EQ'ing out "String Squeak"?
- Thread starter billisa
- Start date
DigitMus
Member
I wouldn't use EQ for that task - I'd use a compressor with a side-chain trigger, like de-essing. First, do what Chessrock suggests - boost a narrow band in the high mids and sweep the frequency until you find where the squeak is (probably somewhere between 2k and 6k, and it will sound REALLY BAD when you find it). Mult the guitar signal and send the copy (with the offending frequency BOOSTED) to the key input of a compresssor (try a 3:1 ratio to start) applied across the main guitar track. Adjust the threshold on the compressor until you're getting about 6db of gain reduction on the squeeks. Make sure the signal you use for the key input is not assigned to the LR (or any busses, for that matter).
If you have a dedicated de-esser, skip the above instructions and just put the guitar track through it and play with the frequency 'til it sounds good
.
Scott
If you have a dedicated de-esser, skip the above instructions and just put the guitar track through it and play with the frequency 'til it sounds good
.Scott
randyfromde
New member
Yeah, I'd go with what grinder says. Try and tackle the problem before recording.
I've tried different strings (Elixirs are good), different mic placements, and (*gasp*) even concentrating on my technique while playing. You can minimize squeaking while playing if you really concentrate on it. That way you do as little modifying to the recorded track as possible.
Obviously, this is no help if that track is THE definitive track and you want to save it ;-)
I've tried different strings (Elixirs are good), different mic placements, and (*gasp*) even concentrating on my technique while playing. You can minimize squeaking while playing if you really concentrate on it. That way you do as little modifying to the recorded track as possible.
Obviously, this is no help if that track is THE definitive track and you want to save it ;-)
I think DigitMus has the 'best' solution. But you may be able to get away with careful eq. You said there are only a few problem spots so you may try to apply eq to only those spots by isolating the problem sections. Also if you use eq to fix the prob, try using as narrow a bandwidth as possible.
Just thought I'd throw this in - I've never done it with guitar squeaks so it may not work. But if you do have to deal with it and can't do a re-take...
I use a spectrum analyzer to give me a hand since I'm not really great at sweeping. Something like a spike in the hi-mids is pretty easy to spot plus you can get an idea about how wide it is visually. elementalaudio.com makes a free VST plug called inspector if you want to run a test. I use Ozone3 and CurveEQ spectrums for that kind of thing so I can set the visual decay that'll catch the peak.
Anyway long story short - if the squeak is fairly narrow like 1/10 octave or narrower then some surgical parametric EQ might help and you may not hear the cut if it's narrow enough.
There's another thing that's pretty good at this if you just want to use dynamic eq (de-esser). It's the db-audioware.com de-esser: http://www.db-audioware.com/dbs.htm
That de-esser has a narrowband setting that will really only attenuate the band that you detect and set to be attenuated. It is really tight. If you test other compressors with side-chains you'll see that even though they may detect a tight band they actually attenuate a much wider band. That's what I found anyway - even trying to adjust a multi-band tight won't work because of the interal slopes.
uh - oops more information than you want I'm sure...
try surgical eq and if you don't like that sound try the db audioware deesser demo.
My 2c
kylen
I use a spectrum analyzer to give me a hand since I'm not really great at sweeping. Something like a spike in the hi-mids is pretty easy to spot plus you can get an idea about how wide it is visually. elementalaudio.com makes a free VST plug called inspector if you want to run a test. I use Ozone3 and CurveEQ spectrums for that kind of thing so I can set the visual decay that'll catch the peak.
Anyway long story short - if the squeak is fairly narrow like 1/10 octave or narrower then some surgical parametric EQ might help and you may not hear the cut if it's narrow enough.
There's another thing that's pretty good at this if you just want to use dynamic eq (de-esser). It's the db-audioware.com de-esser: http://www.db-audioware.com/dbs.htm
That de-esser has a narrowband setting that will really only attenuate the band that you detect and set to be attenuated. It is really tight. If you test other compressors with side-chains you'll see that even though they may detect a tight band they actually attenuate a much wider band. That's what I found anyway - even trying to adjust a multi-band tight won't work because of the interal slopes.
uh - oops more information than you want I'm sure...
try surgical eq and if you don't like that sound try the db audioware deesser demo.
My 2c
kylen