Shut up guitar mixing

Wips · 2019-10-12 14:51

Does anybody have any insights as to how Frank achieves the amazing mix of his guitar on the shut up albums? Did he just have a dual mic setup recording, and pan each mike left and right so he gets that delicious minuscule delay offset? I don't know what it is, but I love the mixing of that guitar.

I remember in one interview he talks about recording with dual mike and they are offset in DISTANCE from the amp . . .? Maybe that could be the secret sauce that gets me all jazzed up and sends little shivers down my spine when I listen to Shut Up And Play Your Guitar- check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvB5dQHvRSc&list=PLGWTEMCWd6Ij0oRIazOLkBYvhyZYqmSJ2

Listen to Franks' run at 4:24 - 4:46. Simply amazing. Laughing

There also must be some sort of flange effect or phase effect. Subtle- but where is it exactly? on both channels? Only on one? it's hard to tell.

Any ideas would be helpful, thanks gang. : )

Gwonam · 2019-10-13 07:57

He had all types of gadgetry he applied in postproduction, but he did at least at times (as can be heard on some SBDs) have the stereo effects you mentioned going in concert as well (like in quite a few 1980 shows).

There's another thing he did for SUNPYG though:

Steve Vai doubled a lot of the solos in the studio.

That may also account for some of the sound you hear.

Thinman · 2019-10-13 08:46

Gwonam · 2019-10-13 10:20

Thinman · 2019-10-13 10:39

I'm afraid you don't remember correctly.

What I remember is a Mark Pinske interview where he describes that SV was hired to transcribe solos at first and was able to play along to some of them in the studio. That was part of his audition. As far as I know nothing of that is on the records. Or do you really think something like Pink Napkins has additional tracks by SV on it?

You might be thinking of Sinister Footwear on You Are What You Is, which is also in the book. And the doubling is very obvious. Nothing like that happens on SUAPYG. I'm pretty sure I would hear that.

What Frank probably did on SUAPYG was re-amping some of the his guitar tracks to alter the sound.

father-0blivion · 2019-10-13 11:49

Dunno if this helps anything..

pbuzby · 2019-10-13 13:32

Thinman · 2019-10-13 13:45

epistrophy · 2019-10-13 16:13

A couple of years ago Dweezil mentioned in several interviews about how he incorporated some kit into his onstage guitar rig that was a key part of the stereo SUNPYG sound. Apologies for the vagueness, but I remember he talked about it in several interviews. From memory (and it's failed me before!) I understood the kit was part of Frank's studio rig, so it may be exactly the kind of information the original poster is looking for.

Edit: try here first https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/dweezil-comes-clean

Wips · 2019-10-13 17:12

Thanks, all!

yetanother · 2019-10-13 19:58

Gwonam · 2019-10-13 20:41

yetanother · 2019-10-13 21:10

Gwonam · 2019-10-13 22:37

NonFoods · 2019-11-04 21:35

There's an old Guitar Player magazine interview with Vai claiming that he doubled the guitar part on 'The Deathless Horsie'.

I had quite a debate about that interview back in the day on zappa.com with the other person claiming to be in touch with Vai's webmaster who asked Steve if it was true and Steve denied it.

I got in touch with the original interviewer who didn't want to get involved or say anything that would call into question Vai's good name. I'm convinced from our conversation that Vai did, in fact, make the claim during the interview.

https://www.afka.net/Mags/Guitar_Player.htm

February 1983 issue