Guitar Reverb Problem -Urgent Help Needed

[ibanezman_98]

Hi Guys,

I have received my Master CD proof two days ago from this Mastering Studio in NJ.
I have to admit that it really IS beneficial to use “fresh pair of ears”, and if you can afford it, let somebody else do the mastering for you (if you have previously spent many hours of recording and mixing your own material).

However, I have encountered an unusual reverb phenomenon, if I can call it like that.
My CD is in instrumental Progressive Rock genre, with lead guitar as the main melody instrument.

In some of the songs, this lead guitar seems to be “soaked” into reverb.
-When I use headphones, and my studio monitors, the mix appears to be fine. I doesn’t sound like I applied too much of a reverb.
-When I used live PA to test this CD, and bigger (and more expen$ive) studio monitors at my friend’s studio, and listened to it on a much higher volume, lead guitar sounds 3-5 dB quieter, and almost completely “drowned” by reverb.
It seems that this mix is OK for iPod users, but if I want to play this CD on a live gig (during the break time), it is not so effective.

Here is some info about the lead track and gear I used:

-recorded stereo from GT-8 via digital connection (clean signal, great S to N ratio, all effects bypassed, no buzzing noise) straight to the sound card and SONAR 7
-panned in the center
-have used only EQ and stereo reverb FX, both as inserts on the same channel in SONAR (no buses)

The only possible diagnosis that I can think of is: use of stereo instead of mono reverb.

Did anybody encounter the similar thing, or does someone have a theory about this?
I have to fix my mix ASAP and send it back to this Mastering Studio, but not sure how to proceed. Any help is sincerely appreciated.

Thx

DDD

[Heinrich Kollner]

Originally Posted by ibanezman_98

I have encountered an unusual reverb phenomenon, if I can call it like that.

It Can be a eq problem! if you put a eq on the guitar tracks and the reverb last it can sound alot diffrent to when you put the reverb first and the eq last!

Originally Posted by ibanezman_98

When I use headphones, and my studio monitors, the mix appears to be fine. I doesn’t sound like I applied too much of a reverb.
-When I used live PA to test this CD, and bigger (and more expen$ive) studio monitors at my friend’s studio, and listened to it on a much higher volume, lead guitar sounds 3-5 dB quieter, and almost completely “drowned” by reverb.

It can be a reverb setting on the PA itself, because my PA has got different room, hall and church settings!

did your GT-8 have a reverb on it?
Did you use a compressor on the track, If so did you use it last after the reverb and eq?