As a composer, working in notation software with uninspiring sounds—especially for electric guitar—has always been frustrating. These days, I primarily compose in Dorico Pro, which allows me to experiment with ideas and refine decisions before stepping into a studio or rehearsal space. It’s a process I value and one I teach to my college students.

One point of contention that still exists despite many of the changes in the recording industry is proper monitoring. We now have access to recording interfaces such as the Universal Audio Apollo, which yields high-end studio results. In theory, you can have a pro studio for a fraction of what it used to cost to acquire.

Even with these advancements, audio engineers continue grappling with a complex aspect of the mixing process: monitoring. It's common to have top-notch equipment and struggle with a mix. This begs the question: How can this be?

As a dedicated studio rat, I've spent countless hours composing and recording various music genres. Yet, one persistent challenge has been the limited microphone options that genuinely capture the natural sound when directed towards the center of the cone nearby.

My dissatisfaction extends to miking guitar amps on gigs. While some choices, like the long-standing favorite Shure SM57, have their merits, they always produce a harsh sound that I find myself battling within the mix.

The Shure SM57 has maintained its popularity for decades, and good reason. Its affordability, ease of replacement, and ability to handle high sound pressure levels, such as those produced by high-wattage guitar amps, make it a practical choice. For instance, a Marshall non-master volume 100watt amp at full blast is too loud for a ribbon mic placed close to the speaker, but the Shure SM57 can withstand this level of intensity.

But the SM57 can sound harsh and brittle. I fight with its sound every time I use it, as it doesn't sound like how I hear the amp in the room. I always wish I could find a mic that wouldn't make me rush to an EQ in a state of emergency.

Incorporating an EQ into your setup is not just a suggestion; it's necessary for a seamless recording experience.

We use an EQ in several ways, including troubleshooting problem frequencies, tone shaping, filtering, and special effects.

The EQ is at the heart of your mixing and sound sculpting process, followed by a compressor and time-based effects. While other tools may be enticing, the first steps almost always involve EQ and compression.

Understanding registers is crucial when working with musicians or in any production scenario. Registers refer to different ranges or sections of the musical spectrum, typically categorized as low, middle, and high. By being aware of these registers, you can troubleshoot issues related to sound balance, clarity, and overall mix quality.

Listen to episode 6 of Anatomy of Tone on all podcast outlets including Apple and Spotify.

Welcome, fellow music enthusiasts! I'm thrilled to introduce you to the podcast series, "Anatomy of Tone." In this comprehensive series, we embark on a journey through the various elements of music creation, covering everything from the art of composition to crafting unique sounds, selecting the perfect gear, and engaging in insightful business-related conversations.

For how seemingly simple surf guitar tone appears, it's pretty elusive. Like with cooking, the fewer ingredients you have, the better quality they need to be. There is no disguise or distractions.

Surf guitar is generally a guitar, reverb, and amp. Sometimes an early fuzz like the Maestro FZ-1A was involved. But primarily guitar to the reverb to the amp.

Each of these three ingredients needs to be correct to truly capture the classic surf guitar tone of artists like Dick Dale and the Ventures.

We live in a world of audio interfaces, and analog gear emulated plugins these days. As a result, it is not uncommon to see musicians and composers plugging straight into a Universal Audio Apollo.

I think the Apollo sounds excellent. It's incredible how close they've come to some analog gear and made high-quality recording available at an affordable price. Some may think to stop there and would not understand why analog gear is still important.

For many studio owners specializing in recording guitar, a lot of thought goes into deciding which mics to collect. 

There are some obvious choices like ribbons, dynamics, and condensers. Mics like the AEA 840, Sennheiser 906, and Soyuz Bomblet are my favorite choices for tracking guitars and guitar amps.

There will be times, though, when you need something a little more specialized and specific. Something like a Wasaphone MKII.

I've been watching a lot of Mix with the Master's videos. I find it fascinating to watch others work. It's so interesting how many different approaches there are. Recently I was watching Tchad Blake mix. He was using a plugin I never saw before for saturation and distortion called the Pusher. 

Discussing phase relationships with guitar microphones can be a complicated conversation because not all sounds that have imperfect phase sound terrible. That's a critical thought to store in your brain library.

The most significant consideration when dealing with phase is sound disappearing when listening in mono. A signal that is out of phase can disappear when played in mono.

The song “Because” by Abby Ahmad started as quite a different song then what we hear today. Its life began as a song performed and written on acoustic guitar.

Most of the time, with Abby's music, the initial presentation of the song is where we build the production. Abby's songs are ready to go upon arrival at the studio, which is a testament to both her playing and writing.

Recording acoustic guitars can be a real challenge in non-commercial studio environments.

Commercial studios often have live rooms carefully constructed for flattering acoustics. In a lot of these pro commercial studios, you can place a mic anywhere in the room and it will sound great.

Avatar Recording Studios NYC

But recording has changed a lot over the past two decades, and fewer people are recording in commercial studios. Instead, they’re opting for home and project studio environments.