# Recorded VS Live Sound - Tone Quest



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

In the seemingly never ending quest for the "perfect" tone, as selected by the individual based on his/her own tastes, are we sometimes chasing a tone that we cannot achieve? What I mean is how much difference is there between the more often heard recorded music and the less heard live sound?

If we are chasing a certain guitarists tone from a recording are we chasing something that cannot be achieved without that recoding process?


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

I think that in most cases, studio tone is reproducible in a live situation. Obviously there are studio processes that are impractical for live use, but most of the devices used for shaping tone: EQ, various time delays (reverb, chorus, echo, etc.), wave shaping (distortion, compression, etc.) are readily available to the live musician. Plus most musicians ultimately want to be able to re-create their music in a live setting.

However, if you're trying to reproduce someone else's tone, you may need a finger transplant!


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

I have thought about this a lot of times since I have started to learn in the studio. All those great old rock records with a huge guitar sound were accomplished with little tube amps (usually) cranked right up. Then there is the room sound that gets captured, natural compression that happens when you use tape, and the compression and other effects used during mastering. A lot of variables to contend with, but I think if a guitar player has "tone", then he/she has it, and that translates to the recording. I don't think that it can be copied exactly, because it is mostly in the fingers (ever have someone play through your rig and think that it sounds nothing like the sound you are getting, even with the same settings?), but I do think that obtaining the "essence" of the tone is achievable.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Jim DaddyO said:


> I have thought about this a lot of times since I have started to learn in the studio. All those great old rock records with a huge guitar sound were accomplished with little tube amps (usually) cranked right up. Then there is the room sound that gets captured, natural compression that happens when you use tape, and the compression and other effects used during mastering. A lot of variables to contend with, but I think if a guitar player has "tone", then he/she has it, and that translates to the recording. I don't think that it can be copied exactly, because it is mostly in the fingers (ever have someone play through your rig and think that it sounds nothing like the sound you are getting, even with the same settings?), but I do think that obtaining the "essence" of the tone is achievable.


I have noted over the years that a lot of the "older" bands that I have gone to see did in fact mic up smaller amps. I have seen a lot of very small wattage amps on stage. Then as the years passed and the newer bands took over you started to see walls of amps and speakers. Many of which were for show, granted, but a 100 watt marshall at say 7 on the volume dial is going to be much different than a 30 watt or 15 watt amp cranked. But often you read things from bands that say "yeah, we put 4 stacks in a closet and liked the sound" so in some circumstances those type things could never be repeated on a stage.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> But often you read things from bands that say "yeah, we put 4 stacks in a closet and liked the sound" so in some circumstances those type things could never be repeated on a stage.


Yeah but how many people will actually notice the difference? Most of my favourite tunes were simple recordings of live off the floor. 

I will admit to not being a tone chaser either. No matter what guitar I am playing I just sound like me..good or bad .


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## Slash'sSnakepit (Aug 23, 2010)

Stuff from Slash's AFD days cannot be replicated Slash tried to get an amp exactly like his with the Mod that was done to it and with the same Guitar and he couldn't get the sound he could get close but not exact. I actually prefer a Bands live tones because it shows the true sound of the Band.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

I'm reading Keef's bio "Life" right now. I doubt it would be possible to replicate the Stones' studio sound live, even they don't try. The sound of the guitar on Jumpin' Jack Flash and a couple others was an acoustic played into a little cassette recorder (brand new thing at the time). The mic overloaded and created the distortion sound. They wired up a different speaker and recorded that onto tape for the album. Keef spent days working on studio sounds in while completely stoned, he can't remember all the studio tricks he's tried...

P.S. I'm about 2/3 through the book and can't believe he didn't die in the 70s.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

mrmatt1972 said:


> I'm reading Keef's bio "Life" right now. I doubt it would be possible to replicate the Stones' studio sound live, even they don't try. The sound of the guitar on Jumpin' Jack Flash and a couple others was an acoustic played into a little cassette recorder (brand new thing at the time). The mic overloaded and created the distortion sound. They wired up a different speaker and recorded that onto tape for the album. Keef spent days working on studio sounds in while completely stoned, he can't remember all the studio tricks he's tried...
> 
> P.S. I'm about 2/3 through the book and can't believe he didn't die in the 70s.


He did die, he just refused to stop playing and fall down, I mean, have you seen him???? That is dead....lol


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

Slash'sSnakepit said:


> I actually prefer a Bands live tones because it shows the true sound of the Band.


i agree..a lot of times bands sound a lot better live than on record...but there are also bands that have used trickery in the studio that they just can't reproduce and sound terrible live...


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

I blv a lt cn b lft out and th humn ear wll stll hear wht it expcts.


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## jeremy_green (Nov 10, 2010)

Really depends the tone you are after... an often forgotten part of the recording chain is the microphone used. Whether it be a 57 or ribbon or what have you they all colour the tone somewhat. The other aspect is something that is ever changing - YOU. What sounds great to you today may sound dated tomorrow. 

I think you can get the tone you are after.... but I think you may grow sick of it after using it for a while. Plus it is always you playing through it. So your signature lines that you are SICK of will always bug you. Someone else may think you are killing it but they havent heard you as much as you have.

I truly believe tone is in your hands. 90% hands 10% gear or thereabouts. Most tone-chasing can be fixed by technique chasing. 
Garbage in > Garbage out


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Slash'sSnakepit said:


> Stuff from Slash's AFD days cannot be replicated Slash tried to get an amp exactly like his with the Mod that was done to it and with the same Guitar and he couldn't get the sound he could get close but not exact. *I actually prefer a Bands live tones because it shows the true sound of the Band.*


I'm with you on that one. I've seen too many bands who are studio darlings and have all kinds of production and engineering magic pushing them, but who fall flat on their faces live. Whenever I'm writing a song, I _always_ write with the goal of performance in mind. I don't sit there and think, "hey, a theremin solo would be awesome here" if I don't think I could pull it off live. 

But that's arrangement, when it comes to tone, no, it's really hard to sound like you do on the tape when you're playing out. There's just too many variables. Sure, you can still sound good, but it won't be the same. My guitar rigs sound one way at home, one way at rehearsal and another way playing out. Sounds good in all three situations, but doesn't sound the same.


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## Slowfinger (Jan 1, 2011)

A studio engineer told me that a bunch of people he knows use the settings on their amps that he helped with to get a good studio sound for recording. These guys used the same amp settings when they played live and their bandmates were blown away. "You never sounded so good." Moral: ask other people to listen to your tone. It's not how you sound alone but with the whole band.
My advice to rythym players is dail down the gain. No more than 3-4. Exessive gain makes noise wash and you sound far away and end up turning up to hear yourself which pisses everybody else off, and then they turn up to, etc, etc. Lower gain makes your guitar sound present and it will cut through. Especially with a tone-monster axe. With the band it still sounds gritty. Even a tube amp on the clean channel played loud sounds like distortion is present when playing with the band.


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