According to Richard Shaw, the former guitar player for Cradle of Filth, getting a professional-level guitar tone in your home studio is not an impossible task. Of course, as he explained in a recent chat with Alexey Soloviev, it comes with its challenges, especially in a band like Cradle of Filth where you’re looking for a specific tone and working with a variety of other instruments.
When asked about what was it like to dial in a “unique guitar tone for Cradle of Filth songs,” Richard replied (transcribed by Killer Guitar Rigs):
“That’s a really good question. Because you can get a really good guitar tone that you love, but it might not work with the other instruments. It might not work with Danny’s voice, it might get in the way of the orchestra, or the keyboards, you’re taking far too much bass frequencies, so now you can’t hear the bass.”
Nonetheless, with the help of producer Scott Atkins, he was able to make it work. He continued:
“So me and Scott Atkins, the producer, we kind of sit there and just go, ‘We’ve got a really, really good tone that we like to record to’. And usually, it was just the drums that I was playing to, because I was usually the first guitar player to come into.”
“The drums were finished, but I would come in and just play with a really good tone, get it dialed in exactly how I like it, and play to that. But then usually Scott would reamp later, so once he’s got everything recorded, he will reamp the guitars.”
![INTERVIEW: RICHARD SHAW [EX- @cradleoffilth ]](https://killerguitarrigs.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-youtube-lyte/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FdcEJSUBfuH8%2F0.jpg&fix=it)
As he further explained, it came down to some minor differences, like using a slightly different overdrive. Sure, it may not seem like much, but in the full mix, it makes a world of difference. Richard added:
“Usually not too different from what we had, but you might use a different overdrive, or maybe just change the amps settings a little bit. So usually it’s the same amp, the same kind of equipment, but you’ll change the EQ slightly or maybe change how he’s miked the cabinet so it sounds a little bit better with all the other instruments.”
Up next, Richard was asked whether it’s possible to record on a professional level in your home studio. And, according to him, it’s possible:
“Again, really good question, and I think the proof is out there, because I recorded the two new Cradle of Filth songs that are on the live album.”
“I recorded my guitar parts in this room. So I actually didn’t go to the studio, I’d already left the band. I wasn’t in the band anymore, but then they messaged me, asking if I was willing to play on the one song I wrote and one song I co-wrote.”
“So they were like, ‘Did you want to play guitar on it? No need to come to the studio, you can record it from home.’ So I actually recorded all the guitars for those two new studio tracks from home.”
But that’s not all as Richard also reveals that he recorded some of his stuff on the band’s latest album “Existence Is Futile” in his home studio:
“But there are even songs on ‘Existence Is Futile’ where we added guitar solos after I’d already recorded all of my parts.”
Looking back on how that came to be, he explained:
“So Scott [Atkins] was like, ‘It’s okay, record the solos from home’. So I think there’s like two or three guitar solos on that record. Most guitars were recorded in the studio, but there’s like three guitar solos that I recorded in this room.”
As Shaw further added, he just used different plugins to shape his tone while recording but then sent dry unprocessed files for them to do what they wanted:
“So I think that goes to show that they can be recorded from home. I just used plugins, and then again, sent the DI files to Scott who again, ramped it, and made sure it all sounded really good.”
“And I genuinely cannot remember which solos were the ones I did from home, because it was so long ago. But when I listen to the record now, I really struggle to tell which ones I did from home, because they all sound good, because Scott did such a great job with the mix.
When asked about the usual digital plugins and all the impulse responses, Richard admitted that he’s a fan of that stuff:
“I like them. I like the convenience of them. This is my laptop that I’m doing this on now, and I have lots of plugins, impulse responses, and everything in my laptop. So when I’m recording — whether it was for Cradle of Filth, or whether it’s for any kind of guests, solo, or anything where I need to record guitars — I’ve got everything ready to go. As long as I have my interface, a cable, and my guitar, I can record anywhere.”
“Because sometimes I can’t get to a studio, or I don’t have the time to move everything around, I can just come in this room and record everything and it’s ready to go. I don’t have to have amps and be really, really loud.”
“I recorded some of my Cradle of Filth tracks at like 11 o’clock at night using impulse responses and plugins. And then the beauty of that is you can just switch off the plugins — I use Logic — or just switch off a plugin, I’ve got a clean DI and send that to the producer to reamp.”
“So for working on ideas, I like the fact that everything’s compact, and it sounds really good. But technology is now getting really, really good, where Impulse Response and plugins sound amazing. Like, really good.”
“I didn’t like them years ago, but now that they sound so good, I have no problem using them at all. But if it came to using them on an actual album, maybe I’d just do it now. But I’ve never used it on a final album. It’s always been real amps that have been reamped after I’ve recorded everything.”
Photo: PRS, YouTube screenshot
