Recording Electric Guitar - The Basics
The Basic Guidelines While Recording an Electric Guitar
What makes an electric guitar different from other types of guitars is that it uses pickups to assemble vibrations from the steel cords then convert them to an electric current which is thereafter amplified into a clear signal audible to the human ear.
There is a distinct range of electric guitars which include solid body electric guitars, hollow body electric guitars, semi hollow body electric guitars, acoustic/electric guitars, pedal steel guitars and Hawaiian style lap guitars.
Recording an electric guitar involves connecting the instrument to a computer or stand alone recording device and then using the appropriate software to record its signal. Apart from this modern way, there is still another way to go about it which involves connecting the guitar to a reliable amplifier then capturing the guitar tunes via a microphone. Although this might seem old fashioned, it is still practiced for live show performances.
Regardless of how you choose to record the electric guitar tune, there are things that you need to observe during the recording session.
In Tune
Tune your guitar to perfection. This ensures that you get the exact tone on the pricking of each note. Check out that all electric powered instruments — transformers, speakers, amplifiers -- are not kept too close to each other as this might result to sound distortion, for instance the electric guitar pickups and the computer monitor might cause a hum effect.
Amplifiers
During the actual recording, the amplifier is as important as the microphone. The recording quality of the microphone depends on the mic positioning. Therefore a well positioned dynamic microphone will produce a quality recording. Poor tone could be a potential hindrance towards recording quality sound and is more common with novice recording engineers. The best thing to do is to make microphone adjustments depending upon the results depicted by the microphone levels of the amplifier and guitar combination, then deciding where to place the microphone for optimum results.
Microphones
When recording an electric guitar, it is advisable to use a dynamic microphone because it is built in a way it can easily sustain high volumes without causing distortion. This does not exempt other microphones from being viable options in case the dynamic microphone is not within your reach.
Choosing the right microphone for your recording is simply done by listening. When you take time as the engineer/producer to listen to the output of the microphone you have the liberty to decide which one best fits in the kind of recording you want to achieve in the end. After selecting your microphone, the next thing is to think about the positioning of the microphone in order to capture the sound at an optimal point.
Microphone Positioning
One way of positioning the microphone is through an On Axis position, which is where the microphone is pointed directly towards the speaker cabinet. Using the on-axis position ensures that you get more upfront and a full sound. Recording off-axis is another position that entails placing the microphone at an angle to the speaker cabinet. This method can be used while recording electric guitars and helps to give a different tone and character to the recording.
You can also implement a room microphone placement strategy in order to alter the dynamics of your recording. The best microphone for this position is a condenser microphone placed somewhere with the distance being around 2 to 6 feet with the height being equal to that of the amplifier. When you set the microphone against the grill of the amplifier directly pointing the speaker, the resulting sound recording will be a detailed sound though it will register harsh edges and multiple high notes.
Digital Audio Workstation
Filters also called equalizers, serve to boost or reduce the levels of audio frequencies. They can also be useful for creating significant changes like lowering “boomy” overtones and counter noise caused by air (unnecessary vibrations).
In the current digital world, many musicians are finding it beneficial to use a digital audio workstation (DAW) to record an electric guitar. Whether you are using a stand alone workstation, or a software program, the use of a digital workstation has many recording benefits, including:
Ability to Handle Large Sound Files
When recording on a computer, the hard drive a computer is used to store the recorded audio files and is capital of storing hours upon hours of audio content. Using the computer as a recording device will allow you to store recorded songs of any length and number of tracks that are ready for editing and production. In addition to the storage capabilities, using a digital audio workstation also enables you to access your recording files as quickly and easily as possible regardless of the date and time the recorded files were stored on the hard disc.
Simplified Editing
You can carry out non-destructive editing where you can place sections of your audio file in any order without destroying the initial or original recorded file. This allows you to instantly rearrange different components of a song at a moments notice to fulfill all of your creative needs.
Extreme Processing
If you opt to record your electric guitar in the digital medium, especially the computer world, you will the ability to process your guitar recording in ways that are impossible in the physical world. There is an abundance of software programs, known as “plug-ins” that will allow you to process and emulate anything that is associated with recording an electric guitar.
For example, there are plug-ins available the will let you emulate different guitar cabinets, so if you were curious as to what your guitar riff would sound like coming out of a different guitar cab, you could easily experiment with the software in order to find the right sound and tone for your recording.
Recording for Portability
Long gone are the days of recording to an ADAT or dat tape. Music created via the digital media is now able to be transported and shared at a moments notice. The computer based recording devices of today are able to carry out most of the production tasks surrounding the recording process, including that which involves importing and processing audio and finally exporting and converting the final audio file into mp3 format or other portable format.
Overall, the recording techniques that you decide to implement in order to accomplish your recording goals will vary depending upon the song and vision of the record. It is best to experiment in order to determine a recording style that fits your personality and creative style.