Taming the Gain: How to Dial in Killer High-Gain Guitar Tones
Cranking the gain might feel powerful, but if your tone turns to mush—don’t blame the amp just yet.
In this episode, Chris & Jody plug in and break down the real art of shaping high-gain guitar sounds that cut through the mix without becoming a fizzy mess. Whether you’re using classic tube amps, amp sims, mic’d cabs, or impulse responses, they’ve got practical recording setup tips to keep your tone tight and articulate.
Learn how too much distortion can actually bury your part, why the Tube Screamer still rules, and how midrange EQ is your best friend (no matter what your scooping tendencies may tell you). Plus: best practices for capturing killer takes, navigating noise, and choosing the right tools for the style—whether you’re going for modern metal, vintage thrash, or just a huge wall of sound.
From studio cabinets to digital rigs, this episode has what you need to get your high-gain game dialed in. And of course, Friday Finds is here too—because new toys are always welcome.
Grab your headphones. Dial back that gain knob. Let’s rock smart.
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Gear we used: Jody’s Mic & Voice Chain: Telefunken C12 – Groove Tubes Vipre – Apollo – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA Studer A800 Jody’s Channel Strip: iZotope RX Spectral DeNoise – iZotope RX Mouth DeClick – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA 1176E
Chris’ Mic & Voice Chain: Slate ML1 – Apollo – UA – Slate VMR (FG12, FG73, API Eq, SSL 4kE) – iZotope RX Voice – DeNoise Chris’ Channel Strip: Eventide Precision Time Align – iZotope RX Spectral DeNoise – iZotope RX Mouth DeClick – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA 1176E
This Tuesday Tip is about the immediate steps after you got the tracks from the client. A great way to organize your tracks and get ready for the actual mixing process. Follow along as we pull the tracks into the mix, then color code them and start the listening process.
