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Recording Website Tip For Week Ending 7/17/2002

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RECORDING HUGE, WIDE RHYTHM ROCK GUITARS

BY ROBERT DENNIS, ADMINISTRATOR, RECORDING INSTITUTE OF DETROIT

In a previous tip we talked about big-sounding lead guitars.  In a three or four piece rock recording, the rhythm guitar also must sound big.  Using the same technique on 2 guitars to enhance the sound lowers the distinction between the guitars.  An alternate big guitar sound seems to work well with rhythm guitars:
Microphone Placement:
bigrgtr.gif (2301 bytes) Place a second microphone six to 12 inches behind the first microphone and record this onto a second track.
Mixing:

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Using a Y-Cord (or by patching) send the distant microphone to two channels of the board. This makes the guitar on three channels of the board: 1) Close Mic, 2) Distant Mic, 3) Distant Mic.

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Bring up all three guitar channels to the same level. Phase reverse the second distant guitar channel.  Pan the distant guitar channels left & right

Result

The guitar will have a stereo effect and sound huge.  As different chords (or notes) are sounded the sound will randomly come from different directions.

Copyright © 1998 by Robert Dennis - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Republished by Recording Website With Author Permission

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