Been meaning to make a thread like this for a bit. There's a ton of tips out there, but sometimes it's just one in particular that stands out and really helps a person. I figured we could post them here.


For me, someone once said (I think it was on this website somewhere) If you want a big, thick guitar sound, buy a bass guitar. That helped me so much. I started cutting bass from my rhythm guitars and creating a good bass guitar tone... Voila, infinitely better guitar tone.

The other one, similarly related but plenty of newbies probably don't realize it yet, is to cut bass on both your rhythm guitars and your lead guitars. Seriously, just cut all the bass below 100 Hz or so. It'll free up room for the bass and kick drum, make the guitars clearer and stand out more.

Aside from that, have a reference. An album that is mixed very well (Metallica's self titled album is good for this) that you can A/B your music with, to help see if certain instruments need to be quieter/softer.

Sound at source - meaning, there is no point at all in recording something if it doesn't sound good at the very start. So instead of spending two hours EQing a guitar track to try and make the tone heavier, record a heavy tone straight off. Get the best instruments and gear you can, and have the best level of musical skill possible. Mic placement is a huge part of this. As is tuning drums.

And if you're not ready to record, don't. There is no point in trying to record as soon as possible. Been there, done that, had the band fall apart because of it. Going into the studio should be a REALLY BIG DEAL, and so everybody should be incredibly well rehearsed. Everyone should know how everything should sound. Everyone should know their own parts and be able to play them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw25dOC7H9M <---This explains it all lol.

Regarding a reference track, I feel that a track that best reflects what you're going for stylistically and sound-wise should be used, rather than some random album that is mixed well but is completely unlike what you're doing.

Two simple bits of advice everyone who knows their shit has told me;
1. Your performance needs to be tight as possible. You need to be able to play your songs like it's second nature before you even go in to record.
2. EQ and compression, and learning how to use those two things, are the most important part of the production process. An amp's an amp, a guitar's a guitar, and tone is subjective. EQ and compression are the key to making everything pop, regardless of the aesthetic choices.