Acoustic Guitar Recording 101

  • Thread starter Thread starter WhiteStrat
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Making an acoustic sound acoustic after amplified has been almost a lifelong endervor...lol Until recently. We put BBands in our acoustics and simply plug 'em in a record.... sounds too easy I know. But it works well.
 
Excellent. Need this. Just starting out in home recording, got a condenser microphone and an M-Audio USB box to connect to my laptop. Experimenting with different mike positions...love the mixing process...
 
Speaking of MId-side (using the figure 8 and mid mic routine / decoding) have a few questions: If "side" track needs EQ tweaking - is it best done before you split and decode it to L+R - ? Or would it be better to leave it alone - and then EQ the L and R sides to taste, seperately?

My other question - what are the suggestions out there for a professional reference song of acoustic guitar solo, to use for my mixing?

Thanks !
 
thesonicguru said:
Try an Audio Envy cable to hear a more accurate reproduction. There is a lot of amazing harmonic textures and richness that comes back.
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Really?

Perhaps you could post an A/B comparison of an acoustic guitar recording with a "regular" cable, and one with an Audio Envy cable? My ears are quite sensitive--I'm sure I'd hear the amazing harmonic textures and richness that comes back.
 
actually, I need some advice on something. I need to start a new thread on this subject
 
Thanks for the great work. Your article has helped me improve my recording of acoustic guitars.
 
Doubling by duplicating?

Great Tutorial, thanks. There's another technique I've heard about but I don't quite know how to pull off in pro tools. George Martin used to double the Beatles vocals by duplicating a track, but offsetting it by a split second so that he got the extra dimension of another live performance. Anybody tried that one?
 
When I use a mic or mics for acoustic guitar, I run them through a small 4 channel Behringer board with mic preamps (which also has phantom power if needed) and then use a compressor and limiter on the signal. Pump it up then tame it as you would vocals.
I also like the cedar tops...I bought these guitar chords that have these interchangeable rubber color bands that fit on the plug to differentiate them...they keep falling off...
 
Thanks to WhiteStrat for the original, informative post.

FWIW, I'm getting good results with a Dean Markley soundhole pickup, thru a Focusrite ISA Two, dbx 131 EQ, and dbx 266 comp, w Lexi MX200 in parallel, using light Arena verb and light flanging, into an M-Audio 2626 interface.

This leaves plenty of room to experiment with WhiteStrat's techniques, which will begin today!
 
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I just signed up to this forum since I just started recording myself. I just fumbled through my first one on my own experimenting but now it's time to get real. And this thread is exactly what I was looking for since you have an incredible mix posted. I'm going to follow your steps like a recipe. Thanks.
 
G-Mo said:
I just signed up to this forum since I just started recording myself. I just fumbled through my first one on my own experimenting but now it's time to get real. And this thread is exactly what I was looking for since you have an incredible mix posted. I'm going to follow your steps like a recipe. Thanks.
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You're welcome. I may not post much these days, but I do check in. If you have any questions, put 'em in this thread--I'll see 'em. I'll be glad to help you if I can. And whether or not you have any questions, I look forward to hearing some tracks of your acoustic guitar playing! Good luck and have fun!
 
This is amazing. Thanks! I used your technique on a recording last night and it sounded so much more full and interested. Great approach!
 
Does anyone use a Noise Gate to get rid of back-round sounds like fans, the refrigerator, outside noise? Condenser mikes are very sensitive and I want to record Vocals and Acoustic without picking up all the back-round stuff. I do not have a isolation booth and so I am thinking of using a Noise Gate to get above the noise floor. Thanks I am new at this and use SONAR X2 PE. - Stuart
 
mavericmanic said:
Does anyone use a Noise Gate to get rid of back-round sounds like fans, the refrigerator, outside noise? Condenser mikes are very sensitive and I want to record Vocals and Acoustic without picking up all the back-round stuff. I do not have a isolation booth and so I am thinking of using a Noise Gate to get above the noise floor. Thanks I am new at this and use SONAR X2 PE. - Stuart
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Where TF are you recording to pick up the fridge? And more to the point, why is the fridge that noisy?

Noise gating is perhaps ok on screaming electric guitar (which are often hard to keep quiet electronically) but I fear it would not sound so good on an acoustic.

Fan noise (I assume computer?) get way from it. Mic cables can be 100 feet no sweat. Or you can build a baffle out of heavy MDF and cover the PC facing side with acoustic foam. Do you have a large, side address cap mic? If yes, sorry, mistake. You need a pencil style to get in close, about a foot or less. Or use a dynamic tho it won't have the "sparkle" of a condenser (my son actually prefers the sound of the SM57 for his geetar).

Noises "off"? Do what he did. Record at 2 and 3am! We do however live in a very quiet leafy suburb (Goog E NN5 5**) Oh! And take the battery out of the quartz clock and switch off the fridge. No harm will come to the food for 12 hours or more if you keep the door shut.

Dave.
 
mavericmanic said:
Does anyone use a Noise Gate to get rid of back-round sounds like fans, the refrigerator, outside noise? Condenser mikes are very sensitive and I want to record Vocals and Acoustic without picking up all the back-round stuff. I do not have a isolation booth and so I am thinking of using a Noise Gate to get above the noise floor. Thanks I am new at this and use SONAR X2 PE. - Stuart
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+1 toEcc.

A noise gate wont get you 'above the noise floor'.
You set your threshold just marginally above the consistent noise level and it will mute your track if there's no other noise.
While you're playing your instrument or singing, a noise gate is doing absolutely nothing.

Most times this isn't a big problem but things like fade outs and held chords are problematic.
Threshold too high means cutting out the end of ringing chords.
Noise gate lower means you'll hear the noise as the guitar fades.

Getting yourself, or the computer, out of the room really is the key, and if that can't be done then some acoustic baffles can help.
It's a ratio in the room so be as loud as you can, as close to the mics as you can, and have the mics as far from the source of noise as you can.
 
Refrigerators have a noisy compressor and my Computer fan is at top speed for water cooling the i7 chip. But the solution as you mentioned is just run about 20' of XLR to a quiet spot in the house. That was suggested to me in another Forum so I have all the cables for that. Thanks a million for the advice. - Stuart
 
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