acoustic guitar is buried in the background (and it's a damn good guitar!!)

T

Trippalot

New member
So I'm using an AKG C3000 condensor closeup to the hole on a Taylor auditorium series acoustic, but the sound is just dead. I wanna get that guitar crystal clear; brightness, man. I mean sounding so good that your sphincter tightens when you're listening. Any suggestions on dynamic or condensor mik's (which one?). How about placement? Multiple mik's?? That good Dave Matthews sound; Edwin McCain even. Help me out here.

Tripp
 
Your problem is probably more in the low end than the high end. The AKG should have plenty of tops but if you get up close like you are doing the proximity effect will give you around 20+db of bass boost - so first use the roll off in the mike. I'd back off to about 6" away and place the mike forward of the hole pointing back (this also helps to eliminate finger noise) I'd dip the response around 350Hz say - 4 - 6db and I'd compress it a bit at 2:1 with a slow attack but faster release and compress to about 4 - 6 db. Cheers
John :D
 
I would be helpful to know a couple of things too....

Like what preamp you are using, and what you are recording to.

Dave Matthews is not using a C-3000 you can bet. And you can also bet that they are using some very freaky mic preamps that put Mackies to shame. Also, you can bet that the wire hooking everything up is of top quality.

Let's not forget that they are probably recording to a Studer 24 track 2" tape deck with Dolby SR, and mixing the whole thing through a nice Amek, SSL, or Neve console.

I am not saying that you cannot improve your sound. I am just saying that you may need to lower your expectations when compared to a big league artist like Dave Matthews. You would simply need some very high end gear to get that sound.

Good luck.

Ed
 
Good Call, Ed.

I'm sure you're right about comparing myself to the big dogs, so I'll lower my expectations a little. Here's some more helpful info about the preamp: It's a JoeMeek VC3 (if you are familiar with it, maybe you could help me out with some settings on it). Thanks to John Sayers as well; good specifics.
 
Yo Tripp over everything and stumble like we all do:

Take your guitar lead and run it DIRECTLY INTO YOUR RECORDING BOX, AFTER YOU PATCH IT INTO A GOOD MIC PRE-AMP.

If you put your guitar solo, lead, whatever, on one or two tracks, you can certainly have it UP FRONT WHEN YOU MIX DOWN if you don't overwhelm it with other tracks.

I had the same problem back when I started, and, I'm just an rookie who is learning every day, but I did learn how to put voice tracks and lead tracks up FRONT WHEN I WANTED THEM up front. Depends on your gear too....so, keep twiddling the dials and EXPERIMENT and you will SUCCEED.

Do I sound like a Chinese prophet?

Nay,
have to leave...Kato is trying to clip my last Coors....

Green Hornet
 
In my experience, micing close to the hole produces a boomy, dull guitar track. Pointing the mic at the 12th fret at around a 45 degree angle (pointing towards the body, not the headstock) has gotten me brighter sounding tracks. The mic is about 5-6" away from the guitar.

I used to put the mic close up to the hole but found that moving it away from the guitar and pointing it at an angle towards the neck gets better tone.
 
Preamps

OK, I'm hearing you guys talk a lot about preamps to get better sound. So my question is this: Are you playing into a microphone which goes to the preamp and then to the board? Or are you playing direct without a mic? I'm up to suggestions for both ways. I have a JoeMeek VC3 preamp/compressor to go along with the C3000. I also have a GrooveTube AM61, but figured it would be best to hold for vocals. Was I wrong in making this assumption? Think the GT and the VC3 would make a good combo for the acoustic?
 
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