Line 6 UX1 - Guitar tone help

[DarkDjinn]

Good morning everyone,

I'm looking for anyone that could help me in achieving a better guitar tone for remixes, especially someone that has used the same or similar equipment that I am currently using.

That equipment is:

-Fender Modern Player Jaguar (with Fender MP90 pickups)

-Line 6 UX1 Toneport

-Garageband

Some of the problem might be the fact that I don't know much about mixing tracks and whatnot, so what sounds good to me doesn't always sound good to others. I tend to also overlook that aspect in favor of the composition, especially with my own compositions, and that's another personal negative.

I have the problem of always wanting to up the mids and not have quite as much bass, because it seems to me that with more midrange, the tone cuts through the mix better - and turning down the bass seems to make my tone less muddy. However, that also means that the tone tends to be somewehat weak.

Anyone have any quick tips (or even not quick tips) for improving on that? I can provide an example if requested - I just don't want to post a link to a song in here, just in case I'm not allowed to do that in this particular section.

Thanks in advance!

[Flexstyle]

As a non-guitarist who dials up guitar tones a lot for mixing purposes, I'd say one thing I've learned quickly is this: you never need as much distortion as you think you do. Remember that distortion tends to create harmonics of every frequency coming into it, which means that you can get muddy in a huge hurry. Also, reverb and delay, while they sound cool on a solo guitar, can make problems in a mix very quickly as well.

Basically, less effects = more better.

EDIT: Don't feel shy about posting an example for the purposes of getting technical feedback on a specific aspect of production. I don't see any problem with that, and everyone else should be able to help you a lot more easily if they have something to go off of.

[DarkDjinn]

Also, reverb and delay, while they sound cool on a solo guitar, can make problems in a mix very quickly as well.

Basically, less effects = more better.

I agree with that. I actually never use effects on rhythm tracks, just because it makes a messy sound.

Thanks for the tips.

[Garpocalypse]

As a non-guitarist who dials up guitar tones a lot for mixing purposes, I'd say one thing I've learned quickly is this: you never need as much distortion as you think you do. Remember that distortion tends to create harmonics of every frequency coming into it, which means that you can get muddy in a huge hurry. Also, reverb and delay, while they sound cool on a solo guitar, can make problems in a mix very quickly as well.

Basically, less effects = more better.

Ditto especially if you are double or quad tracking. The tone you start with is going to be your ending tone as well for the most part so make sure you start with something you like.

Look into the free amp sims by Lepou. I can't recommend them enough. Also check out the youtube guide Mixing Metal at Home by jamessv. Don't do everything he says but it should give you a good starting point to clue you in on what you need to do. Lately i've been finding that alot of his advice has been hindering my remixes but what advice that is is most likely going to be different for you and your music.

Your EQ cuts are going to let the mids come through. I find that a HPF around 160-200hz is good for letting the bass through, which is more responsible than you might think for adding depth to the tone of the guitar, the obligatory dip around 500hz, and either a very wide dip from 2k+ or just a small one around 4k (depending on how you want your upper mids to sound) should get you started.

Also, come hang out on the Andy Sneap forums. http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/andy-sneap-151/

You're not going to learn much about making a great arrangement but for staying up to date on metal processing it's a great forum.

...and lastly check out Ermin's Systematic Guide To Mixing which is written with the rock/metal enthusiast in mind. http://www.systematicproductions.com/mixing-guide.htm

Well, that's about everything i've learned over the past 10 months or so. Hope it works for you!

Edited October 3, 2013 by Garpocalypse

[DarkDjinn]

Garpocalypse, thanks so much for all the stuff you included, especially the EQ tips. I'll check into everything when I get home and hopefully find something useful from the links you suggested.