What's the trick to stereo guitars?

[Jackson Michaels]

Record mono, hard pan to your favorite side, aux send to a delay line (short), return to a channel hard panned to the other side. Adjust level and width to taste....

I might be mistaken, but I think what you just described is how a chorus effect works.

[NeglectedFred]

[quote="Jackson MichaelsI might be mistaken, but I think what you just described is how a chorus effect works.[/quote]

I thinks you're right, but there's also a bit of pitch modulation. A lot of good ideas, but my objective here is to capture the source, a Fender M-80 chorus head.. Somehow I'd like to keep it panned on one side while still maintaining the character of the amps chorus. I know, this is almost a contradiction, that's why I've been thinking of using a crossover, taking the hi's from one and the lows from another, then bouncing to a mono to double, this way the movement still exists, but rather from speaker to speaker, it exists in frequencies, probably especially effective on 2 or 3 way systems. I did get an interesting idea while looking through all your helpful hints...

I'm affraid my crossover idea will still sound slushy as a result of putting 4 modulated sounds onto one channel.. I think what I'll do, someone mentioned slightly detuning the top strings a pinch - nice, but again the goal is to keep the m-80's sound.. Maybe I'll have him track once dry run that into a crossover keeping just the lows, then track wet and keep the highs.. It may clean up the slush.. Still interested in any other ideas if you have any.. Thanks!

BTW Someone asked what I'm micing with. I've used a variety of mics, and take a wild guess... Yup, a 57.. We've tried an assortment of AKG's, C3000's, D112's, D3700's (a stage mic that sounds amazing on cabs - but not on his), also tried Rode K2, MXL V57M, even my EV ND168 snare mic, but this is just one of those cabs where the 57 always shines through.

I usually use 2 57's almost back to back, and have also used mixed mics placed strategically to eliminate phase issues..

[@?,*???&?]

Natural stereo guitars = Binaural listening. Try and capture what you hear.

[oobedoob]

I might be mistaken, but I think what you just described is how a chorus effect works.

nope. I described a fixed delay hard panned to the opposite side.

[tintern]

personally, my favorite way of doing it is using two amps, preferably one tube and one solid state. have the 57 pointing left at the speaker cone of the left side guitar amp and the other 57 pointing right at the right side amp's cone, more or less like you'd natually hear it. heck, just angling the mic the right way help immeasureably i've found.

oh, forget to mention that you'll want to check for phase issues a lot - and sometimes i just shift one track 10ms further down in time to avoid that. actually, the quick and dirty/easy way is just copying the track (this is on a DAW) and shifting it 10ms with a different eq or reverb.

[thethingwiththestuff]

but, seriously, chorus has to be the single lamest effect next to vocoding.

worked for joy division and my bloody valentine..

ugh, there's always gotta be someone who brings up joy division and my bloody valentine, as if they are the single best bands who ever walked the earth, and that i had somehow forgotten about them.

[thethingwiththestuff]

I usually use 2 57's almost back to back, and have also used mixed mics placed strategically to eliminate phase issues..

what does back to back mean here? are you trying to fake a figure 8 pattern with two 57's?

[SKEETER]

It could be a matter of mic placement, I am thinking that if you are trying to mic the amp close up you may be getting some phase cancelation that is robbing some of the frequencies. Try micing it from father back, maybe even put a condensor mic far away from the amp in the room.

[NeglectedFred]

Yes, I'm trying to fake a figure 8 with to 57's, that's a good way of putting it. I place the mics so they're almost, but not quite perpenticular to the speakers. Take an XY, spread 'em a little wider than 90 (more like 120), and move 'em right in front of the cones.. Bad idea?

BTW, the solid-state / tube job you described above is pretty much my rig, I use a Mesa Studio pre with russian GT's and a Rocktron Chameleon (just for the clean channel, then I use a number is other devices for overdrives and distortions).. This is an absolutely amazing sound, I'm surprised someone else does this!! Off on a tangent though, I'm focusing on a friends Fender M-80 stereo head right now..

[thethingwiththestuff]

no, no, you mean you're using a wide coincident pair...i thought you meant you had one facing the cone and one facing away from the amp behind it.

either way, it sounds to me like you arent listening to your mics as you place them, you're relying on techniques that you've read about.

[cgarges]

either way, it sounds to me like you arent listening to your mics as you place them, you're relying on techniques that you've read about.

You mean, we should listen to the mics? Well, now I've heard everything!

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[tintern]

Yes, I'm trying to fake a figure 8 with to 57's, that's a good way of putting it. I place the mics so they're almost, but not quite perpenticular to the speakers. Take an XY, spread 'em a little wider than 90 (more like 120), and move 'em right in front of the cones.. Bad idea?

BTW, the solid-state / tube job you described above is pretty much my rig, I use a Mesa Studio pre with russian GT's and a Rocktron Chameleon (just for the clean channel, then I use a number is other devices for overdrives and distortions).. This is an absolutely amazing sound, I'm surprised someone else does this!! Off on a tangent though, I'm focusing on a friends Fender M-80 stereo head right now..

I'm actually suprised more people don't do the solid state/tube split thing. Or maybe they do and don't like to share secrets I just like having two amps that respond completely differently to signals, one more high or low endish, the other, with a more sensitive midrange. Different strings come out on different amps and something just sounds glorious hearing the shift/interplay between the two.

Oh, as for the M80 head, possibly use one close mic on one side pointed one way, then a distant mic 6ft back or something pointed at the amp from a different angle? Haven't tried this much but that might be another idea.

[radiantbrian]

ugh, there's always gotta be someone who brings up joy division and my bloody valentine, as if they are the single best bands who ever walked the earth, and that i had somehow forgotten about them.

gee, a little touchy? i just thought i'd point out a few bands who don't use chorus effects in typical, 'lame' ways..

thanks for pointing out my favorite bands to me, stranger

[midiot]

I like vocoders.

[midiot]

BTW Someone asked what I'm micing with. I've used a variety of mics, and take a wild guess... Yup, a 57.. We've tried an assortment of AKG's, C3000's, D112's, D3700's (a stage mic that sounds amazing on cabs - but not on his), also tried Rode K2, MXL V57M, even my EV ND168 snare mic, but this is just one of those cabs where the 57 always shines through.

I usually use 2 57's almost back to back, and have also used mixed mics placed strategically to eliminate phase issues..

If you have access to an e609, try it. Sometimes is a nice mic to use along with a 57.