Tone when you're playing vs. when you listen back

Lebarque

When I'm comparing two pedals, for example, it's not uncommon that I'll prefer the sound of one of them when I'm playing and the other when I listen back to a recording. Frustrating! Why is this?!

OilCityPickups

Depends what you are recording on, if you are using a compressing file format, your mic, your speakers .... etc etc ... that's why I put no store on 'sound clips' of pickups ... they lie like hell!

merlin

Compression/EQ that changes during recording/playback possibly. 

Basher

Dunno, but I experience a similar thing with reverb. I hate hearing too much when I'm recording but on playback, I can bring the wet signal level up quite a bit and it sounds better, usually blending into the track a lot more.

I assume that we need a more upfront, present sound when playing, to help us hear what the hell we're doing. When listening back, it's all about the context of the part in the song.

Is there a similar thing happening with you, namely preferring a more aggressive or defined tone while playing but a slightly softer, warmer sound in the actual track?

mburekenge

Yes indeed its very odd.

 I find its best if you  mic your amp up outside the room you are monitoring in and get a more honest representation of what your tracking.


Also i find that unless te use of fx is a fundamental part of the part you are playing, less is more. You can always spice things up in the mix afterwards 

Funkfingers

Lebarque said:

When I'm comparing (and recording) two pedals, for example, it's not uncommon that I'll prefer the sound of one of them when I'm playing and the other when I listen back to the recording. Frustrating! Why is this?!

What you need to hear whilst recording and what the Project needs in the mix may be two different things. 

With computerised recording, if you capture the raw guitar signal, it will be possible to re-amp your performance during subsequent overdubbing and mixing phases.

UnclePsychosis

I find that not hearing the acoustic sound off the strings is what makes recordings sound weird. Depends how loudly your amp is set mind you. 

lustycourtier

Delays always seem louder to me live, then recordings are hardly audible. Drive is always WAY dirtier recorded than they sound when stood in front of amp. 

Lebarque

Sorry I wasn't that clear. I didn't really mean proper recording. I just meant recording two pedals on my phone, for the purpose of comparing them.

@Basher Yes re. the reverb! I like playing with little/no reverb, but it always sounds better with a fair amount on playback. If you listen to some of the isolated guitar tracks for famous songs on YouTube, it's surprising just how much reverb is on some of them. I think you're onto something with the aggressive tone too. At band rehearsals, where I'm fighting to hear myself sometimes, I go for a middy, aggressive tone to cut through, bit when I listen back, the guitar part would sound better with a more laid back tone.

That doesn't explain my pedal thing though! We know that tube screamers and Klons really help to punch out of a mix, but I'm talking about listening to my guitar isolated, trying to choose between two pedals. I think 'feel' has a big part to play too. It makes you love a pedal/amp more when you're playing it, but obviously plays no part when judging a playback.

@lustycoutier Great point re. drive. You think you've got your gain level exactly right in the room, but then it's far too much on the recording!

Cirrus

When you're playing you've also got to deal with feel, which I've always considered to be the difference between what you put in with your hands and what the speaker gives you back. Only you as a player experience both those things. Some signal chains feel more satisfying than others.

Once you're listening back, there's no feel. Only the sound as recorded.

RandallFlagg

It's the Felching-Munching curve I think.

Chalky

You're right about the feel thing - its why I enjoy a looper, the immediacy and feel/response thing of playing 'in the moment'.

MartinB

Cirrus said:

When you're playing you've also got to deal with feel, which I've always considered to be the difference between what you put in with your hands and what the speaker gives you back. Only you as a player experience both those things. Some signal chains feel more satisfying than others.

Once you're listening back, there's no feel. Only the sound as recorded.

I'd agree with that - it seems like anything affecting dynamics (like distortion/overdrive or compression) or anything that adds extra stuff (like reverb or delay) sticks out more while playing than when listening back.  I've often used sounds that I feel are just a little dirty when playing, and on listening back to a recording it's much cleaner sounding than I thought at the time.  It makes it quite hard to judge how my sound must be coming across live. 

57Deluxe

this is where  a good producer earns his keep...

Cirrus

57Deluxe said:

this is where  a good producer earns his keep...

+ a million. The ironic thing is it takes a certain level of self-awareness to realise your self-awareness is flawed enough to sometimes need outside perspective.

SNAKEBITE

Man, that's deep.