How to make 1 guitar sound like 2?

papaflann

Inspired
Hey guys i was wondering what tips you guys have in making one guitar sound like two playing at the same time.

1. Delay in cab block like Cliff recommended? 0.06?

2. One amp, two cabs, and one cab has a slap back delay in front of it? (Bonamassa does this)

3. Obviously, just adding delay to your mix etc...

4. Mix & Matching 2 different amps that compliment each other....

I"m searching for almost a double-tracking type of sound to fill out a mix etc...Like how Dave Grohl double-tracks all his vocals..

I play more mid-gain classic rock type of stuff just fyi

Any tips all you pro's out there may share would be greatly appreciated.

Onward & Upward
 
A short delay (I use 25ms) on one side works well. Thats the Hass effect method. I personally use this all the time while tracking to make my guitar sound fuller, but on recording I ALWAYS do an actual double track. The different cabs/amps on panned hard L&R will help too. I have never had much luck with that though, since my ears just prefer the sound of the same amp/cab for both sides. It doesn't make for the widest sound, but to me its more natural sounding.
 
Pitch block after Cab block
Mode: Detune
Set left channel to -9 ct
Set right channel to +9 ct
Mix to taste

You now have a chorus effect that doesn't oscillate. It sounds huge and it won't knock you out of phase if summed to mono. It's about as close to a multi tracked guitar sound as you're going to get without literally multi tracking.
 
Pitch block after Cab block
Mode: Detune
Set left channel to -9 ct
Set right channel to +9 ct
Mix to taste

You now have a chorus effect that doesn't oscillate. It sounds huge and it won't knock you out of phase if summed to mono. It's about as close to a multi tracked guitar sound as you're going to get without literally multi tracking.

+1 on this. I've used this setting on my live rigs for years. Works great. This is an old EVH setting from the 90's correct?
 
I suppose installing a neck and bridge output on your guitar would further help, then run each into different amps and cabs
 
+1 on this. I've used this setting on my live rigs for years. Works great. This is an old EVH setting from the 90's correct?

Yep, that's the one. I personally never cared for VH's tone much after the first album but that effect on the Balance record was pretty cool.
 
Pitch block after Cab block
Mode: Detune
Set left channel to -9 ct
Set right channel to +9 ct
Mix to taste

You now have a chorus effect that doesn't oscillate. It sounds huge and it won't knock you out of phase if summed to mono. It's about as close to a multi tracked guitar sound as you're going to get without literally multi tracking.

Thanks man for sharing that trick! really helped me
 
I use two amps and two cabs and pan left and right with a tiny amount of delay on one of them. The enhancer block works well with some setups as well. You can even add a third channel for lower frequencies right down the middle and blend them together.You can also play with detune and tweak it to sound better. You can make a single guitar sound pretty huge but you will never be able to get the same results as double tracking because to get the full effect you need the different nuances of playing when you are blending two separately recorded tracks together.

Also remember when you use a second amp in the same preset you are only getting half the processing power for each amp. This changes automatically. The one thing am not sure of is if both amp blocks need to be engaged for the cpu to be reduced on the amp blocks or if having 2 amps being in the patch at the same time regardless of being active will also reduce it. It's pretty hard to tell the difference in sound anyways but it is there.
 
I've tried a few tricks, enhancers, etc... though not all by any means. nothing I've tried has replicated the quality of a true double track, but I might try some of these other tricks. It sure would be nice to not have to endlessly fight with something being "not quite tight enough".
 
My favorite method is to use two different amps left and right and offset one in time a bit. Different distortion characteristics push and pull the signal this way and that, accentuating the differences.
 
Anyone come up with a good "automatic double tracker" scheme? Back in the stone ages, they'd run the signal through a second tape deck for a little delay, and occasionally wobble the tape speed a tiny bit to generate the rubbery timing needed to simulate double-tracking. This, of course, was the grandfather of chorusing. Probably achoevable with an LFO tweaking the chorus block's speed and/or depth. Trying to get that Day Tripper sound, and regular chorusing is too regular....
 
I suppose installing a neck and bridge output on your guitar would further help, then run each into different amps and cabs
That’s something I’ll be messing with since I have a stereo Carvin DC200. Especially for lead. One side will be a little warmer, the other will cut, w a 35% pan to each side. Tiny bit of pitch detune, plexverb, and modulated delay...Heavenly!
 
If you're really serious about getting a double tracked sort of feel, try the TC Electronic Mimiq in the loop- makes the stereo image absolutely huge, and because it's in the loop, you can use it wherever you want- insert it before two amp blocks, each panned hard left and right, or pop it in after an amp block and before a stereo cab panned left, right, etc... I use one with my AF3, and it sounds wide as the Mississippi.
 
If you're really serious about getting a double tracked sort of feel, try the TC Electronic Mimiq in the loop- makes the stereo image absolutely huge, and because it's in the loop, you can use it wherever you want- insert it before two amp blocks, each panned hard left and right, or pop it in after an amp block and before a stereo cab panned left, right, etc... I use one with my AF3, and it sounds wide as the Mississippi.
Which way do you prefer...before 2 amp blocks or using 1 amp block then into mimiq into stereo cab? I would like to stick with one amp but if there is a significant difference in spread and size then I would go with two. Found a few used on ebay and thinking of grabbing one.
Thx!
 
Couldn't help it....

Double Guitars.jpg

Danny Danzi posted about this a while ago... in a nutshell use Double Delay, set Delay 1 as 1 Msec panned L and Delay 2 as @ 30 Msec panned R. Set to 100% wet. Maybe modulate Delay 2 with LFO.
 
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