I'm new to recording and had a quick question. Whenever I record guitar and play it back, it sounds like it was recorded in a cave or something. It sounds distant and just isn't full sounding. It's kinda hard to describe. it addition to that, when I play it back, I can hear the guitar strings themselves along with the part I recorded (if that makes sense). I'm using garageband '09, an Apogee One, and a pretty basic microphone. Again, I'm totally new to recording. Thanks for any help!
New to recording; guitar quality question
- Thread starter CW871
- Start date
Electric, and when I say basic mic, I just mean a cheap $20 mic. Nothing fancy.
Attached is a quick clip. Thanks man.
superelixir
New member
Well, the cheap mic definitely doesn't help. For $50 you could get a used SM57 which would increase the sound quality immensely.
You can hear the guitar strings because they produce a sound distinct from the amp. One easy fix is to turn the volume up (increase the signal-to-noise ratio), or you could isolate the amp/take the guitar into a different room. Your position relative to the mic also makes a difference. Depending on your mic's polar pattern (anything but omnidirectional), you can move to its "blindspot" (rejection node) which will reduce the amount of sound picked up.
The acoustics of the room also shape the recorded sound. Maybe try taking your set-up to a more open space.
You can hear the guitar strings because they produce a sound distinct from the amp. One easy fix is to turn the volume up (increase the signal-to-noise ratio), or you could isolate the amp/take the guitar into a different room. Your position relative to the mic also makes a difference. Depending on your mic's polar pattern (anything but omnidirectional), you can move to its "blindspot" (rejection node) which will reduce the amount of sound picked up.
The acoustics of the room also shape the recorded sound. Maybe try taking your set-up to a more open space.
guitarplayr82
New member
Why don't you use the built-in mic on the Apogee One instead of the cheap mic you are using?
I forgot it had a mic built in. I now think I'm going to get a Shure sm57. That would sound better than the apogee one, right?
I got an SM57, and it sounds a little better, but it still sounds compressed. Any ideas? I probably have to just mess around with the mic placement.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Well...in your sound clip, I can here a fairly long reverb tail, so that explains the first comment you made...and you also need to back off on the distortion, which explains the second comment you made.
When recording...just go for about 60% of the distortion you might use in a live setting.
Makes sense, thanks man.