Update: FMP Guitars

Update: FMP Guitars

For the latest update I have been working on the guitars for my FMP track, both the rhythm section and the lead. The goal that I had set my self at the start of the session was to get the rhythm guitars recorded in at a standard that I am happy and comfortable with as well as to record the lead guitar in at the same level of quality. Fortunately from the last session that I had done I managed to get some of the recording complete, but I felt it was lacking something as well as feeling a bit rushed, however this has allowed me to save some time on finding an amp as I have already got one that I like, chosen and set up from the last session as well as blocking out each section that I will do in a demo form so I can just re-record it but in a better manner.

The equipment that I will be used was:

• Epiphone electric guitar (£20)
• Jack cable (£20)
• Scarlett 2i2 Focusrite audio interface (£0)

The total cost for all of this is was £120 for three hours, this is not the cheapest option but it is extremely convenient as all the equipment is already here with no need to transport it around with the fear of it breaking or getting stolen. I recorded the guitars in a similar fashion to the bass, as I recorded them in sections instead of one long passage, the reason for this is that I felt that I could record it just as well if not better in the sections than one long continues section, but mainly i felt that trying to record the whole thing would take longer as any mistake during in the recording would halt progress and cause me to start ageing, therefore recording it into small sections was there better idea as it gave me greater accuracy as it could really scrutinises that section until i felt it was right and speed.

Rhythm and Lead guitar parts

When I finally recorded in the Rhythm guitar to a level that I was happy with, in time and to a good quality, I then duplicated it so I could pan one guitar into each ear to give the track a much thicker fuller sound that hopefully would really resonate with the listener and to give an overall better sound. After I recored the rhythm guitars I then moved on to the lead guitar which I wanted to originally have a Q & A feel to it but then I changed my mind thinking that it did not really work for me, however I did keep an element of that with the main riff at the start of the track. After that I wanted the lead to harmonise with the rhythm more rather than be too overt and in your face, I also changed the amp settings to make it cut through the mix more by increasing the top end EQ and boosting some of the gain as well as reducing some of the bass and the middle EQ therefore giving it a more specified place in the mix rather than mixing too much with the rhythm guitars and becoming too muddy. Finally I added an additional guitar to the song, the reason for this is that since this is meant to be an atmospheric space track it felt that it was missing some of the atmosphere so the added guitar track giving a almost frantic and discordant sound in small specific sections of the track give it that darker more atmospheric feeling.

Edit: I chose to record the guitar parts through DI because of a few reasons, firstly I applied the experience from recording in the bass through DI and it made the recording very clean and pure which would allow me to change it how I wanted, again from effects to amps, without having to worry about noise from the recording and forcing me to compensate through the use of EQ to cut it out. Another reason is that I wanted to record in the parts and then arrange the recordings on the Mac as I went, this would be possible if I was to record in the studio with an amp or with DI in the control room, however it would be an extremely longwinded and time consuming processes that I could do easily within the mac room at my workstation not to mention a waste of resources, and I would only be paying for the guitar and lead rather than a studio/control room. Another reason why is that since some of the lead guitar parts had not been decided upon I would therefor need to think of them as I go, which would still be possible to do in the control room but be again longwinded and wasteful of resources since it would be exactly the same as doing it in the mac room.

Thanks
Dan