Recording Artifacts

tekbow

Had my recording stuff a few weeks now, and I'm fairly new to this.

So, I'm re-amping guitar using an amp into a Two Notes Torpedo Reload, loadbox into an Audient ID44, gain staging to -18db, and applying Ownhammer or Two Notes IR's using Wall of Sound.

Single track with no other plugins applied and single IR (no blending) within WOS.

Quite often, I'm finding that I get what I can only describe as a sharp vowelly "quack" or chirp in the initial attack of picked notes, especially if they're higher register. It nearly reminds me of an envelope filter type effect and almost oscillate. Theres a similar effect happening more consistently in the low end, a sort of "chewy" effect.

Both mentioned happen behind/above the primary sound, almost like a ghost effect.

Now, I'm well versed with pick chirp as I use quite heavy picks, but it doesn't sound like this when coming through the amp's speaker cab.

Is this a commonly known artifact that's easily remedied? I'm presuming it's something to do with my setup rather than any issues with equipment.

Cheers

Winny_Pooh

Do you have the direct sound in the ID44 mixer properly muted? 

digitalscream

Can you give us an audio example?

tekbow

Winny_Pooh said:

Do you have the direct sound in the ID44 mixer properly muted? 

You mean when playing it back to the amp?

I thought I did. If I mute the dry track in reaper then theres no output to the amp. But I have monitoring off and recording disarmed for track 1 when replaying.

I'm pretty sure I have all the faders all the way down in the Audient mixer too. I'll have to go back and check though.

Are you thinking a phase issue? Because that's kinda how it sounds to my ears.

tekbow

digitalscream said:

Can you give us an audio example?

Yeah, I'll get something up on soundcloud for tomorrow.

tekbow

@digitalscream.

there you go.

https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/589363608?secret_token=s-BvBsj&color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true

Now.. I don't have Studio Monitors or Monitoring headphones (yet) and the effect appears a bit more prominently thru a particular set of headphones as opposed to my Bose Soundlink.

But there's a spongey synthy thing going on behind the main sound.

No post processing applied other than a speaker IR via WOS

Cirrus

It sounds like a fairly typical pick attack, but because the tone is relatively lacking in high end (it's got loads of low mids, just going by ear it sounds like 3-500hz) the pick attack is exposed in the upper mids giving that chirp extra prominence - it draws your ears to it. If the tone was brighter and had more upper mid/ treble, the pick attack would be less prominent.


On top of that, as a rule recorded distorted guitar has more of those ringing upper mid resonances than you notice while playing in the room - it's psychological. So it seems worse on the recording. You can usually find a couple of frequencies that are particular culprits between 2 & 4K where a narrow notch cut does a lot. Don't go too far with it or you loose the life and presence in the sound.

tekbow

@Cirrus ;

I have to say, fiddling with the amp EQ seems to do less on a recording than it does in the room.

Like I said though, I had no post EQ applied or anything, but yeah I see that you mean about the pick chirp.

What bugging the crap out of me is what going on around the low end frequencies. There's an envelope filter type effect ghosting behind the main track.

Sounds like this at around 1:55.

Now I've noticed it, I cant bloody unnotice it.

Ché

It doesn't sound like anything you wouldn't get playing with that amount of gain. Are you cranking the amp through the Torpedo? It's rare we get to hear our amps full blast so what they actually sound like is not always what we expect, especially when using IR's. Back off the gain and see if it still bugs you.

tekbow

@ché , true I'll back it off some and see how that works.

Amps was running at 6-7 on the MV, with about 6-7 on the preamp gain.

Sounds great live via the reload attenuation, sounds totally different via monitoring.

Branshen

Not sure why you'd want to do that, but the Museum of London has a good selection. Not sure if you need a permit though..

Jokes aside, it sounds abit squeally by itself but might sound ok in a mix. A good IR subdues overly harsh high end, so it might be worth trying a few different ones. 

Are you running through the IR as well when using your amp's speaker cabinet?

tekbow

@Branshen , I use the speaker cabinet to get the take, with the metronome coming thru the headphones, and everything else muted.

Then I sit down and apply the IR's, usually until i find something i like. Got a good selection of them, ownhammer, celestion, 2 notes.

Nerine

Sounds usual to me. I don't think anything is not working correctly. 

What I would say, is that if you've got the amp up around 6-7 on the master, and (by the sounds of things) you are running a lot of (too much) low end, you're probably hearing the power section sag. The initial attack is coming through, but the tone in general isn't tight, and I would hazard a guess it's due to the power section sagging. So in effect you're hearing something similar to a compressor with a less than (really) fast attack. So the very initial transient is coming through, and then the sag is taking over which is giving the impression the pick attack is pronounced. 

Certainly, though, I don't think it's the gear that isn't working correctly. I'd say (with all due respect) some pilot error in the dialling of the amp. 

Dont overthink it. Nothing sounds broken to me. It all sounds fine. Just needs a tweak on the EQ and volumes. 

You'll often dial an amp MUCH brighter when it's under "mics", so don't expect your usual settings that sound good through your cab to work straight away when recording. 

tekbow

@Nerine , thanks for that, it's a useful insight WRT sag etc, hadn't considered that.

As far as broken equipment, I pretty much suspected it was me rather than the gear from the off