, I noticed some mistakes in the takes but I cannot re-do the recordings with the old guitar as it is not in my possession anymore. I have a new guitar with different pickup, wood etc. If I fix the mistakes with the new guitar, would it be possible to hide the differences in the final mix? I already did one riff and I cannot notice any difference. Maybe my head is playing tricks on me but that's only because I KNOW that this part is done with a different guitar. However, I am still hesitant, as I am not sure if this would ruin the natural feel of the recording and I will have to re-record the whole album... Will a professional mixing guy be able to make the songs to sound as if one instrument has been used for the whole takes? Any help will be much appreciated!
You hit the nail right on the head!! Nobody (average listener)cares what your using to record! It’s all about the song…yes technique and an in tune instrument are important.. but the name on the headstock doesn’t create the music..I went down the rabbit hole of amp sims and drum programs… finally settled on neurals Plini plug-in and GGD and I’m learning them and using only them…or recording my amp(boss katana 50) with a mic (sm57) I’ve probably wasted hours and hours researching and watching demos of other plugins …..
Honestly it took me years to understand that most of what I perceived as the guitar tones in records is the bass, and that actual guitars are very filtered on their low end, and have almost have no real chunk on the entire mix, and it made me focus on getting the bass sit well with the guitars and have my guitars way smaller which works
You can make great music with the stock plug-ins that come with your DAW - if you know how to use the tools. Most people can't even explain how a compressor works - much less write a good song.
im so glad i follow all your rules to a T, if i send you a mix in the future itll be a full mix i have 7-8 full songs written and half mixed, but hearing how most people send mixes with no vocals i think i have an edge. but i have heen focusdd of production for about 6 weeks and sound design, so maybe another month or so until my mixes are fina, hope u have a good week :)
I agree with all of this, not only can you get by with free plugins but you dont even need some fancy expensive guitar. Sure it's nice to have a high end guitar, but a well set up budget guitar can be lethal. I almost wish i could do a whole mix with nothing but free plugins, a cheap squier guitar and bass, free midi drums and a cheap mic for vocals. Unfortunately I'm not to that level yet 😂 im still figuring out the guitar and bass aspects of mixing
I'm a guitar player but my fave instrument to mix is drums. No doubt! I've learned that drums and vocals are the heart and soul of a song (in rock music at least).
Hi Bobby,maybe my question is stupid... I play tight and in time but I have problem with my guitars tracks final results cause I play a little bit dirty. I hope you know what I mean... how can I fix it? Alex from Italy
Very good advices, I use SSD Free for quite some time now and I don't see areason to look for a fancier drum-software, but sometimes I am tempted to hire a real drummer, so my question is: Do you think, that real drums matter for a metal-production?
Both real drums and midi drums can work just as well. I use both, but still prefer to record live drums because I love what another human can bring to the music. Recording live drums can take a lot of work, but it's worth it in my opinion.
@@FrightboxRecording Thank you, maybe I will then order a session drummer for one track and compare it to the results with midi drums before I invest into a drummer for a full album.
ive never recorded anything. ive been playing guitar for about 15 years. i got a p bass , and interface, and next week im getting a jazzmaster and im ready to explore new tools. amp sims are incredible. i use a free amp sim plugin for my bass and imo it sounds fuckin fantastic.
Came to the realization a little while ago that I could indeed write parts, lyrics and record well enough, but the real effort had to be spent on melody and vocals. I suck at both. It is also challenging when your singing voice is sub-par. To the point of getting better with vocals in songs, any suggestions for finding vocalists willing to work with guitarists and gain some experience at full song production?
Would you accept finished songs with no mix or master in your ratings? I have plenty of songs that are finished well with a decent structure but my problem is the mixing and mastering. im still in the process of learning mixing and mastering that im not yet confident in.
Noob guitarist here (im primarily a drummer) I started recording/mixing demos for my band. Is it better to record the guitar via directly in the interface, or mic up a cab?
I prefer to go direct for demos since it's more convenient and easier to punch parts in. With that being said, there are no rules. If you prefer to mic the amp, have at it!
I have a question! In my case I'm recording my band, we are 2 guitars players and our music style is heavily influenced by old in flames or iron maiden in terms of harmonizing rythym guitars all throughout the song. What I currently do is double track each guitar and hard pan each take of each guitar, for example: Gtr A (1): 100% left Gtr A (2): 100% right Gtr B (1) 100% left Gtr B (2) 100# right Am I doing this correctly or is there something I'm missing? Thanks!!
Hey man thanks a lot for all these videos i really look up to you and hope to work together on my project Once I iron out the kinks in my song writing process I'd love to hire your services for mixing and mastering.
haha....just bought a drum vst and loops....it was super cheap...goran grooves drum vst.....actually sounds really good though...heres my 1 question...concerning ez drummer 3....shouldnt these midi loops sound already mixed from the get go?....why does goran grooves sound better and fuller from the get go?....i find this really strange....i dont want to hafta eq every single drum....isnt that a goal in midi drums?
Usually, you're 100% right, but I disagree that guitar tone is not very important. For melodic guitars, tone is very important. Guitars are the sound of an album. If the guitars sound unpleasant or muddy, it will drag down the song, because guitars are so prominent in a rock mix, that the flaws are instantly noticeable. And while it is possible to get good sounding guitars in a home studio, there is so much more that makes a great studio guitar sound that masterpieces like Piece of Mind or Seventh Son of a Seventh Son are made of. There is simply no way a bedroom producer is going to be able to match that level of sonic quality. As someone who has spent a lifetime, and eventually given up on, chasing that kind of quality in a home recording situation, I think I can speak with at least some authority on the topic. I don't think that my guitar tone chase is a matter of pointless nuance-there is a world of difference (e.g., nicer rooms in studios combined with distance/room miking with sensitive mics) between what I am currently capable of achieving as a bedroom producer, and what my holy grails of tone (e.g., Piece of Mind) sound like. To say that anyone can achieve truly great guitar tones at home, simply by following some simple list of practices, is simply not true. And while technique does matter, there is only so much that technique can do for a mix. Yes, you should play the material well, but once you've achieved a decent level of proficiency, there's not much that can be squeezed out of technique that will improve the sound of your mixes. To say that guitar players simply don't know how to play their material well, and that that is the reason why our mixes don't sound professional, is an insult to our intelligence.
Spot on. Even with the best mix, plugins, and gear, the majority of musicians record terrible songs and nobody cares. Yes I include myself in that. Take a song like Under The Bridge. You could record that through a potato and it would still be recognized as a good song. A good mix for most musicians just means your terrible songwriting can be heard in high fidelity.
Lol... you make some on the nose points man. I literally do all my recording with a 30 year old Line 6 pod pro pre-amp set on rectifier. Guitar to amp to computer. I even use the clean channel to record bass. I never change. The other overrated aspect is trying to use overcomplicated drum software. I use Logic Pro for my drums. I just finished an album using this method, and am working on a follow up. It's all about the riffs, composition, and knowing your strengths and weaknesses.
Guitar is not the most important thing, but it needs to sound right, which is not easy to achieve. I would enjoy making music much, much more if I could easily achieve a guitar tone that sounds like, you know, a guitar.
I plead not guilty on all three of these. But I totally expected a 4th common mistake in this video that I am still guilty of, which is making the guitars too loud in the mix. 😅 1. MIDI drums: Not a problem, because I only use MIDI drums for demos to share with my bandmates, not for the finished product. I am planning on using samples on our next release (which I haven't done before), but even then I think the select few samples on the free version of Slate Trigger 2 will do just fine. I'm not planning on paying extra for a huge library of samples I will never use. 2. Amp sims: Been there, done that. Thankfully I got through my "obsessing over tone" phase before I started mixing. There are specific things I want to change about my tone for our next production, but those will likely be achievable with just EQ and the gain knob. I'll very likely stick to the same amp model and IR. 3. Vocals: I've come to realize over time that although I'm a guitar player who can't sing for dear life, vocals are hugely important in my own taste of music and ultimately decide whether I like a song or not, especially in metal. So this one is a no-brainer for me. And yet, despite all this, if you listen to a song I mixed, you could probably still tell immediately that I'm a guitar player. One of my goals for our next production is to make that less obvious. 😅
I agree and disagree. I don't have a problem with people getting and playing with new toys. If it weren't for tone chasers pushing the envelope, modeling wouldn't have advanced beyond the Line 6 kidney bean. On the other hand, we shouldn't become obsessed with gear to the exclusion of perfecting our craft. Gear improvements are only useful to the extent that they inspire and improve songwriting.
I find that a lot of tutorial channels over the years hit the 'Social Realism' button, and what used to be about the main channel subject slowly drifts and turns a corner and goes off-road.
I play every instrument on my mixes. Why? Because a lot of musicians I've met are slackers and aren't prepared. Works out great. Was a pro drummer for 15 years touring non stop. Ended up with enough gear over the years to make a studio full of guitars basses synths and 7 drum kits and to many cymbals and snares. Now I focus on mixing. Guys getting good guitar isn't hard. Get a good hi z or DI box and get a good DI level. That's it. Play to a click. Learn if you can't.
My favorite part of this video is this badass spooky metal dude having a VHS copy of The Little Mermaid behind him in the shot. I sincerely hope that's an intentional joke, because it's hilarious.
Guitarists should stop trying to impress other guitarists and lay down guitar tracks that fit a song. And not trying to fit the rest around the guitar tracks. It's harder to create a memorable riff than a complicated one. Think of riffs like highway to hell, the number of the beast, walk etc etc that have stood the test of time. You just know what song it is. Does a song need guitar from start to end all the time? No. Maybe the verse don't need guitars. Some of my thoughts.
Everyone is a guitarist but i dont care about anyones music... because everyone is eather doing djent or tries to play hard solos...no focus on creativity or songwriting
“It’s the technique that matters, the tools don’t matter”. Isn’t it both? A carpenter is going to be limited in his ability to achieve results by both skill and tools, just like any other craft.
Everybody likes to hear their own instrument the most. This is not news to anybody. This is why you never, EVER hire a bagpipes player in your band....because he'll actually want to play bagpipes in your band. Oh hell no!
I've recorded sooo many demos with the free, 4 slider Airwindows Fireamp plugin it's crazy, specially since I have Neural Plini and Nolly 😂 but I know can definitely get a really good tone out of it! it also helps on being ultra low cpu for latency. Not a modern djent tone though but still.
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This takes me back about 15 years to opening for a well known national act. A couple of them came up after my set wondering what wizardry I had done for such an awesome guitar sound that sounded just like my recordings. They were baffled to find I was running a Korg Toneworks DI'd into the PA. No amp at all. This is pretty common now, but at the time it was just necessity. We tend to unnecessarily complicate things, and mixing is no different. Too much focus on trying to re-invent the wheel instead of just trusting what sounds good.
I love that pedal!
I'm lucky enough to have been recording with my brother for the last 20 years. We started with a Fostex 4 track cassette recorder and a mixer from the 70's! Home recording is magic now compared to then.
Nice channel, I love that you don’t push plugins and stuff we don’t need 😊
Maybe good to know that most pro mixers don’t listen to guitars in solo while mixing but always find the right tone in context of the mix. You’ll be amazed how they sound in solo, sometimes not so great at all but in the mix they sound excellent.
Yup, you're spot on!
Dude your opinion is spot on. I only use a handful of plugins and 1 real amplifier and I can get way more tones and mix styles out of it by knowing the gear inside and out. I feel like its not the gear you have, but how many different ways you know how to use what you already own. Time is money and every gear purchase leads you to spend more time learning new stuff.
Man your channel is probably the best I've seen on the production niche so far. Especially as someone who's learning your videos are always clear and to the point. Like I love Dan Worral, but I get that he's advanced to a point where I can barely understand what he's doing, let alone use it well on a song.
If you zoom in real close on that first Wes Montgomery photo his ring finger is so close behind the metal fret it looks like he’s on the fret… but he’s not. Figuring out that sweet spot was like a whole new ampsim haha.
I had some of these issues. Focusing on the overall structure of my music has really helped a lot. It doesn't matter how good you are if you can't play tight.
Agreed!
I can attest to this. Been "producing" since the late 90s from the advent of daws, used em all still can't produce lol
Bobby, your advises are right on the money as always. We will continue chasing our own tails if we still wasting time in distractors (the new amp sim, the new midi drum pack, not finishing the songs, not improving our performances, etc). Thanks again for your advises.
I agree for the most part, but disagree on two points. (For reference, I play guitar, but not exclusively. My strongest point is probably drums and rhythm.)
I think guitar tone does matter. I don't think it matters to the point of obsessing over it, but if a guitar tone is piercing or obscuring other instruments it can make a song practically unlistenable. Regarding plugins / amp sims / drum VSTs, I agree the most important thing is knowing the plugin in and out. However, amp sims / drum VSTs do matter to an extent, because there are limitations that exist in older amp sims / VSTs that may not be there for new ones.
Example: the randomization of samples to reduce machine gunning. There is a clear difference in SD3 of now vs old school pre-2010 drum sims. Sure, most modern features aren't something that make an old amp sim or VST or plugin unusable, but there are often differences.
I feel like once one gets to a point where they fix their fundamental mixing/writing issues and are experienced, getting better quality VSTs or amp sims (within reason) removes any software limitations that make mixes more challenging to get polished.
This is so interesting. I only started learning how to play the guitar 6 weeks ago & I'm documenting my entire learning journey on here so this was super motivational!
I just subscribed, I think that is a very cool idea for a channel. Don't give up!
@@jgilmer Ah that's really kind of you... thanks so much! I'm almost 3 months in now and still going strong!
Great advice. Time is money.
I’m guilty of everything you brought up plus more. Been recording since before digital. I miss analog.
Amp sims have cursed my guitar playing as far as creativity. Too many options with each one claiming to be the best. Its an endless supply of snake oil. I got sick of it and have switched back to using the Poulin Hybrit with Nad IR and Redwirez 1960 free pack. Told myself I'm sticking with it and got back to writing songs instead of continuously searching for a perfect guitar sound. Damn good video man.
Well-said!
Honestly the more instruments I learned the more I thought about production and performance over tone. I use a DR a Revv and an AC30 for guitars on just about ever recording along with the same Ownhammer IRs I've used for 5 years and the same drums samples for at least as long. You'd be surprised how much better a mix you can get just understanding the tools you have.
You're 100% correct.
Makes a lot of sense. Despite researching alternatives to Photoshop (as I kinda hate adobe), I always find myself sticking to it just because that's what I know the best.
Only difference is that with plugins you don't at least usually have an expensive monthly cost to them, so there's literally no drawbacks to just sticking to the one you know.
Also, if you just keep switching constantly, you'll never get to learn one properly in the first place.
CLA and Andy Wallace most likely are still using their "Signature drum sample" they got from the 90s, and they're one of the people most bands look up to for their mixes.
I have been binge watching CLA videos on TH-cam recently. I have come to the realization that because he is using a physical console, ALL of his tracks are fixed for their specific function. e.g ch 1 for tape delay, ch 2 for reverb, ch 3 for xxx. And because his effects are all analogue gears, this means he does every song with the same gear and same set up. He simply doesn't waste time on choosing plugs in. Granted all his gears are probably super high end stuffs but he knows what his gears can do inside and out.
Another aspect to unpack is to get the sound you hear in the published/rendered clip on social media/TH-cam to be similar/close to the the final mix within the DAW!
100% agree. Many musicians not just guitarists, do not focus enough on learning about production process, template utilization and creating tone presets.
Also gain staging.
And yes , the tools in your DAW provided are more than enough. Buying new sims and midi packs really is a waste.
I don't use plug-ins or whatever those things are (old boomer guy here), as I prefer to just plug into the Zoom r8 (although I suppose those amps are simulated as anything); don't fret too much about tone. However, I could definitely stand to apply more focus on melody lines. Oh and learning how to play better. reckon that couldn't hurt either.
Absolutely on point dude!
Couple comments on this vid. First, what’s up with that old school tv in the background? Lol. But seriously, what you’re saying is 100% correct. You’ve addressed this several times in previous vids but it seems people just don’t get it until they experience it for themselves. Gotta have a good song & performance. I’ve bought all the major amp sims & have spent way too much time trying to dial in the “perfect tone”. Then I discovered if I used the simplest amp sim out there, the Bogren Digital BDH amp sims, they sounded the best in my mixes. I’m not affiliated with them in any way. I just adjust the gain on the amp sim, maybe add an EQ plug-in to slightly dial them in to fit the mix, & that’s it. I wish I’d wouldn’t have spent money on the other amp sims but lesson learned. Now I know if I have a solid performance, it’s easy to dial it in very quickly. 🤘🏻
i think an important thing is to not use too much distortion. (unless that the sound you want).
Lol, I have so many different types of plugins right now that it’s like I own a billion dollars worth of emulated hardware. Definitely more than I need but I have a bunch of tones narrowed down and templates/settings saved in Logic Pro. The engineers who recorded the bands I grew up listening to are featured a lot on the Full In Bloom podcast and they offer a lot of great insight. I dialed in a drum kit using Superior Drummer and saved the template in a Logic Settings file. I might try a few things here and there but the bulk of the work is done and I have my drums dialed in like an engineer who had one day to dial in drums back in 1984. My guitar tone is definitely better than the majority of the guitar tones I loved growing up. Having so many crayons in the box actually makes it difficult to choose what to do so I’ve been simplifying my setup. My favorite clean tone right now is a piezo into an interface with no amp sim, some compression and an ambient reverb. It sounds incredible and it’s very simple to dial in. A mix of simple tones sounds so much better than a wall of overly processed instruments. Simple is better almost always. Plus, once you have a (for example) “lead tone”? Use it for everything! The uniformity from track to track is what I go for and my favorite guitarists sound the same from track to track on any given project. Dial in base tones like a studio engineer does (or did before sims) and stick with it. Get together a mix of all instruments in just E for 4 bars and EQ to taste or adjust the instrument. Do this for quiet guitars, loud guitars and a mix of quiet and loud guitars blended together. If all the instruments sound good start recording.
I play instrumental guitar and even Buckethead records a lot of riffs without a lead or instrumental “vocal” but Satriani always has a guitar “voice” melody over his songs. I recommend singing over your backing track and transcribing the vocals to guitar. You sing much different than you play, guaranteed. You will choose notes you wouldn’t normally choose playing the guitar because you’re not simply playing the notes of a scale. Transcribe a vocal from a singer you like and you’ll see what I mean. Playing the vocal is eye opening, even refreshing. You’ll definitely be skipping strings if you’re doing it correctly. Learn to transcribe vocals and learn how to “sing” over your own chord progressions . Hell, write lyrics and just play them on the guitar. Your instrumental tracks will start to sound like songs and, because we’re guitar players, leave some space for a solo that sounds like a solo. Use effects to differentiate between the “vocal” and the guitar lead. It doesn’t have to be complicated either, neck pickup for a warm “vocal” melody and bridge for the shredded leads. Also, save the sweep picking runs for the solos. Try not to do anything with the “vocal” that a singer couldn’t do and maybe harmonize the chorus. That’s how I interpret the formula for great instrumental songwriting on guitar. Couldn’t agree more with the content of this video, hope my comments are half as helpful to instrumentalists looking to make music. Peace…
I have a couple of default guitar tones I use for my songwriting. More often than not, I actually try to create a nasty bass tone then adjust the guitars to blend with my bass. Probably unorthodox, but I enjoy it. Truth be told dude, I'm more obsessed with bass tone than guitars. The last month, we have been blessed with some new Dying Fetus, Atoll, Cryptopsy, & a new Cannibal Corpse drops tomorrow & I find myself at the gym listening to these records & focusing HARD on the bass tone; there is a lot to absorb as a producer if you focus on bass guitar just as much as guitar. Bass seems like such a criminally forgotten aspect to songwriting these days because it can really shape that guitar tone into some glorious nasty. Hope you are well bud!!!! Thanks for the video!!!!!
Am I the only one here to accept all what Mr. Bobby pictured?!!
For me, it is what he mentioned and that is actually what keeping me to dragged to complete a song.
Thanks a lot Mr. Bobby for always enlightening me
Great topic Bobby! We could all use a lil humble pie and learn from your points. I've decided to not purchase more amp sims, even with all hype around the new Bogren Digital amp sim. I already have plenty, and you're absolutely correct that free ones are killer! Nembrini Audio just put out a free one THIS week that sounds great.
Also love you featuring Spindrift. I'm sure they'll be a sponsor soon!
I'm trying to manifest a Spindrift sponsorship 😂
adding a little bit of dirty distortion to digital drums ia also big fun.
2:20 - 2:33 I agree but not at the same time. The most important to know what you are doing but a "new toy" can be inspiring. We all know the feeling when we regret buying a plugin/sample library/VSTi because in the end we don't get what we expected or what we might have mistakenly imagined "how it will sound". But we all know the experience too when we get a good/great sound, when we get a "new color", an alternative to the sound of guitar, drums, bass (etc.). Since whatever plugin you use, YOU play the guitar, so it will sound "the same" to some extent (pick attack, phrasing, tone setting habits) but it's not true that it doesn't matter what you use. It is especially true for amplifier plugins. They have developed a lot in the last 4-5 years. It's always inspiring to find some new (good!) sound that can come from anywhere: an amp suite cabinet section, a good boost pedal, a well-simulated 5150/Mesa, you name it. Or to find a really good snare sound, or even a well-hit stock drum preset.
I got my Triple/dual rec sim, my jcm800 sim, my plexi sim, my soldano sim, my fender deluxe sim, my dumble sim, and my 5150 sim. EZ drummer 2/3 (and expansion groove packs as I want them, I just hate programing them manually, it ruins my flow and creative motivation). And I've never felt limited or boxed in. They sound good, feel good, and sound like the amps enough for me to know "oh thats a rec" or "oh thats a jcm800 or plexi". I barely even mess with IRs. A good sound is a good sound. Shit, I STILL use my Eleven Rack from time to time to record. It's also my live rig. It sounds good, and does what I need it to do, I use a POD HD500 as my midi controller and have patches that are close enough to what I need incase the 11R goes down or whatever,, then it's a couple pedal stomps and switching over a single cable.
Excellent points! Made me think of Satriani, Always With You, Always With Me. What a melody he dropped in that instrumental!
I learned last year that Satriani and Steve Vai can sing.
Hey, man. Sorry if this is an off topic, but I am looking for advice for a recording issue. I recorded a few songs with a guitar that is now already gone (sold). While tracking the bass, I noticed some mistakes in the takes but I cannot re-do the recordings with the old guitar as it is not in my possession anymore. I have a new guitar with different pickup, wood etc. If I fix the mistakes with the new guitar, would it be possible to hide the differences in the final mix? I already did one riff and I cannot notice any difference. Maybe my head is playing tricks on me but that's only because I KNOW that this part is done with a different guitar. However, I am still hesitant, as I am not sure if this would ruin the natural feel of the recording and I will have to re-record the whole album... Will a professional mixing guy be able to make the songs to sound as if one instrument has been used for the whole takes? Any help will be much appreciated!
Got Northern Artillery Drums in 2019 and never looked back. Spent some money on amp sims but later I found the free Mikko Cab was all I needed
You hit the nail right on the head!! Nobody (average listener)cares what your using to record! It’s all about the song…yes technique and an in tune instrument are important.. but the name on the headstock doesn’t create the music..I went down the rabbit hole of amp sims and drum programs… finally settled on neurals Plini plug-in and GGD and I’m learning them and using only them…or recording my amp(boss katana 50) with a mic (sm57) I’ve probably wasted hours and hours researching and watching demos of other plugins …..
Honestly it took me years to understand that most of what I perceived as the guitar tones in records is the bass, and that actual guitars are very filtered on their low end, and have almost have no real chunk on the entire mix, and it made me focus on getting the bass sit well with the guitars and have my guitars way smaller which works
Also instruments are frequency range filtered to prevent instruments from cluttering each other.
You can make great music with the stock plug-ins that come with your DAW - if you know how to use the tools. Most people can't even explain how a compressor works - much less write a good song.
Facts man! Great video, subscribed!
This is your best video.
I have been guilty of obsession of tone. I'm learning to let go and just focus on getting a well balanced mix.
im so glad i follow all your rules to a T, if i send you a mix in the future itll be a full mix i have 7-8 full songs written and half mixed, but hearing how most people send mixes with no vocals i think i have an edge. but i have heen focusdd of production for about 6 weeks and sound design, so maybe another month or so until my mixes are fina, hope u have a good week :)
I just record raw into audacity with a radio shack33-128 and my monoprice tube amp and a Plethora of pedals
I agree with all of this, not only can you get by with free plugins but you dont even need some fancy expensive guitar. Sure it's nice to have a high end guitar, but a well set up budget guitar can be lethal. I almost wish i could do a whole mix with nothing but free plugins, a cheap squier guitar and bass, free midi drums and a cheap mic for vocals. Unfortunately I'm not to that level yet 😂 im still figuring out the guitar and bass aspects of mixing
I'm a guitar player but my fave instrument to mix is drums. No doubt! I've learned that drums and vocals are the heart and soul of a song (in rock music at least).
Great advice! I easily get lost in the tools 😅
I love your comment: "No Song - No mix." Very cool.
Hi Bobby,maybe my question is stupid... I play tight and in time but I have problem with my guitars tracks final results cause I play a little bit dirty. I hope you know what I mean... how can I fix it?
Alex from Italy
Great video with lots of true statements! Definitely guilty of these on my end!
Great video and advices ..as always ..thank you
So true...ho·lis·tic right on. The old stuff is great and proven. Come up with your own style.
Very good advices, I use SSD Free for quite some time now and I don't see areason to look for a fancier drum-software, but sometimes I am tempted to hire a real drummer, so my question is: Do you think, that real drums matter for a metal-production?
Both real drums and midi drums can work just as well. I use both, but still prefer to record live drums because I love what another human can bring to the music. Recording live drums can take a lot of work, but it's worth it in my opinion.
@@FrightboxRecording Thank you, maybe I will then order a session drummer for one track and compare it to the results with midi drums before I invest into a drummer for a full album.
ive never recorded anything. ive been playing guitar for about 15 years. i got a p bass , and interface, and next week im getting a jazzmaster and im ready to explore new tools. amp sims are incredible. i use a free amp sim plugin for my bass and imo it sounds fuckin fantastic.
Came to the realization a little while ago that I could indeed write parts, lyrics and record well enough, but the real effort had to be spent on melody and vocals. I suck at both. It is also challenging when your singing voice is sub-par. To the point of getting better with vocals in songs, any suggestions for finding vocalists willing to work with guitarists and gain some experience at full song production?
Would you accept finished songs with no mix or master in your ratings? I have plenty of songs that are finished well with a decent structure but my problem is the mixing and mastering. im still in the process of learning mixing and mastering that im not yet confident in.
Noob guitarist here (im primarily a drummer) I started recording/mixing demos for my band. Is it better to record the guitar via directly in the interface, or mic up a cab?
I prefer to go direct for demos since it's more convenient and easier to punch parts in. With that being said, there are no rules. If you prefer to mic the amp, have at it!
I have a question!
In my case I'm recording my band, we are 2 guitars players and our music style is heavily influenced by old in flames or iron maiden in terms of harmonizing rythym guitars all throughout the song. What I currently do is double track each guitar and hard pan each take of each guitar, for example:
Gtr A (1): 100% left
Gtr A (2): 100% right
Gtr B (1) 100% left
Gtr B (2) 100# right
Am I doing this correctly or is there something I'm missing?
Thanks!!
There's no right or wrong way, but I prefer to not quad track. I record one rhythm on the left and one on the right.
@@FrightboxRecording Thanks!!
As always spot on, man!
Every guitar player should know Wes Montgomery...great reference Bobby.
Hey man thanks a lot for all these videos i really look up to you and hope to work together on my project Once I iron out the kinks in my song writing process I'd love to hire your services for mixing and mastering.
haha....just bought a drum vst and loops....it was super cheap...goran grooves drum vst.....actually sounds really good though...heres my 1 question...concerning ez drummer 3....shouldnt these midi loops sound already mixed from the get go?....why does goran grooves sound better and fuller from the get go?....i find this really strange....i dont want to hafta eq every single drum....isnt that a goal in midi drums?
Truth HURTS 😢🍻🤘
Usually, you're 100% right, but I disagree that guitar tone is not very important. For melodic guitars, tone is very important. Guitars are the sound of an album. If the guitars sound unpleasant or muddy, it will drag down the song, because guitars are so prominent in a rock mix, that the flaws are instantly noticeable. And while it is possible to get good sounding guitars in a home studio, there is so much more that makes a great studio guitar sound that masterpieces like Piece of Mind or Seventh Son of a Seventh Son are made of. There is simply no way a bedroom producer is going to be able to match that level of sonic quality. As someone who has spent a lifetime, and eventually given up on, chasing that kind of quality in a home recording situation, I think I can speak with at least some authority on the topic. I don't think that my guitar tone chase is a matter of pointless nuance-there is a world of difference (e.g., nicer rooms in studios combined with distance/room miking with sensitive mics) between what I am currently capable of achieving as a bedroom producer, and what my holy grails of tone (e.g., Piece of Mind) sound like. To say that anyone can achieve truly great guitar tones at home, simply by following some simple list of practices, is simply not true. And while technique does matter, there is only so much that technique can do for a mix. Yes, you should play the material well, but once you've achieved a decent level of proficiency, there's not much that can be squeezed out of technique that will improve the sound of your mixes. To say that guitar players simply don't know how to play their material well, and that that is the reason why our mixes don't sound professional, is an insult to our intelligence.
Great video and couldn't agree more.
Epic pep talk
I’m going to make this thumbnail my Christmas card this year
Spot on. Even with the best mix, plugins, and gear, the majority of musicians record terrible songs and nobody cares. Yes I include myself in that. Take a song like Under The Bridge. You could record that through a potato and it would still be recognized as a good song. A good mix for most musicians just means your terrible songwriting can be heard in high fidelity.
Lol... you make some on the nose points man. I literally do all my recording with a 30 year old Line 6 pod pro pre-amp set on rectifier. Guitar to amp to computer. I even use the clean channel to record bass. I never change. The other overrated aspect is trying to use overcomplicated drum software. I use Logic Pro for my drums. I just finished an album using this method, and am working on a follow up. It's all about the riffs, composition, and knowing your strengths and weaknesses.
Guitar is not the most important thing, but it needs to sound right, which is not easy to achieve. I would enjoy making music much, much more if I could easily achieve a guitar tone that sounds like, you know, a guitar.
holy bicep veins! great vid bobby
I plead not guilty on all three of these. But I totally expected a 4th common mistake in this video that I am still guilty of, which is making the guitars too loud in the mix. 😅
1. MIDI drums: Not a problem, because I only use MIDI drums for demos to share with my bandmates, not for the finished product. I am planning on using samples on our next release (which I haven't done before), but even then I think the select few samples on the free version of Slate Trigger 2 will do just fine. I'm not planning on paying extra for a huge library of samples I will never use.
2. Amp sims: Been there, done that. Thankfully I got through my "obsessing over tone" phase before I started mixing. There are specific things I want to change about my tone for our next production, but those will likely be achievable with just EQ and the gain knob. I'll very likely stick to the same amp model and IR.
3. Vocals: I've come to realize over time that although I'm a guitar player who can't sing for dear life, vocals are hugely important in my own taste of music and ultimately decide whether I like a song or not, especially in metal. So this one is a no-brainer for me.
And yet, despite all this, if you listen to a song I mixed, you could probably still tell immediately that I'm a guitar player. One of my goals for our next production is to make that less obvious. 😅
I agree and disagree. I don't have a problem with people getting and playing with new toys. If it weren't for tone chasers pushing the envelope, modeling wouldn't have advanced beyond the Line 6 kidney bean. On the other hand, we shouldn't become obsessed with gear to the exclusion of perfecting our craft. Gear improvements are only useful to the extent that they inspire and improve songwriting.
I find that a lot of tutorial channels over the years hit the 'Social Realism' button, and what used to be about the main channel subject slowly drifts and turns a corner and goes off-road.
Couldn't agree more!
I play every instrument on my mixes. Why? Because a lot of musicians I've met are slackers and aren't prepared. Works out great. Was a pro drummer for 15 years touring non stop. Ended up with enough gear over the years to make a studio full of guitars basses synths and 7 drum kits and to many cymbals and snares. Now I focus on mixing. Guys getting good guitar isn't hard. Get a good hi z or DI box and get a good DI level. That's it. Play to a click. Learn if you can't.
My favorite part of this video is this badass spooky metal dude having a VHS copy of The Little Mermaid behind him in the shot. I sincerely hope that's an intentional joke, because it's hilarious.
ZZ Top tone?
I use GarageBand
Yeah I keep buying neural dsp stuff that sound good in standalone but in the daw on a mono track its just not the same...
MORE GUITAR!!!!!! :)
Guilty! 😂
Fantastic truth bomb video!
Word 🤘
I see myself in that😂
I hate to say that, but good guitar tone might be come from the drums and bass tone
Guitarists should stop trying to impress other guitarists and lay down guitar tracks that fit a song. And not trying to fit the rest around the guitar tracks. It's harder to create a memorable riff than a complicated one. Think of riffs like highway to hell, the number of the beast, walk etc etc that have stood the test of time. You just know what song it is. Does a song need guitar from start to end all the time? No. Maybe the verse don't need guitars. Some of my thoughts.
Couldn't agree more!
💌🎸 Love This!! Don't Change All these You Tubers Change after they get handed a free Amp Sim Plugin Deal Endorsement ETC.
Stay Real!!!!
I want to buy a simulator that'll make me sound more like Cookie Monster.
Everyone is a guitarist but i dont care about anyones music... because everyone is eather doing djent or tries to play hard solos...no focus on creativity or songwriting
Yeah too much music sounds like a wanking contest.
You need to be a songwriter first, guitarist second.
Guitar tone matters....to me.
“It’s the technique that matters, the tools don’t matter”. Isn’t it both? A carpenter is going to be limited in his ability to achieve results by both skill and tools, just like any other craft.
These days you can get amazing tools for free or extremely cheap.
Guilty. Shoegaze
Number 4… don’t make the guitar the loudest thing in the mix.
YESSS!!
Everybody likes to hear their own instrument the most. This is not news to anybody. This is why you never, EVER hire a bagpipes player in your band....because he'll actually want to play bagpipes in your band. Oh hell no!
😂
In other words: Stop making music for guitar players.
Sidenote: 6:52 ... perf-romance... huhu ghuhu huhu
i just play all the instruments badly and then record them. and i record other folks for money.
i am guilty😁
tl;dw : guitarists think they are composerz, songwriters and producers whab they are just guitarists
First.
First time viewer. I’m just wondering the legitimacy of your statements when you have a tube tv in 2023. lol
I have a retro media center in my basement and that's where I shot this video.
GUILTY 😂.
The biggest hurdle for all of us is admitting to these downfalls. I luckily escaped this rabbit hole after only 3 or 4 years of chasing my tail 😓
You're doing better than me...it took me close to a decade to learn these lessons.
I've recorded sooo many demos with the free, 4 slider Airwindows Fireamp plugin it's crazy, specially since I have Neural Plini and Nolly 😂 but I know can definitely get a really good tone out of it! it also helps on being ultra low cpu for latency. Not a modern djent tone though but still.