Is a clean DI signal really the best way to record funk guitar parts?

zappafranco

zappafranco

Inspired
It seems to be obvious that you have to use the clean DI signal in order to achieve that famous Nile Rodgers Chic Funk Sound. I just wonder if it could make Funk Guitar Parts more crispy if you record at the same time the guitar with a microphone very close to the guitar to get more of the sound of the plectrum hitting the stings and then maybe mix 80 percent DI with 20 percent "plectrum noise". Is anybody doing this or is this rather "unprofessional"?
 
I am only a bedroom guitar player and don't know much about recording techniques, but googling I found that it seems to be a well known approach for acoustic guitar recording to place one microphone close to the 12th fret in order to get those sweet plectrum sounds.;)
 
The "Direct Inject" preset on the FM3 has extra scenes, including one that's very Nile. I included these scenes in the same preset coming this week for Cygnus on the Axe-Fx III. I've heard of people miking an unplugged electric guitar, but I don't think it will add anything inherently funky. Nile could play into ANYTHING and still bring it.
 
Admin M@ said:
The "Direct Inject" preset on the FM3 has extra scenes, including one that's very Nile. I included these scenes in the same preset coming this week for Cygnus on the Axe-Fx III. I've heard of people miking an unplugged electric guitar, but I don't think it will add anything inherently funky. Nile could play into ANYTHING and still bring it.
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Thank you, that's good to know.
 
I've sometimes placed a mic (often an SM57) pretty close to the body of my solidbody electrics when tracking. It definitely picks up some useful pick-on-string attack, and if you EQ it appropriately, almost yields an acoustic guitar tone. I agree with @Admin M@ about Niles' ability to conjure the funk from anything. The man is a groove-a-saurus.
 
Sleestak said:
I've sometimes placed a mic (often an SM57) pretty close to the body of my solidbody electrics when tracking. It definitely picks up some useful pick-on-string attack, and if you EQ it appropriately, almost yields an acoustic guitar tone. I agree with @Admin M@ about Niles' ability to conjure the funk from anything. The man is a groove-a-saurus.
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Thank you for your advice, so maybe I should get me a SM57 and give it a try when I want to get really fonky ;)
 
I have a demo of my Dahlberg Vega here.



3:47 I start a demo of the acoustic sound recorded with a ribbon mic. This would sound great in a mix both for picked arpeggios (first up) and more funky stuff (20 seconds later). This guitar is a bit special, it really has a beautifully balanced and loud acoustic sound.
 
A compressor added to a direct signal will go a long way in getting that pick attack, give it a fast attack and set the release shortly after, then play with the threshold to fine tune it. The Dynamicomp will probably do the trick just fine.
 
RevDrucifer said:
A compressor added to a direct signal will go a long way in getting that pick attack, give it a fast attack and set the release shortly after, then play with the threshold to fine tune it. The Dynamicomp will probably do the trick just fine.
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This sounds interesting and not to complicated. Do you maybe have a Preset with compressor settings which go in this direction?
 
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