An experiment with VST/Resurrecting an old solo project

[CTN]

Well, I decided to see if could record some good sounding tones using a bare minimum of outboard gear. Also I didn't think of it until I finished mixing it down, but this is a perfect song to possibly resurrect an old solo project of mine, called Pathway. Originally it was supposed to be progressive death metal, but I soon discovered that every song I was writing was so completely different from the one before it that the concept of the project was getting thoroughly lost and I decided to dissolve it before thoroughly confounding myself.

Anyway, for this song -

Signal flow:
Guitar (Blue Bastard/DMZ Super Distortion + PAF Pro) -> Fender HOT practice amp/(Preamp Out) -> Computer

Except for a couple of the solos, all the cleans/overdrivens/rhythm guitars and leads were recorded off the clean channel in bright mode. For the high gain solos I used the crunch channel for a bit better definition and edge.

DAW:
I used Reaper only.

VST's
These are all free. I wanted to find out how good of a tone I could get with free VST's vs. some other VSTs I've used in the past (Guitar Rig, Amplitube) that I found lacking especially in the High Gain realm.
SimulAnalog Guitar Suite (in particular the Tube screamer sim, the Boss SD-1 sim, and the Fender Twin sim)
AuraPlug Red Skull distortion
TubeBaby (http://www.ndzeit.org/guitar/tubebaby.html)
Voxengo Boogex

Drums:
EZ Drummer Drumkit from Hell, midi programmed using some of the beats/loops included and some customized by me using Reaper's built in midi sequencer.

and now the song:
It's called "Cepheid Variable" because I'm a huge space geek and Cepheid Variables are cool. deal with it.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=584727

 

[DankStar]

Re: An experiment with VST/Resurrecting an old solo project

quick listen at work, I'll have to listen again later louder. sounds pretty neat! lotsa different guitar sounds. so far I like the lead sound during the beginning the best. not sure if I dig the rhythm sound as much, but I'll need to further check it out. you didn't want to use the jcm900 sim on any gits? I like that one in simulanalog's suite.

 

[CTN]

Re: An experiment with VST/Resurrecting an old solo project

yeah I quite like the JCM sim, but I could never get it sounding tight and crunchy without getting a ton of noise as well.

What I used for the rhythm guitars was:

Reaper Noise Gate
Reaper Compressor
Auraplug Red Skull
Reaper Noise Gate
Reaper Compressor
Reaper EQ

Didn't even use the Boogex on that one, cuz a) it added unnecessary noise b) it took out a lot of the crunchiness and bite and rounded it out more than I liked. For what I used, it was pretty good. There was something lacking in the level of saturation that I would've preferred, but I've been trying out tons of the better distortion VST plugins and I really couldn't get the sound in my head from any of them. The Red Skull was as close as I could get.

I was REALLY happy with how the overdriven lead tone came out though. Just the SimulAnalog Tube Screamer plugin and the Tubebaby for a bit more grit and smootness.

Actually the beginning lead sound, I wasn't totally happy with that either, I think that has more to do with the high end on the super distortion sounding a bit nasal more than the plugins though.

 

[DankStar]

Re: An experiment with VST/Resurrecting an old solo project

really dig the solo at the 1:22 mark - how was that one done - TS and tubebaby? sound is great on that, and the playing is really great! still on the fence about the rhythm gits. not sure what's missing, like a presence sorta thing.

 

[CTN]

Re: An experiment with VST/Resurrecting an old solo project

you really thought it sounded great?

I thought it sounded a bit nasal. in any case, that one at 1:22 was:
Reaper Noise gate -> SimulAnalog SD-1 -> Reaper Compressor -> Auraplug Red Skull -> Reaper EQ -> Reaper Delay.


just a hint of delay for atmosphere. used the SD-1 to get a bit more midrange bite to the Red Skull, it sorta works, but I think it's also what causes some of the nasaliness that I hear.

As for the rhythms, I think I know what you mean, but that was a key part that I couldn't get going direct and using VST plugins. If I had any outboard processing that was better than my Zoom 505 (!!) then I'd use that lol

 

[CTN]

Re: An experiment with VST/Resurrecting an old solo project

anyone one else have an opinion?

 

[everdrone]

Re: An experiment with VST/Resurrecting an old solo project

I have dfh, definitely sounds like it; I like the mellow part in there, drums need to be louder and snare compressed, I like bass and that was missing, I think your musicianship is good as far as

thrash metalz goes, lots o metalheadz mayhem mania extreme england feudal societyz

 

[CTN]

Re: An experiment with VST/Resurrecting an old solo project

yeah I think I mixed the snare and kick a bit low. It's been bugging me.

Also I haven't got a bass guitar, so I didn't record any bass on there. I'm not sure I want to go through the trouble of programming synthesized bass for all that, it'd be such a pain in the arse.

lots o metalheadz mayhem mania extreme england feudal societyz

uhhh...what?! lol

 

[DankStar]

Re: An experiment with VST/Resurrecting an old solo project

thrash metalz goes, lots o metalheadz mayhem mania extreme england feudal societyz

You've officially reached a point where your posts need English subtitles.