Acoustic Guitar probs

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rusty K
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Rusty K

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I'm trying to get the best acoustic guitar sound I can and I'm having a bit of trouble.

I'm using a Sennheiser mic and Seymore Duncan pick-up into separate channels of a Presonus Blue tube and into a compressor then into my 4trac MD recorder. Sounds pretty good but I'm getting a intermitent scratching sound that seems to be coming from the pick-up. I think it's static electricity from my hand over the strings being picked up by the Seymore Duncan. Is that possible? I don't hear it in the line otherwise.

I've tried just using the mic but it gets boomey with the mic close to the hole of the Guitar. I'm about to try cranking the mic up and backing the guitar away from the mic.

Does anyone have any tried and true methods of getting rich full acoustic sounds recorded?

Also does anyone have suggestions on compressor settings,if any, for the acoustic guitar?

Thanks,
Rusty K
 
If the mic you are using is a condenser mic, try backing up a bit and try placing the mic down the fret board about where the neck meets the body, but facing the sound hole. If I try torecord with my condenser (AKG C4000B), I get a lot of poximity affect (boominess). If it is a dynamic mic, try placing the mic near the bridge. You will need to stay a little closer with the dynamic. As far as the scratching sound, It could be a number of diferent problems. One, how good is the battery in your guitar. Another concideration is that maybe the cable you are using is not making good contact in the jack. If it is static, try standing on a rubber mat.
Hope this is helpful and let me know if it helps.
Joe
 
JC thanks,

It's a dynamic so I'll try it near the bridge as you directed.

I'll also try the rubber mat. Wouldn't rubber sneakers work? I think I may have been barefooted but I'm almost sure it's some kind of static electricity because I reproduced the static by rubbing my hands/nails over the strings near the pick-up.

Thanks again,
Rusty K
 
With a dynamic you are a bit limited.
Try to move the mic slowly over the neck a bit futher away from the hole.

You should also try to use different picks (if you use one at all)
A thin one will give more highs and a thicker will give a fuller sound with more lows.

Try and eq the guitar cutting mids 200-500Hz. This should help reduce the boom
As for the compressor - what do you want to achive? do you want more attack on the sound?(more pick sound), level out the volume?
 
I'm sure you've checked this but,

How close is the pickup to the strings, it's not just one of the strings occasionally hitting the pickup?
 
Also- since one of these signals is coming from a pickup (instrument level) and one from a dynamic mic, have you checked your levels separately and combined?
I'm convinced that a Rode NT1 or similar condenser would fatten up your sound bigtime. You do have to back these babies away from your guitar a bit since they have high sensitivity and high output. Maybe the Duncan is defective? Try a George L soundhole pickup instead of the Duncan. Dirt Cheap. Or any other one you can scrounge up. I've never heard anything remotely like static from the George L, but it is a little bright.
 
Thanks fellas,

Sorry to have taken so long to get back but I've been busy applying your suggestions, at least the ones I could. I've gotten a much better result.

I'm now not really sure what the distortion/static was all about but it may have been that I was overdriving my compressor. I didn't really notice it while I was recording but maybe.

Thanks again for all your input. I hope to have something for you guys to listen to and critique soon.

Rusty K
 
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