EQing Acoustic Guitars?

EQ (Enigmatic Question)

Yes.

Don't.

Unless it's absolutely necessary, that is.

Actually, you need to give more specific information in your question. Generally speaking, always try to get the best sound in the recording stage by experimenting with mic positions first before you reach over to tweak that eq.

For direct, line-in recording, adjust your eq on the guitar itself rather than on your recording device (assuming your acoustic has one of those nifty "hi-lo-mid-presence" preamp thingies on it).

Again, you don't provide enough info for anyone to help you in a more specific way. What kind of music are we talking about here? What else is in the mix - bass/drums/keys/horns/sax/electric guitar/bagpipes/organ/kazoo/???

Run a CD player though your recording system so that you can monitor back and forth between the CD and what you're trying to record. Obviously, it should be a commercial CD of music that is similar in style and orchestration to what you're trying to achieve yourself. Do whatever you have to, eq-wise, to make your thing sound like the commercial thing. Be s-p-a-r-i-n-g on the eq. Only boost or cut enough to make the difference you want or need. Too much fiddling with eq can add extra noise and cause all manner of phasing problems should you get tweak-happy.

Remember, too, that in the end, it all boils down to what sounds good to YOU.


Bruce in Korea
 
I can't add much to what Bruce said. That's some good advice up there.

I would emphasize that you can get many more different and usable sounds by moving your mics around BEFORE you hit the record button. Even with a cheap guitar. Trying to change the sound of an acoustic with EQ will just tend to make it sound unnatural.

If you must, cut with your eq rather than boost. That's pretty much good advice in general.

Take care,
Chris
 
After agreeing wholehearted with the above comments, i realize that as a suckass home recordist you wont always track it right in the first place.....

so, with acoustic guitar, some common frequencies:

fullness - 100-200 hz
muddiness - 200-800hz
clarity/crispness - 5000-8000hz
sparkle - 8000-12000hz

quoted from a major pub, please dont sue me....
 
I must add...

...that I find subtractive EQ-ing to be much more effective in many cases. (That is, cutting frequencies rather than boosting them.) I find this particularly true of acoustic guitars and snares. It's amazing how a a very selective cut in the mids/ upper mids can really make a snare or acoustic guitar "pop" in a mix.
Aaron
http://www.aaroncheney.com
 
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