Guitar Recording Tips: Some Helpful Hints

Last time we reached the part in your guitar recording where we finally got to push record. This time around I’d like to hit on some simple yet useful pointers while tracking your guitar recording instead of shoving more “dos” and “do nots” in your face! Here we go:

Try using different guitar types or sounds when recording two or more overdrive guitar parts to keep the sounds separate in the mix of your guitar recording. For example, use a single-coil setting for one part and a humbucker for another. It also helps if you use less distortion than if you were playing live, especially for rhythm guitar parts. Otherwise the guitar sounds can blend into a confused wall of sound. Using high and low pass filters, as well as EQ, can help confine the sounds to narrower parts of the spectrum.

When looking for a thicker sound on your guitar recording, try real double-tracking rather than “artificial doubling”. In other words, play the same part twice over on two different tracks. Depending on the player, you may get better results by muting the original part until the new part has been recorded. If real double-tracking is too difficult, use a pitch-shifter to add a small amount of delay and detuning to fake the effect more convincingly than chorus.

If you have enough spare tracks within your guitar recording software, compile a ‘best of’ solo from multiple whole takes recorded on separate tracks. Hard disk recording is good for this as you simply cut and paste the sections you want to use. However, you can also compile (or “comp”) on tape by bouncing the chosen sections to a new track. Compiling before adding delay or extra reverb will help conceal any edits.

Create a sense of stereo space in your guitar recording by processing a mono guitar sound via a gated or ambience reverb program. A close-miked or DI’d guitar part contains no spatial information, but adding reverb to the sound to create the illusion of space may not be artistically appropriate. Ambient reverb settings will simulate the early reflections of a real space without adding reverb decay. A short gated reverb may also be suitable for creating a more live sound.

One should experiment with these helpful hints, especially those doing their guitar recording at home. Be creative and even use some of these ideas to create another technique of your own. Work on your own “signature sound” for your guitar recording. With today’s technology there are virtually no limits as to how creative one can truly be. Next time we tackle the mysterious world of guitar amplifier miking techniques as I share more Guitar Recording Tips.

Joshua Black