Looking for tone feedback

[Ajo1984]

Hey guys,

Have been messing around with my new '08 classic and was trying to get some good clean/ambient sounds going directly into my DAW. Looking for feedback/thoughts/opinions if you have em... about the tone or the playing really.

https://soundcloud.com/ajo1984/first-words

Thanks!
Ajo

[lucgravely]

The playing and composition are good.
The panning effect is actually a bit too strong to be tasteful.
The tone sounds piezo-ish. Is that the piezo or pickups direct?

[Ajo1984]

Thanks for the feedback! I'll see if I can tweak the effect so it's not so distracting.

The only piezo sound was the acoustic strumming that started and was faint later in the song. Everything else was just mag pickups.

[lucgravely]

To me it sounds like a guitar direct not a guitar into an amp. Thus probably why i thought it sounded piezo-ish. Are you using any amp models or images on the base guitar input?

[Ajo1984]

Yeah, I'm using a few different amp modeler settings in Logic for the different guitar tracks (Dyna-Trem, Heavenly Tweed, Cool Jazz Combo, etc).  Other than that, I am going straight into the DAW with a small audio interface.

By "Piezo-ish", do you mean it sounds tinny or twangy? I can definitely tell there is an element of the sounds being a bit "processed" if that makes sense, but I'm not sure if that is what you are referring to as well.

Thanks again for the thoughts!

[Patzag]

I like it all.  Sounds great. 
I agree that it sounds very modeled as opposed to amp'ed sound but if that's what you're going for and you like to tone, it's all good.
I seem to hear a bit of "Exciter" somewhere.  Maybe in the mastering chain or on the acoustic track which sizzles a bit too much for MY taste.  But it's not a deal breaker.

[Ajo1984]

Thanks again for more feedback. 

I do use a lot of modeling stuff (for recording, as well as live) but the weird part is I am finding myself becoming accustomed to modeled sound I think.. which I am not sure that I really want, lol. I want to really get better at having an unbiased ear, if that makes sense. Once I do better with that, then I feel like I'll have a better ability to choose the right tone for the right setting... or at least have a more accurate depiction of my tone in comparison with others. 

As far as the exciter goes, I actually am not sure if there is something on there that could be causing such a thing.. very possible. I'll have to poke around in there and see. The funny part is, I didn't hear what you were describing at all as I was recording or listening to it back... which is exactly what I was talking about in the last paragraph.. lol.

EVENTUALLY, I want to get a Fractal Axe EFX II... but given their price tag, that may be quite a big eventually. I've never used one personally, but everyone that I talk to always goes bananas over them. Leaps and bounds ahead of anything else.

[Patzag]

Thanks again for more feedback. 

I do use a lot of modeling stuff (for recording, as well as live) but the weird part is I am finding myself becoming accustomed to modeled sound I think.. which I am not sure that I really want, lol. I want to really get better at having an unbiased ear, if that makes sense. Once I do better with that, then I feel like I'll have a better ability to choose the right tone for the right setting... or at least have a more accurate depiction of my tone in comparison with others. 

As far as the exciter goes, I actually am not sure if there is something on there that could be causing such a thing.. very possible. I'll have to poke around in there and see. The funny part is, I didn't hear what you were describing at all as I was recording or listening to it back... which is exactly what I was talking about in the last paragraph.. lol.

EVENTUALLY, I want to get a Fractal Axe EFX II... but given their price tag, that may be quite a big eventually. I've never used one personally, but everyone that I talk to always goes bananas over them. Leaps and bounds ahead of anything else.

Possibly what I heard was simply a bit too much high resulting from your monitoring devices.  I am not sure what you're using for monitors, but whatever you are using WILL affect your mix.  Regardless, your composition is cool, the tones are good and your playing was enjoyable.

I have the Axe FX.  It IS indeed awesome and I am bananas over it!   

[DixonCed]

Thanks for the feedback. Im going to go try some stuff. I saw mods but not sure how much i really need to do to get just that tone Im after. :

[billy]

you might try using some amp/cab impulses. 

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/The_Working_Guitarist_All_About_Impulse_Responses

http://www.redwirez.com/free1960g12m25s.jsp