> Step by step
1. Mixing Guitar Part 1
1
The first step to achieving a great guitar sound in your mix is to make sure you’ve captured it at a tolerable level, and not too high a volume that you’re peaking the input signal. Keep your eye on the red, because if you’ve got a crackly sound, it’s hard to fix later. 2
Every DAW provides a different layout and a set of tools, though there are some established methods for sculpting your guitar sound to exist comfortably in a mix. Here we’re working in Logic, on a track that features a full band, as well as a virtual string section. 3
It’s key to get a handle on the overall shape of the track, and how you’d like your guitar parts to sound. Do you want acoustic rhythms, or spotlight moment lead solos? Each requires unique tone choices, but the fundamental mixing consideration of both is to be aware of the position of your instrument in the frequency spectrum. 4
Our acoustic guitar underpins the rhythm of the track, and was recorded via a room mic to get some natural reverb imbued into it. Using Logic’s Studio FET Compressor, we’ve made sure the Attack is set to a middle, so we’re not trimming the natural sound of the strum, but we are cutting some of its peaky harshness. We’ve added a touch of Auto-Gain too. 5
As we have an impactful bass prerecorded, we want to make sure our acoustic guitar isn’t emitting any low-end frequencies that will muddy the waters. Take a look at the EQ readings for your rhythm guitar and main bass instrument. As there was frequency replication, we’ve applied a cut to all frequencies under 100Hz on our acoustic guitar. 6
Sometimes the rival frequencies may be in different areas of the sound spectrum, so rather than applying a broad sweep of frequency reduction, it helps to get specific. Look at the EQ of the other tracks in your mix, and get more forensic with your EQ filtering. This can enhance your guitar’s prominence (or the other instrument). 7
For lead guitar, or more defined riffs, it’s important to never solo them in isolation, and always work on them in context with the rest of the track. You might find that the higher pitched you get, the more noise can be introduced in the higher frequencies, and low frequencies again need to be tamed. 8
Boosting some of the very specific higher frequencies around the 3-4kHz range, while reducing others, can bring out greater clarity for your instrument, particularly when you’re working on guitar solos around other instruments in the mix. This will vary depending on the intensity of your track. 9
While EQ’ing is where we can really establish each instrument’s designated area on the frequency stage, the use of effects can further enhance and lift out your guitar track, but be mindful you don’t undo your good work. A touch of delay can help to thicken a solitary lead line, with Logic’s Tape Delay adding some extra analogue warmth.