Could some of you let me know the exact path from kemper to final mix in your DAWs...
I'm using reaper, and the high/low pass filters help a lot.. I'de like to know what you guys and girls do to tweak your tones after recording... they sound fantastic through headphone prior to recording but loose something on the way for me anyway...
thanks you 
Firstly what interface you use..
recording equipment and sound is only as good as what its played on. - too many factors to bear in mind.
You can have the best equipment, but will sound terrible in a uncontrolled room, likewise you can have cheap stuff sound great in a decent treated room!.
Firstly I'd recommend SPDIF hookup as its the cleanest way
Realisticlly the "source" sound needs to be diamond as possible, - depending then on the structure of your track and how populated it is. here are a few tips...
- Roll off the low end to about 100hz to make way for the kick and bass.
- Pan the guitars into space, use central for lead playing. (but there are no rules)
- Double track OR what I like to do, is track the guitar left, and add the reverb to the right. to get a wider sound (depending on song of course)
- Trying using a filter sweep and search for any clashing freq..(using notch pass at say 30DB gain)
Ballpark here but...
Anything from 0hz-80hz is sub bass, cant be heard but felt, so good for bass and kick.
Anything from 150hz - 250hz will give the guitar some body (best on acoustic)
Anything from the 300hz-400hz is muddy mids, can cut here by small amounts to bring out detail.
Anything around 800hz can make the guitar sound cheap.. so small cuts here can go a long way..(depending on style and gainstructure)
Anything around 1.5khz - 2kz is first natrual harmonic and then again at 3khz - 5khz anything beyond that is trouble and fizz
Quite often a recorded guitar track that sounds superb in a mix can sound terrible on its own. try to listen in context and dont worry about how it sounds alone. - but I cant stress enough,, the SOURCE sound has to have all the ingretients to begin with!.
As a rule, always try to cut and not boost. - and only cut by small amounts. - but only cut if its needed!
But all that said, try and get a good source sound first that your happy with!.
Really is up to your ears..
Good luck.
A
Thanks you for taking the time to write all that... I'll have to get the dictionary out to translate it into common folk language 
I have an m-audio fast track pro... and now a yamaha mw10c ... some cheaper guitars that I love the sound of.... reaper as I said and not much else....
thanks again, I'll try some of these things...
steve
And44 made some very useful hints. I would like to stress two things:
1. Always record an additional dry DI track using the direct out of the KPA. Even if you are not using it now you then have the possibily to do reamping in the future. From my experience as a recording/mixing eng i can say that the psychological effect of the fact, that you do not have to care about your sound while recording, is tremendous. It helps the artist to relax and really focus on the performance, not the sound.
2. Try to get some experience with mixing. It will help guitar players to understand that a guitar tone that sounds great while playing alone may often not work in a mix.
And44 made some very useful hints. I would like to stress two things:
1. Always record an additional dry DI track using the direct out of the KPA. Even if you are not using it now you then have the possibily to do reamping in the future. From my experience as a recording/mixing eng i can say that the psychological effect of the fact, that you do not have to care about your sound while recording, is tremendous. It helps the artist to relax and really focus on the performance, not the sound.
2. Try to get some experience with mixing. It will help guitar players to understand that a guitar tone that sounds great while playing alone may often not work in a mix.
Thank you... I'm not doing any amazingly difficult mixes...just drums, guitar(one or two tracks) and vocals...
Ide like to know more about taking frequencies out rather than adding db to any....and how to get a big sound with drums while also having big sounding guitars...
thanks again
Display MoreFirstly what interface you use..
recording equipment and sound is only as good as what its played on. - too many factors to bear in mind.
You can have the best equipment, but will sound terrible in a uncontrolled room, likewise you can have cheap stuff sound great in a decent treated room!.
Firstly I'd recommend SPDIF hookup as its the cleanest way
Realisticlly the "source" sound needs to be diamond as possible, - depending then on the structure of your track and how populated it is. here are a few tips...
- Roll off the low end to about 100hz to make way for the kick and bass.
- Pan the guitars into space, use central for lead playing. (but there are no rules)
- Double track OR what I like to do, is track the guitar left, and add the reverb to the right. to get a wider sound (depending on song of course)
- Trying using a filter sweep and search for any clashing freq..(using notch pass at say 30DB gain)
Ballpark here but...
Anything from 0hz-80hz is sub bass, cant be heard but felt, so good for bass and kick.
Anything from 150hz - 250hz will give the guitar some body (best on acoustic)
Anything from the 300hz-400hz is muddy mids, can cut here by small amounts to bring out detail.
Anything around 800hz can make the guitar sound cheap.. so small cuts here can go a long way..(depending on style and gainstructure)
Anything around 1.5khz - 2kz is first natrual harmonic and then again at 3khz - 5khz anything beyond that is trouble and fizz
Quite often a recorded guitar track that sounds superb in a mix can sound terrible on its own. try to listen in context and dont worry about how it sounds alone. - but I cant stress enough,, the SOURCE sound has to have all the ingretients to begin with!.
As a rule, always try to cut and not boost. - and only cut by small amounts. - but only cut if its needed!
But all that said, try and get a good source sound first that your happy with!.
Really is up to your ears..
Good luck.
A
Been trying some cutting instead of boosting... pretty surprised... I tried to cope a tone form a song...back and forth a lot... still not exactly the same, but much much closer when I cut the frequencies .. thanks for the advice.. now I can see a little more clearly into recording...
Well it takes time, (years in fact) to really be able to pinpoint and know where the clashing freq are, - but the more you "do" the better you will be.. - just keep doing the do!, and if you are stuck, come here and one of us can help you out the best we can.
If you want to copy a songs sound, there is a plugin called "ozone" - this has matching EQ, (I dont use it) but I know some folks that do, and like it a lot.
WE hope to hear your amazing production after you finished sculpting
Well it takes time, (years in fact) to really be able to pinpoint and know where the clashing freq are, - but the more you "do" the better you will be.. - just keep doing the do!, and if you are stuck, come here and one of us can help you out the best we can.
If you want to copy a songs sound, there is a plugin called "ozone" - this has matching EQ, (I dont use it) but I know some folks that do, and like it a lot.
WE hope to hear your amazing production after you finished sculpting
Thanks, it drives me crazy... I get the sound of one guitar in my headphones and love it..and when I start adding drums etc etc...and only a few track really..it starts getting weak... the less tracks I use, the better it sounds but but... I wish there was a basic package for newbies so we could get a half decent recording for demos etc...
Thanks, it drives me crazy... I get the sound of one guitar in my headphones and love it..and when I start adding drums etc etc...and only a few track really..it starts getting weak... the less tracks I use, the better it sounds but but... I wish there was a basic package for newbies
Well, that´s really part of the process and the first step of getting a feeling that the guitar only plays a rather small role of a great sounding mix. The more dense the material the more tricky it gets. My recommendation is to really get into drums and how to mix them because they make up most of good mix. If you get the drums and bass right the guitars will fit in much easier.
Tyler speaks the truth.
I ALWAYS start with the drums, Kick drum in fact. - that will be the source of yoru mix. - and make sure the bass and kick are tight!.
What a lot of newer guys tend to do to mixes is overload the mainbus with tons of compressors, and EQ's effects without understanding correct gainstaging, or bussing.
This will lead to a empty or shallow mix, with no AIR.
IF your guitar sounds weak, then its becasue its in context with other instrumets that also share simualr freq. - this is where the expereince pays off, so you can sculpt out small notches (only small) where the overlaying freq are..and the bass guitar is what makes the guitars to sound hugh often.
EQ and COMP are your freinds in mix world. (but keep them real) - but for now try and start of as minimal as you can.. really.. the bear minium.. one guitar, bass, and drums.. - dont do overdubs or doubletracks yet. - get the mix/arrangment right first, - then start to add flavour. - this will teach you what works and doesnt early..
When you understand more, then you can throw all the toys out the pram at once and then have 70 odd tracks to mix at once : )
But start off slow.
Post up a clip, and we can guide you too.
Thanks again...
I won't be posting any clips here I still get confused with compression... I know what it does but it also does other things.. I only record with addictive drums, one or two rhythm guitar tracks and one lead track plus one vocals...
I don't understand gain staging or how and why to bus tracks... and I thought it was going to be easy
Well mixing is as easy as you want it to be, and as complex as you let it be.
Its an Art form, there has to be no rules, just make your craft, but mainly enjoy what your doing.
This is an interesting thread, with lots of recording information (some I agree with, some, not so much) - but the wrong forum I think for lessons on recording. Lots of great training tutorials on line and via DVD at your local music store.
All that said, The one thing I would add, in general is quit mixing in headphones - not sure why someone else didn't mention it. Do not mix in headphones as you will never achieve the sonic balance and equilibrium as heard on any good recording. By a good NO better - spend a lot of money and buy a really great pair of "studio" monitors, tweak your room to reduce reflections and bass build up and use those from now on. Un-mastered material ALWAYS sounds better in headphones - but rarely translates well to the world outside your cans.
If you say professional studio monitors a too expensive and I cannot afford "a pair of Genlecs or Focals" - consider this - you just plopped down $2000 USA to buy a Kemper 
-cheers B!
Maybe EZ mix by toontrack would be useful,its pretty cheap and easy to use,you can set up basic mixes with it and then tweak to taste.
The one thing I would add, in general is quit mixing in headphones - not sure why someone else didn't mention it. Do not mix in headphones as you will never achieve the sonic balance and equilibrium as heard on any good recording.
+1
Basic, dear Watson, basic!
Whoever mixes with headphones needs to be dragged on a public square and be whipped with guitar straps and drum sticks! 
Hey this isnt that kind of forum,some fantasies are best kept private. 
Display MoreThis is an interesting thread, with lots of recording information (some I agree with, some, not so much) - but the wrong forum I think for lessons on recording. Lots of great training tutorials on line and via DVD at your local music store.
All that said, The one thing I would add, in general is quit mixing in headphones - not sure why someone else didn't mention it. Do not mix in headphones as you will never achieve the sonic balance and equilibrium as heard on any good recording. By a good NO better - spend a lot of money and buy a really great pair of "studio" monitors, tweak your room to reduce reflections and bass build up and use those from now on. Un-mastered material ALWAYS sounds better in headphones - but rarely translates well to the world outside your cans.
If you say professional studio monitors a too expensive and I cannot afford "a pair of Genlecs or Focals" - consider this - you just plopped down $2000 USA to buy a Kemper
-cheers B!
Thanks everyone for your input..... yes you are all right about damn headphone mixes BUT it''s not possible to blast the hell out of my neighbors ears, even if some of them deserve it (and they do) it's true almost anything through shure 440's sounds great... and then playback sucks on speakers... I've been really trying to figure out how to do this and keep the noise down.. almost all commercial speakers for computers and stereos are tweaked to add this and that... most add the same amount of this and that..so I think it's pretty ok to mix through normal speakers... I mean these mixes would be for demos at best... but still if you mix with normal speakers for the general public I think you get a pretty good taste of what it will sound like on almost anyone's normal computer, stereo speakers unless they are pro's or stereophiles.... recording quietly sucks but the kemper has made it possible at last... and now MR Kemper needs to invent a pair of headphones that will translate well to a speaker mix... he copied all the amps so now he can copy all the rooms, speakers, sound dampenings (is that a word) he can copy all that and get it to translate like speakers but in headphone... I know he can
"....needs to invent a pair of headphones that will translate well to a speaker mix... he copied all the amps so now he can copy all the rooms, speakers, sound dampenings (is that a word) he can copy all that and get it to translate like speakers but in headphone... I know he can"
Already done by another company, mate
Not necessarily with perfect results (pretty decent IMHO), but someone is alredy there.
"....needs to invent a pair of headphones that will translate well to a speaker mix... he copied all the amps so now he can copy all the rooms, speakers, sound dampenings (is that a word) he can copy all that and get it to translate like speakers but in headphone... I know he can"
Already done by another company, mate
Not necessarily with perfect results (pretty decent IMHO), but someone is alredy there.
Oh really... I'll have to search for those..
Already done by another company, mate
Not necessarily with perfect results (pretty decent IMHO), but someone is alredy there.
Hey man, could you send me a link to the headphones you are talking about... I can find sims for headphone recording but not that actual headphone or the name of any... 
