Stereo Guitar recording hiss

davecg321

New member
I've managed to get a really nice, natural and open stereo (spaced pair, neck and bridge) recording that I'll start using for tracking all acoustic guitar parts.

Problem is one of the mics has noticeably more hiss than the other, the mic in question being a rode m3. The bridge mic NT1a has more or less next to no hiss.

It's only an issue on headphones really, so I've started to use a Waves tape machine plugin to artificially increase the noise/hiss on the NT1a.

any other workarounds?
 
I've managed to get a really nice, natural and open stereo (spaced pair, neck and bridge) recording that I'll start using for tracking all acoustic guitar parts.

Problem is one of the mics has noticeably more hiss than the other, the mic in question being a rode m3. The bridge mic NT1a has more or less next to no hiss.

It's only an issue on headphones really, so I've started to use a Waves tape machine plugin to artificially increase the noise/hiss on the NT1a.

any other workarounds?

To be a bit pedantic Dave, that is not a 'stereo' recording setup. The mics would have to be at least the same type and model (you have side address LDC and end fire SDC!) and preferably a matched pair ('MS' excepted of course) .
True stereo give you an illusion of the instrument in the room and even with a modestly sized guitar, some concept of the size of the instrument. That setup would IMHO do neither.

The hiss. The M3 has a noise spec of 21dB, fairly typical of SDCs and about that of my AKG P150s. I never had a hiss problem close mic'ing son on guitar but I did not try them as a CO-I pair at a distance*.

The M3 also has a modest, -40dB output but since that is some 15dB hotter than an SM57/8 it should be fine into any 1/2 decent AI. The mic has an internal 10 and 20dB pad, sure that is not engaged?

Post clips so we can see the noise floor. You might be doing the best you can with what you have?

*I COULD set that up but you would have to suffer MY guitar playing!

Dave. (another one!)
 
Odd solution, adding noise to balance the one nice quiet side..

With the GREATEST respect Mix' it is not without precedence! In a 'proper' stereo image you attention would be constantly dragged to the hissy side. Adding (best correlated) hiss to the quieter side would put the noise bang in the centre where, mixed with the programme sound, it would all but disappear.

OP, chuck that rig and get a pair of Coles ribbons and a Grace pre and record in proper CO-I fig 8.

No! I can't afford to do that either!

Dave.
 
With the GREATEST respect Mix' it is not without precedence! In a 'proper' stereo image you attention would be constantly dragged to the hissy side. Adding (best correlated) hiss to the quieter side would put the noise bang in the centre where, mixed with the programme sound, it would all but disappear.

OP, chuck that rig and get a pair of Coles ribbons and a Grace pre and record in proper CO-I fig 8.

No! I can't afford to do that either!

Dave.
Actually that will increase the amount of hiss though. How about this -at least until the problem can be corrected at it's source... Put the noisy one on the bridge mic and roll some of it off.
 
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