acoustic guitar sounds too "real" and "live"

[wes480]

I am listening to some tracks I did with my taylor....using 2 Rode NT3s...

It sounds like the guitar is being played right over there, live.

Which, is great...I am thrilled. But, I don't want it to sound that way, for this recording...

I want it to be more subdued....mesh into the bass/drums a bit more...

Going for kind of a small jazz band sound...hmm...i dunno...I will just toy with EQ, but I thought you guys could maybe give me some pointers.

My first thought was reverb...to make it sit back more...but, I don't think that is going to be a good sounding thing. hehe.

-wes

[Chris Shaeffer]

Hey Wes,

Try reducing the stereo spread on that puppy. Narrow it down to 10 and 2 and see what that gives you. Between stereo spread and volume I can usually get what I need as far as presence and "liveness" with the guitar.

Have fun!
Chris

[wes480]

thanks chris..

that combined with a little cutting of the highs gave me about what I was looking for.

[littledog]

In the future you may want to move the mics farther away from the guitar - then it won't sound so "in your face" and will blend with the other instruments better.

[TexRoadkill]

yup, good advice. More mono and distant micing. I find that neck micing is also a bit thinner sounding then bridge micing and can help it sit back in the mix.

[JR#97]

For a small jazz band sound, I'd go for more body than neck with the mic and then eq out any boominess. Or maybe try the over the should where your ear is mic position. Thicker pick or fingers instead of a thin pick can mellow the sound as well. Play towards the neck to get a more mellow sound. Or maybe go beg/borrow/steal an F-hole archtop acoustic jazz box. More mellow and less folky ringy than a Taylor. yeah... folky ringy...

[wes480]

hmm, as far as the distant miking goes - and, this is in the wrong forum..heh..but, oh well...

I always feel like when I mike further back....that's when I start to hear "the guitar", and not "how a guitar sounds on a record".

I cut another track with the taylor later...just used mono miking...at the 12th fret about...7 inches or so back from it....and it gave me exactly what I was looking for...

I mixed that in with the stereo recording...and things were starting to sound a little more "produced"