When should i use the "Low Cut" filter on my AT4040? (voice,guitar,cymbals?) when?

guitar is you want to cut down on some boominess that's created with the proximity effect
voice if you want to cut down on a bass player that might be in the same room
cymbals if you don't like some of the kick drum sound that it's picking up as well


anything you're recording that you don't want low frequencies in
 
but like EQ is irreversible, i mean in terms of recording a signal that i don't know if will need that bass, in wich cases you think is a RULE to use the low cut filter ?

also... it is better to use the "low cut" in mackie 1202 or in the mic ? :D
 
Only engage a filter when you know it will sound better that way. Also, I would filter at the mic rather than at the mackie. Anytime a Mackie processes something it scares me:D
 
most roll offs on mics aren't going to affect the useable sound of anything but bass guitar, bass drum and maybe toms. i'm talking about instruments used in a popular music type setting, there's probably some horns, or tympani drums or some other instrument that i'm forgetting that a 75 or 80hz roll off might effect in an undesireable way. but using the roll off on your mic on guitars, vocals, snare, and overheads will definitely help the clarity of the mix.
 
i was doing some recording tests with my acustic guitar, and it was like a 30 inches away from the mic.

i got a boomy section when i was doing some chords.

Totally in shock, when i just heard the recording :D, cause i did love the bass in some sections and in others not. So it's kind of confusing for me, when to use the low-cut.

It's a (20-20) condenser mic, and i was specting something a little bit closer to the reality.

I don't work with mixes. The real thing, it's that i'm planning to give those tracks to someone, that i don't know if it's going to tell me: "hey dude, i can't work with this guitar track, cause i don't have any low freq to treat", "why did you cut the low", "i'm the mixing guy, not you".

So :D, i don't know if they prefer plain recordings with any treatment.
 
underp said:
i was doing some recording tests with my acustic guitar, and it was like a 30 inches away from the mic.

i got a boomy section when i was doing some chords.
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Where is the mic positioned? What style of music are you recording?

I may be telling you something that you already know, but, generally, you don't want to place a cardioid pattern condenser mic in the direct path of the soundhole--this will result in "boominess." Experiment with different placements: try aimed at the fretboard at about the 12th-14th fret; try pointed at the bridge; try level with your right shoulder (if you are playing right-handed) pointed down at the strings; try underneath the guitar pointing up. It's hard to tell where the best placement will be. It differs according to your guitar, your room, your mics, and how you want the end result to sound.

As for when to engage the low cut: I almost always use low cut for strummed acoustic guitars, especially if they will be mixed with other instruments (bass & drums). I am going to eq out anything under 100Hz in this situation anyway, so I start at the preamp (not everyone will agree with this method). If it will be a solo guitar (especially fingerstyle) in a sparse arrangement, I may not use the low cut, as I want the guitar to fill up more frequency range. Mic placement is paramount to avoid boominess, though.

Bottom line: If you are experiencing boom, first work with mic placement. Only use EQ adjustments (including low cut) if you have to or are sure you don't want those frequencies in the recording. If you do use the low cut during tracking, you won't be able to recover those frequencies later.
 
:) thanks for the tip.

I guess, i need another :D

how do you deal with guitarrists that don't stay quiet with the guitar positioned?, i hate those guitarrists.

I can't understand why is so imposible for them to play guitar without moving that s#it all over the studio. Fu#k :D
 
That's been one of my biggest problems when close micing. What I've been doing has been laying down the track and then play it right back at the guitarist through headphones (so they can really hear the detail of the background noises). Let them hear it and make some suggestive comments. Hey..we're here to record. The artist brings the sounds. We can clean it up a bit but beyond that, they're going to have to be part of the solution.
 
If you aren't sure whether or not you should use the low cut on a mic, then you absolutely should not. You can always do that later during mix, but you can never really undo it once you have. Play it safe until you have a better feel for what you need.
 
"Music recording" has some rules, right ?

i know is ok, to do what sounds better, but i'm not that pro, and i don't have the greatest monitors in the world.

With my super Monitors, i can't tell when it's sounding better and when is not.

So, while i get the those skills you have, i got to work with basic rules of recording, cause it makes me feel safe. :D

I don't like to experiment with sounds, if i don't know what i'm doing.
 
underp said:
"Music recording" has some rules, right ?

i know is ok, to do what sounds better, but i'm not that pro, and i don't have the greatest monitors in the world.

With my super Monitors, i can't tell when it's sounding better and when is not.

So, while i get the those skills you have, i got to work with basic rules of recording, cause it makes me feel safe. :D

I don't like to experiment with sounds, if i don't know what i'm doing.
Click to expand...
Sometimes the experimenting helps you grow. How will you know if something works if you don't try it? I would say that if you are on someone else's dollar, then play it safe and do what works, but if you are just tracking yourself, experiment with things and see how they turn out. You may be surprised at what you can pick up.
 
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