Need some help with recording

[Elliot]

What does well below 0db mean? Again, you really want to MAX at somewhere around -12db. It's a lot below 0 dB.

Something sounds odd. With a dynamic mic you should need a good bit of gain from the Focusrite. Having the gain down almost all the way should produce a very low signal.

Yeah something is off. The signal is very low, in dB, but there is clipping and added gain that makes the recording sound hot.

I have to wait until my headphone conversion jacks come in. I want to hear what the focusrite monitor sounds like.

 

[dcm_guitar]

Yeah something is off. The signal is very low, in dB, but there is clipping and added gain that makes the recording sound hot.

I have to wait until my headphone conversion jacks come in. I want to hear what the focusrite monitor sounds like.

Any chance you can beg/borrow/steal a different mic? Maybe someone you know has a 57 or a 58. The e609 is a great mic for guitar cabs and they tend to be really reliable. However, it's good to try something else to see if that's the issue. Also, are you using an XLR to XLR cable? Just trying to understand all the variables.

Finally, getting a good mic tone from a guitar cabinet is actually quite difficult. What you're used to hearing on the songs you like is almost surely a combination of close mics on the cabinet (often a dynamic and a condenser or two different dynamics mics with different sounds) and a room mic. These three signals are blended together to get the tone; that is then adjusted (sometimes dramatically) during the mix.

Keep us posted.

 

[Elliot]

Any chance you can beg/borrow/steal a different mic? Maybe someone you know has a 57 or a 58. The e609 is a great mic for guitar cabs and they tend to be really reliable. However, it's good to try something else to see if that's the issue. Also, are you using an XLR to XLR cable? Just trying to understand all the variables.

Finally, getting a good mic tone from a guitar cabinet is actually quite difficult. What you're used to hearing on the songs you like is almost surely a combination of close mics on the cabinet (often a dynamic and a condenser or two different dynamics mics with different sounds) and a room mic. These three signals are blended together to get the tone; that is then adjusted (sometimes dramatically) during the mix.

Keep us posted.

tried a shure 57, little bit different sound but still had the same problem
yes, XLR to XLR
I'm not necessarily chasing tones from songs, my perfect tone search is not something I will likely complete soon
I'm just trying to get a usable dirt recording

I would like to call you and chat after I'm able to monitor the focusrite, if your offer is still open.

 

[dcm_guitar]

Just sent you a message with my phone number. Happy to help if I can.

 

[rnodern]

I just want to add something here.

I tend to avoid recording guitars via mic and speaker cabinet, until it's time to complete the song.

The reason why is that there are too many variables. You need amp, mic, speaker cabinet, guitar & even room ambience to be exactly the same for each take, otherwise you will get noticeably different results. I'll give you an example:
Tracking rhythm guitars, recorded verse, chorus, day one. come back next day to record additional sections, and the tone is off. It's not bad, it's just noticeably different. Maybe i knocked the mic. Endlessly fiddled with it, but couldn't get it to be seamless.

So, I record line in through an audio interface, and use emulation for amp heads/speaker cabinets. You'll be surprised how good they sound these days. There are even some good free ones.

Just as an example using the plugin Line 6 Pod Farm, or Helix HD on your guitar tracks removes the hassle of having do the impossible every time you record guitar. Also they have some pretty faithful emulations of a huge array of guitar amp titans.

If you're adamant that you want to record guitar the way you've been doing it, make sure you isolate your cabinet and use adequate sound treatment. It really makes a huge difference. You don't need to spend thousands, just use an old quilt/comforter and make an enclosed tent with only one side open facing the speaker. put your mic inside the tent. Also, tape the speaker cab grill precisely, so that the mic goes back in (relatively) the same spot each time you record. Snap photos of all of your amp, line in & signal chain settings, so that you can re-dial it in.

Lastly, and this may be a small thing, but personally, I avoid using GarageBand. It's not wrong to use it. It's just that there are superior and even free DAWs that will do a lot more than garage band will do.