Heavy Metal Distortion

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goodr1np
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Heavy Metal Distortion

Post by goodr1np » Mon Mar 03, 2008 12:03 am

I have absolutely no idea what I am doing...I was wondering if anyone knew how to get heavy disortion, or what type of plugins are good for a "metal" sound...also, how to use them....

NickGreen91
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Re: Heavy Metal Distortion

Post by NickGreen91 » Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:29 pm

The fact is:
Guitar recording is tricky... luckily a guy like myself knows how to get it right! ;)

Okay, the thing is: NO EFFECTS can help make a clean guitar sound distorted that was pre-recorded.
You need to have your guitar plugged into a distortion pedal, then preferably a pre-amp (gives more death metal sound)

For a heavy metal sound, I'd recommend recording your guitar, with dist. set to <20% or so (about 1/4 turn if its a knob).

Always keep recording distortion low!
Then if you want it slightly heavier or crunchier, then I'd recommed getting the SC4 plug-in.
Then for a more evil sound, perhaps try lowering the 3k-4k range on EQ, and raising around 200-350 as well.
(adds harshness, and makes attack sounds more rough)

AND REMEMBER!
Heavy metal artists may seem like they have very heavy distortion, when in fact they do not.
Always keep it lower
;]

I hope this helps.

steve
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Re: Heavy Metal Distortion

Post by steve » Wed Jun 04, 2008 8:28 pm

How refreshing it is to read a guitarist recommend keeping the amount of distortion down. Too much distortion destroys all dynamics, tone, and the guitar, so all you hear is digital noise. Heavy metal guitar needs far less distortion than many guitarist realise.

I'm not sure if I agree with the Eq suggestions you make Nick, but I'm sure goodr1np can experiment with that.

Another technique that I've used with a good measure of success, is to use a small practice amp, close mic it with both the amp and the mic inside a heavy cupboard (an old blanket box actually). That way you can crank the amp without getting evicted (or destroying your ears). It also makes it much easier to monitor what you are actually recording, rather than just hearing the sound in your room (which is not necessarily the same).
9/10 questions are answered in the FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

NickGreen91
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Re: Heavy Metal Distortion

Post by NickGreen91 » Wed Jun 04, 2008 10:47 pm

stevethefiddle wrote: I'm not sure if I agree with the Eq suggestions you make Nick, but I'm sure goodr1np can experiment with that.
Whoops, I forgot to mention that I use direct injection :?

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