DIY Recording Guys · Vadim Kharaz and Benjamin Hull

67: Getting the Absolute Most out of Your Guitar Recordings

May 3, 2021·49 min·4 clips

Vadim discovers a Little Labs device adds a huge presence bump to guitar recordings.

1. DIY Recording Guys, hosted by Vadim Karaz of Calm Frog Recording and Ben Hall of DreamLoud Studio, runs a four-test blind A/B experiment on guitar recording signal chains. 2. Vadim designed the experiment after working on a new single, drawing on a prior episode (ep. 64) where Ben tested DI options for bass and guitar, and wanting to extend those results with additional variables. 3. The episode's core thesis is that systematic A/B testing of signal chains — done methodically with consistent riffs and blind labelling — is more valuable than relying on received wisdom about what gear improves tone. 4. Vadim describes his 20-year incremental learning arc from recording a boombox next to his amp at age 13 to his current setup, arguing that no single change produced a 50% improvement — only compounding small gains. 5. He designed a two-chord test riff with three playing styles: open chord sustain, intermediate chugging, and palm-muted low string, recorded as DIs and then amped through a default amp-sim preset to avoid introducing tonal bias. 6. Test 1 compares four-to-five-month-old strings (lightly played) against new strings; Ben incorrectly guesses which is which, partly because volume level differences between samples influenced his perception. 7. The new-strings result shows more brightness and tighter low end, but Vadim notes that under high-gain amp sims the old strings sounded slightly more pleasant at first listen because they drove less 'fizzy high end.' 8. Vadim's takeaway on Test 1 is that he would rather record new strings and tame excess brightness than try to add brightness that isn't in the DI signal, since digital EQ adds harshness when boosting highs. 9. Test 2 compares plugging a Mogami cable directly into the Hi-Z input versus using the Little Labs STD, a signal buffer that places a transistor inside the TS guitar plug tip to prevent cable-induced tone suck on passive pickups. 10. Ben hears a measurable bump above 3 kHz on the Little Labs chain, visible on his spectrum analyser, and correctly identifies it as the buffer; Vadim confirms and notes he was surprised by how large the difference was for a device marketed as transparent. 11. When the test 2 DIs are amped through a plug-in, the difference narrows considerably, though a presence advantage is still audible; both hosts agree that better DI quality translates to better amp-sim response. 12. Test 3 compares Hi-Z input (with Little Labs on both chains) with and without a fast-attack compressor on the preamp; the compressor shaves 1-2 dB of peaks and adds a subtle 900 Hz to 1 kHz bump that Vadim associates with the sound of an Ibanez Tube Screamer mid-push. 13. Vadim acknowledges Test 3 was not a true blind test for him because he could see which chain was active, and notes the compressor effect is very subtle — he would not use it in every application. 14. Test 4 stacks all elements — Little Labs buffer, preamp compressor, and an output transformer (from a bus compressor insert) — against bare Hi-Z input; Ben calls the difference 'very obvious' and 'drastic.' 15. The output transformer adds a ~1 kHz presence push that Vadim normally disengages during mixes because it interferes with kick drum and bass, but identifies as ideal for guitar DI tone in isolation. 16. Vadim says he will use the Little Labs going forward on all guitar and bass recordings with passive pickups, and may experiment with recording some tracks with and some without the transformer to build tonal variation in quad-tracked parts. 17. Ben notes he has approximately 20 microphones in his studio, each chosen for a specific purpose, and says his next tests would involve using the Slate emulation microphone — normally used for vocals — on snare or kick drum. 18. Vadim recommends keeping a physical notebook of shootout notes recording what each chain does to frequency response (not just A/B winners), so engineers can match chains to applications quickly in live sessions. 19. Home studio engineers interested in passive pickup guitar recording, signal chain optimisation, or A/B test methodology will find this episode technically detailed and immediately actionable. 20. Listeners who do not record guitar or bass, or who are not interested in the specifics of preamps, compressors, and cable buffers, will likely find the episode too technical and gear-specific.

As heard by us

A practical guitar-recording conversation that turns fresh strings and amp-sim fizz into real production decisions.

Guitar recording is treated here as a chain of practical source decisions, not a single magic fix. Vadim and Ben pick up after earlier DI and Hi-Z shootouts, then use a new single as an excuse to keep testing what actually changes at the front end.

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Want a cheap upgrade that actually changes your guitar tracks?

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