GUITARSTUDIO

How do you record guitars at home without them sounding thin?

lallenross12Soundcheck

Home-recorded guitars can sound exciting while tracking, then surprisingly thin once they are in a mix. I am mostly recording direct and using amp sims, so I am wondering how much of the problem is tone choice, double tracking, EQ, gain levels, or arrangement.

What made the biggest difference for you when recording guitars at home? I would rather understand the practical habits than just chase another plugin.

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Replies

tjharrisonukSoundcheck

@Musician Less gain than you think is a good starting point. Double-tracked high-gain parts can get fizzy and small very quickly.

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itsruss1Soundcheck

@Musician Record with the bass and drums in mind. A guitar tone that sounds huge alone may not be the one that works in the track.

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kavali2696Soundcheck

@Musician Tight double tracking beats a giant single tone most of the time.

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owenliversidgeSoundcheck

@Musician Before adding more plug-ins, I would check whether the part actually wants double tracking. Two genuinely separate performances panned apart usually create width more convincingly than duplicating one take, but not every arrangement needs it. A single guitar with the right midrange can sound larger than several layered parts competing for the same space.

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