Recording Steel?

Tony Harris · From: England

Anyone any suggestions on recording steel? I've got an Alesis GT rack unit with as much EQ as you like, plus cab simulations etc, but can't get the steel sound that's in my head. I'd like a tone like Buddy (Wouldn't we all?). Miking my amp is better, although not very convenient..
What do you guys do?

mtulbert · From: Plano, Texas 75023

Hi Tony,

Normally, I go through the amp to the board normally from the pre-amp output. I do not do alot of processing. Just a little eq and some reverb. You might want to eliminate some of the effects and try to get the steel to sound to your liking as naturally as possible and then add the effects to get closer to the dream sound.

One good hint is that if the steel has a little too much high end try rolling some off in the 3khz range. This is usually the frequency where the "harshness" comes in.

I used to that with Hal Rugg in the studio and the sound was terrific.

Regards,

Mark T.

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

Assuming you've got a good player playing a good arrangement of a good song on a good instrument-any decent direct box,a touch of compression(DBX 163X is a nice,cheap way to go)and print(dry)to tape/disk-but monitor and mix adding(to taste)any high quality digital reverb(Lexicon/Alesis/Yamaha/etc)and a bit of EQ(while mixing)I will also often record from the XLR direct output of the preamp of my stock Peavy Session 400(dry)to a compressor and then to tape.I will mic an amp if someone insists-usually with a Sennheiser 421 or 441 - approx 12" out & slightly off axis in relation to the speaker cone,then to a console channel pre-amp(AMEK in my case)and put a compressor on the channel insert patch and then go(dry)to tape-but I always record a direct feed as well on a seperate tape track-just in case.Besides electric bass or synth keyboards,steel is one of the easiest instruments to record,actually. -MJ-

Bob Metzger · From: Waltham (Boston), MA, USA

Steel may be one of the easiest instruments to record but I'm constantly surprised by how few recording engineers have actually recorded (successfully) steel guitar. Michael Johnstone is one of the exceptions. He is not only an accomplished player but he knows how a steel guitar should sound on tape (or hard disc). I gave up having engineers try to figure it out years ago and now I just tell them to set their board flat and give me a reverb sound that they would use with a vocalist (to monitor; not to print). I carry my own outboard equalizers with me and I go DI and I'm always happy with MY sound because that what it is! If you have an exceptional amp or preamp that you like, go for it. The problem: Amps rarely sound in the studio they way they do on the gig. The cure: Experiment and listen. And then listen some more. Don't expect to always be able to use your 'gig' settings; they won't always work. The one commodity that will never go out of fashion in the music business: someone who listens and listens well!

John Lacey · From: Black Diamond, Alberta, Canada

For years I went direct from my vol. pedal and let the engineers handle it and usually they messed it up. Then I bought a Boss GX-700 and have tried different preamp settings without reverb and have generally had more success with it. Again, like some guys have said, have the engineer start with a flat setting on the board and create the tone from the preamp. It's light, convenient, and flexible. You might have some trouble with the Alesis. My Midiverb 4 had a strident thing happening in the highs that I didn't like. Try another brand, like the Roland RP-100.

[This message was edited by John Lacey on 26 May 2000 at 08:54 AM.]

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