Help! Pieces of home studio needed...(pickups +)

[bruplex]

Hello All!
I thought I might get some good advice here on enhancing my home studio. I'm currently running an '89 PRS CE-7 through a Pod 2.0, Mackie 1202 mixer, and into my Tascam 224 recording module (using Cakewalk Sonar on a good PC).

The problem? The PRS pickups are VERY muddy and there is a lot of noise in the line. Also, the POD isn't delivering a good crunch sound (for lack of a better description, think late 80's Metallica). I wanted to change my pickups and Sd's look great, but I know I'll need to do more to get a quality, mostly noiseless set up. So I have a few quick questions:

1-Active or passive pickups? It's a tricky situation, but I want to have bridge pickups that offer a good metal sound, but neck pick ups that offer a brighter rock sound (not jazzy, more like Roll the Bones era Rush). I need them to be as quiet as possible too (i'm having the guitar shielded when I get them installed). What are the best pick ups for this: active or pick up and is there a good model you can recommend?

2-Getting a good sound--should I invest in something specific like the Mesa Boogie Recto Recording Preamp or a full on head, like the Peavey XXL 100w? Or, will I be able to manipulate my POD to get a great metal sound? Or to get a warm rock sound? (I also have a Tube AMP I can mix in the equation).

3-Any other home recording tips?

Thanks for reading all this!

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Help! Pieces of home studio needed...(pickups +)

Hello All!
I thought I might get some good advice here on enhancing my home studio. I'm currently running an '89 PRS CE-7 through a Pod 2.0, Mackie 1202 mixer, and into my Tascam 224 recording module (using Cakewalk Sonar on a good PC).

The problem? The PRS pickups are VERY muddy and there is a lot of noise in the line. Also, the POD isn't delivering a good crunch sound (for lack of a better description, think late 80's Metallica). I wanted to change my pickups and Sd's look great, but I know I'll need to do more to get a quality, mostly noiseless set up. So I have a few quick questions:

1-Active or passive pickups? It's a tricky situation, but I want to have bridge pickups that offer a good metal sound, but neck pick ups that offer a brighter rock sound (not jazzy, more like Roll the Bones era Rush). I need them to be as quiet as possible too (i'm having the guitar shielded when I get them installed). What are the best pick ups for this: active or pick up and is there a good model you can recommend?

2-Getting a good sound--should I invest in something specific like the Mesa Boogie Recto Recording Preamp or a full on head, like the Peavey XXL 100w? Or, will I be able to manipulate my POD to get a great metal sound? Or to get a warm rock sound? (I also have a Tube AMP I can mix in the equation).

3-Any other home recording tips?

Thanks for reading all this!

Actually the POD 2.0 is infamous in my mind for its excessive bass in several of its emulations. I often rolled the bass off to 0-2 on many patches. Many folks feel the high gain sounds on v2 are superior to the XT. Not a high gain player so I can't say for certain.

I don't think a neck pup is going to get you those brighter Rush tones. A good bridge pickup would be a better choice.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Help! Pieces of home studio needed...(pickups +)

Try a PODxt. I think most of the models are much much better than the 2.0. If you want a Metallica-like tone, it does a very good job of that. The Metal add-on pack may be good for you too - it has a couple of Diezel models among others.

I would suggest trying a different amp/POD before changing your pickups. You may really love the tone with the new rig, and may decide you don't need new pickups after all ... heh, who am I kidding - you ALWAYS need new pickups

Reducing noise isn't that tricky. Try these tips:

- Check each cable by getting a brand new cable and using it in place of each of your existing cables one at a time. If the noise improves after changing a cable, there's your problem

- If you are too close to your monitor your guitar will pick up a lot of noise. Try turning off your monitor to see if that improves anything. If you have a CRT monitor (the big heavy kind) you may want to look into a flat panel LCD. They give off far less interference than a CRT.

- Make sure you have no AC power cables running parallel to your audio cables. Either run them perpendicular to each other, or move them far apart.

Hope that helps!

 

[bruplex]

Re: Help! Pieces of home studio needed...(pickups +)

Yeah, I might have to play with the XT to see what I can do. My pickups are really old and shot--they'll need to be changed! I played lived with this guitar for years and the pickups are a little rusty and muddled.

I have a clean set up as far as cables and such go, but thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to keep playing around and see what kind of sounds I can get out of the 2.0 before switching up!

 

[Schecter006Elite]

Re: Help! Pieces of home studio needed...(pickups +)

you dont need any of those. Get Amplitube program for sonar. Its a program that acts like an amp on your computer. You record in clean, thenadd the effects. Believe me or not, but it is so insanely incredible sounding its better then recording an amp in my opinion. Get the demo and see for yourself.

But if u wanna record amps, and u want quiet pups, get an EMG 81 in the bridge and an EMG 60 in the neck for the bluesy rock sounds (thats actually James' set up in his ESP, so theres 'tallica for you!) and they dont react to light or anything at all, so its good and u can sit anywhere. next get an M-box, i think its made by audix or someething, i forget (i have a Sounblaster Audigy2 Pro nd its sweet, but the M-box is better) but the M-Box comes with protools, and thats better then sonar. Also, get Cool Edit Pro, its way better for guitar stuff then Sonar, considering Sonor is a sequencer type program. I record at home too and I am in the second year of a digital recording class in my highschool where we use Sibelius for Classical Music, Sonar for Sequncer type stuff, and Cool Edit for live recording. Like I said I have an Audigy 2 and Amplitube and its all I need for Pro sounding stuff, but the M-box is better, but it costs more. Have Fun!

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Help! Pieces of home studio needed...(pickups +)

A couple of questions first.

Is the Tascam unit the US-224?

Is the Mackie the 1202 VLZ PRO mixer?

There is so much gear out there I often D/L the manuals and give them a quick read before I answer.

The Tascam US-224 appears to be a simular but smaller and somewhat stripped down version of the DigiDesign 002 or like products. Computer based recording with an interface like that can be very productive. Since you don't have killer mic preamps or fantom power, using the 1202 with the VLZ mic preamps is a great idea for getting great mic tone into the 224 but I wouldn't nessessarily run the pod into it. While it is possible to run the Pod into the line level inputs of the board (the stereo combined channels should have a line level input or there will be an aux line input somewhere) you are really adding an extra piece of gear into the signal chain that doesn't need to be there and it opens the door to clipping the mic preamps in the board unless you have some good compression somewhere before the mic preamps. The board can also color your tone depending on how you have it EQ'ed. I'd suggest running the Pod directly into the 224s line inputs. You may find the tone improves.

Go to the Line6 websire and download the software editing program for your PC. The tone of the V2 Pod is much easier to control from your computer screen and there are parameters you can't control from the knobs. It made a big difference in my tone when I started using it.

Amplitube is ok and I have it as part of a software bundle that I got when I purchased the Digi 002 rack that I run into my Mac. To be honest, I get better and more useable tones from the V2 Pod.

As far as amps go, thats a whole different beast. As far as the Mesa Recording Preamp goes I wouldn't suggest it unless you are getting a poweramp and speaker cabs to go with it. I have a Triaxis here at the house and the tone from the recording outs isn't to die for. Models are easier to work with direct, tubes almost always sound better pushing air. Get whatever amp floats your boat and mic it with a SM 57 through the 1202. It wouldn't hurt to pick up a DBX 166XL or simular compressor to insert into your mic chain. Microphones really need some serious compression to sound their best. Even though you most likely have modeled EQs in your PC software, a good 31 band EQ wouldn't hurt either.

While I do have a Mackie CFX 20 here at the house (the preamps are not as nice as the VLZ) I never run through it for recording. I have an Aphex dual channel tube mic pre, a DBX 166xl compressor and a DBX 1231 EQ that I run into two of the line inputs (non-preamp loaded) on the Digi 002 and the direct bass, acoustic, clean electric and vocals I get sound killer using that method. The trick is to compress and EQ your signal until is sounds killer flat from the PC and then tweak the tracks with the plug ins in post. Plug in EQs are fine but they won't resurect bad tone. You are best served getting your tone right before it hits your hard drive.

 

[bruplex]

Re: Help! Pieces of home studio needed...(pickups +)

Wow, thanks for the responses all. I'll start toying around with stuff now-- see what works--

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Help! Pieces of home studio needed...(pickups +)

one of the most important pieces of gear for ANY studio, home or professional, is a good tube preamp. They can be a bit pricey but well worth it.