Mark IV + EZDrummer clip

FINALLY! I've been trying forever to get a decent recorded tone from my Mark IV. Well, I finally managed it. I just bought EZDrummer, and decided as a test to make as bare-bones a rhythm track as I possibly could: recording straight in, absolutely no EQ or other processing on any track (except a slight limiting boost).

Here's the track.

The riff has kind of an 80's vibe (I keep thinking it starts off sounding like Ratt, LOL). It doesn't really show off EZDrummer that well (the beat is... um, simple), but I was more concerned with capturing a good recorded guitar tone.

Details on the clip:

Guitar (4 tracks) = Ibanez 7420 (w/ToneZone) -> Mark IV -> Audix I5 -> Mesa Standard 4x12 (mic .5" from grille, 1" straight up from upper-right speaker cone)
Drums = EZDrummer, default ProTools template, absolutely no changes, basic 4/4 beat entered
Bass = 5-string OLP Stingray copy -> PodXT ("BX - Eighties" preset)

Feedback is welcome!

The tone is huge!

This was recorded directly?!?! I don't see mention of a mic anywhere....

wow, really thick! i absolutely love your huge tone! the best mkIV clip i've ever heard. Is it double-tracked/triple tracked.. what? settings used???

i wholeheartedly agree x 999999999999!!!!. THE BEST mark4 tone i've ever heard. Period. You have to be lying about the "raw" factor! it's so thick!!!! How did you do that???

Hey, thanks for the positive feedback! I've spent the last year or so trying to get a tone like this, and finally kind of stumbled into it.

Here are the Mark IV settings I used:

Triode, Simulclass, Lead channel

Ld Gain = 8 (pulled)
Ld Treble = 7
Ld Bass = 0
Ld Mid = 1.5
Ld Drive = 8 (pushed)

Ld Presence = 8 (pulled)
Ld Master = 3

EQ:
80 1/8" above middle
240 1/8" below middle
750 1/4" below middle
2.2K 1/8" below middle
6.6K at middle

Mid Gain voicing
Master output just over 3
Tweed power



Each track was mic'ed with an Audix I5. I'd gotten this mic as an alternative to the SM-57, and found it to be less "nasal", more highs and lows. However, I wouldn't attribute it to the mic as much as its placement. That's what took forever to figure out.



There are no effects whatsoever on this. It's hardly even mixed, since I was trying to isolate the pure recorded tone of the amp. Here's a shot of the mix:



Anyway, thanks again for all the positive replies; they're a morale-booster after having spent so long trying to nail this tone.

Based on your pics, the mic is slightly off to the top right of the cone? Facing head on on that position?

Wow! You've really inspired me to keep working on recording!

That is so so so good! Congrats man. How bout some lead stuff? Judging from your pinch harmonics, you're itching to record some.

Awesome Tone man. **** thick too, gotta love that. I can't wait to get my recording gear setup at our new rehearsel area. I also would agree, it is one of the best tones i've heard from a MarkIV.

Really great tone! I have a pair of those mics and well. That's the tone I wish channel 2 of the Mark IV would have given me otherwise I wouldn't have sold it.

very nice man!

my only advice is that it sounds like your either A) digging in to those palm mutes way too much with your right hand or B) you added a separate track for the palm mutes and have the vollume a bit too high making an uneven discrepency as campared to the non palm muted notes. those two parts (open and palm muted) just sound too opposite of eachother in my eyes (or ears)...

oh yeah, i would ditch the pinch harmonics, kinda 'hacky'.....just bein honest here....

i do realize i am bein kinda knit picky but overall (which is what most people here) it rocks...great use of mid range...

would it be safe to say that this clip is a good representation of the newer Mark IV amps? I heard a clip on an old Mark III and its definitly got a little bit more of a vintage/organic vibe to it

Thanks for the feedback! The riff started out sounding kinda '80's, so I just went with it. It was more of a recording tone exercise than a compositional one.

As far as being representational of the current Mark IV, it's a 2005 model, though I updated the tubes to the Eurotubes JJ high-gain kit. This is the best tone I've recorded, closest to what "I" want the amp to sound like for rhythm. I've never had much of a problem getting this tone in a room standing off to the side, but it took a lot of trial and error with mic's & position to properly get that tone mic'ed on tape. Note that with these settings, the room tone sounds nothing like the recorded tone unless you put your head right in front of the speaker cone.

SeasonOfPain said:

I've never had much of a problem getting this tone in a room standing off to the side, but it took a lot of trial and error with mic's & position to properly get that tone mic'ed on tape. Note that with these settings, the room tone sounds nothing like the recorded tone unless you put your head right in front of the speaker cone.

Click to expand...

yeah, i can relate, i think i know what ya mean....if yer standing off to the side- its the 'sweet spot' but i'm guessing that if ya mic it its a bit brittle or high endy on tape or when yer head is right in front of the speaker? So would it be safe to say, in order to compenate for this you kinda had to turn down a little of the high or presence? (and if you did, did it have a significance on what ya heard when you were playing and listening to the amp right in front of you?)....it would almost seem like you would have to choose between the sound ya like either when your playing or after when your listening back to tape? :?

Yes, I have to pretty much judge the tone by what's coming through the cans when I record. Even with fairly decent isolation headphones (Senn HD280), the 4x12 is majorly loud and affects the tonal judgement, so it sometimes takes a few takes to judge properly. Plus what I hear with low-latency monitoring through the MBox while recording is not necessarily even what gets recorded (it's pre-D/A conversion). The new Metric Halo ULN-2 I picked up is has helped a lot with that, though (awesome converters and pre's on that unit).

**** I want a Mark IV now

Thats exactly what I want my mk III to sound like. ****. Good job.

Sounds great. Multi tracking always helps. It reminds me of Zak playing some Black Label Society.

hm

I tried those settings you wrote, and it sounded totally like crap.