How to play Metallica "Hardwired" at the guitar - #1 - Advanced level Tutorial (+ Presonus Studio One Click trick)

If you're just looking for chords and riffs you can find it everywhere on the web.

This is a slightly different kind of tutorial, focusing on the sound, the position you should use, how to practice, how to make your riffs sound as close as possible to the original version, and how to put all together in the easiest way possible, since the main goal during a live show is Don't stop the flow!

I had a great time yesterday playing this one!
There are a lot of different parts to learn.
The positions on the freatboard are not difficult, but it's a challenge for the right hand, instead!
Also it was not so obvious for me to learn the arrangement (even if I know Metallica wrote much more complicated songs) and keep focusing on each single part with the same power and timing!
Don't try to detect the right tempo in Pro Tools or what since there is not a single tempo start to finish, the tempo flows and it is on "on grid" unless you warp the whole song, and please don't do it!
Or you should write an automation lane on the master tempo track, and I don't think it worth the effort, I just add a 2 bars count-in click to start at the right point.
Here the "rendering" click option in Presonus Studio One 3 made my day, since I wrote down the audio click on a track just between loops marker. Just select 2 bars before the song, render the click, disable the real click and you're done!
About timing and playing, since it is a fast tempo and since it is played "live" and not "on grid", I really need a pair of headphones to match the song and playing along the song with a good amount of glue. Listening to it just from speakers is a little bit confusing, specially during the fastest parts, where your ears tend to identify the snare beat with the downbeat, while it's still the upbeat, and it is not so obvious to catch the perfect sync.
Headphones helps to be more "in the song" and play with the band.

Thank you all, see you next time!

Recording new album with Romano Nervoso: guitar rig, miking and preamp

After many attempts, we decided for the VHT Pittbull combo.
The sound is thinner than the Hiwatt head. But most of the time you will cut a lot of low frequencies during the mix, so why don't do it from the beginning?

The option to record both amps was nice, but we don't want to have 6 recorded tracks for every guitar lane, 'cause it will results in more than 20 tracks just for guitars in each session, and it doesn't correspond to our idea of punk-rock production.

About miking, nothing too sexy: a dynamic Shure SM57, best workhorse ever, and a condenser Audio-Technica AT4040.

A DI will assure a clean line track recorded,  just in case we need to reamp for some reason with another amp.
Look at the cables: The guitar is going straight to the DI without any pedal or effect.
The balanced output goes straight to the Control Room, the unbalanced output is connected to the amp, and the link is used to send the guitar sound to the tuner without add a step to the signal chain.

Both line and mics go in Drawmer 160 tube preamp and compressor units.
No EQ at all while tracking. It's all about find the sweet spot with the mic position.
But again, nothing fancy: straight to the very middle of the speaker.
Don't overthink before trying the easy way!
From here, a patch bay brings the sound into a Pro Tools system.

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Recording new album with Romano Nervoso: my guitars and amps

We've spent the evening placing our instruments in the room.

My main guitar for that album will be the black Fender Telecaster USA, 1988 with original pickups,
That guitar gives me all the edge and attack I need for nervous rock'n'roll riffs, but since the pickups are old and "tired" they never sound too harsh or too heavy.
The Gibson Firebird is ready too, just in case I need a fat sound.

The stack in the background is not mine and I don't think I'm gonna use it.

For one or two songs I'm pretty sure I'll go for the Fender Stratocaster since I need a whamy bar to play some vibrato in a surf / western style.
On the back, a Danelectro Baritone. I'm not sure I'll need that one, but "on sais jamais". Intervals and tuning are the same of a standard guitar, but starting from lower B instead of E. It is fat and hot as hell.
About the organ, I wish I could play it...

Amp 1: Combo Pittbull 100 VHT
Amp 2: Hiwatt head Hi Gain 50 and 4 x 12 VHT cabinet

Both set for a crunch suond for the 90% of the songs.

Talk soon about rig, mics and settings.
Stay tuned!