Baby steps -- resonance (I think)

S

suzi

New member
I'm Baa-aaack! Thank you all for the advice you gave to get me started recording my harp in April. I've spent the summer just playing around with the "equipment" I already had, and last week I bought a USB I/O, so I can stop using my phone to record.

My first recording has some really loud resonance at the low A (110 Hz). I tried compressing it in Audacity (I am starting to figure out Reaper, but I am slow), and that didn't help. I tried EQ'ing out everything between about 80 and 125 Hz, and that didn't help.

3 questions:
1. I'm pretty sure this is the instrument, not the room, but don't want to make assumptions, so how can I tell for sure?
2. Assuming it's the instrument, are there things I can do while recording to reduce this? I have a cheap little equalizer, but haven't messed with it yet.
3. Is there *any* hope for this recording - is it worth messing with just for learning's sake or is it too far gone?

I'm using a K&K condensor mic (the "Silver Bullet") aimed at the soundboard about 2/3 down, through a box to balance it, then into the I/O,and into Audacity.

View attachment Planxty McLean 1.mp3

Thanks for any and all advice.
Suzi
 
Oooh... nasty!

To be honest, I don't think I could fix that but wait to hear what others say.

I think your best bet is to adapt your technique, knowing that the problem exists on that note. Playing well enough to record, and just playing, are often too separate things.

I'll just point out that not every time you hit that low A does the problem occur, so it's definitely technique related and thus fixable.

Chalk it up to live and learn is what I'd do, suzi...

Luck
 
You certainly have a big bad boom there.

With luck you could use a parametric equalizer to knock out that one note. If you use Reaper, then ReaEQ is a good EQ to try. I've had a quick go here:Planxty McLean 1a.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net - Free Online File Storage

More importantly, it would be good to figure out what's causing it.

The three mostly likely culprits are:

1 room
2 mike placement
3 fingering technique

or a combination of all three.

However, I would investigate mike placement first . . . you may have just placed the mike where the body resonates on that frequency the most.

Record four bars of the song, trying out the mike in different positions . . . see where that takes you. If no good . . .then onto plan B . . . whatever that is
 
Thank you both!
Armistice, thank you, I had not noticed that about the problem being inconsistent. My first recordings in April had me back in the woodshed all summer, too!

Gecko zzed, thanks for giving me a place to start. Working on technique is a no brainer. Along with that, I'll try mic placement first. Now I know what a parametric equalizer is, too!

I'm realizing important monitoring equipment is, too. I thought things sounded pretty good on my computer through the earbuds, and then I burned a CD and played it in my car. Makes someone wish for a broken muffler.
 
Mic is too close to the soundboard and towards the low end if I read your description correctly. Back up and raise the mic.

Are you able to record in stereo?
 
Have the harp checked out. A lot of times a loose brace will resonate/buzz at a specific frequency just because some glue dried out. Have a luthier that knows harps check it out. Is it a lap harp or a floor harp, and do you have sharping levers? Metal strung or nylon strung? I know it's a pain, but if you tuned a half-step lower or higher, it might help. Rule #1- If you are making a bad sound, don't bitch because the mic records it. Don't make that sound. Good luck-Richie
 
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