boomy acoustic guitar sound

[wes480]

recording my Taylor K14c, with a Rode NTK..

I put the NTK about a foot back from the 14th or so fret, angeled in just a tad towards the sound hole...

It sounds "ok"...but it's giving me a lot of boomy sound...

I guess I am doing something weird with the proximity...about what height should I have the mic at? Maybe at the top near the 6th string? I had it more in the "middle"...

 

[kjam22]

Others may disagree with me on this... but here's what I think. First you're probably to close to the mic. But there may not be a perfect one size fits all way to record every acoustic guitar with every mic.

My method is this.... set the mic or mics... get the guitar.... put some headphones on...... play the guitar a little.... move closer, further, right, left until it sounds like you want it to sound. Hit the record button and go with it. I suppose monitor speakers could replace the headphone method. But my headphone method works for me.

There are some rules that will tell you the mic is suppose to be about the same distance as the maximum distance (size) of the sounding board for the instrument. That's a great place to start.

 

[chessrock]

Yea, Kjam's advice is very sensible.

What you're experiencing is not at all unusual -- it's a problem every one of us faces, pretty much. Like Kjam says, finding a sweet spot is key. Three more things come to mind:

* Condensers with bass rolloff switches come in handy.

* So does EQ. It's unavoidable. You're going to have to cut at least some of the bass.

* Also, don't forget to change your strings. The bright sound of new strings helps by giving you some extra highs and high-mids to counterbalance the boominess.

 

[Track Rat]

If you have high pass filter switch on the mic or the pre, engage it. Or you can roll off some low end with EQ (below say 80hz or so). Is that a dreadnaught sized guitar?

 

[Gidge]

don't aim it at the soundhole......

 

[LocusLarsen]

Holy....

I had to sell my 710 because I couldn't GET boom. I never played a Koa, but I have yet to hear a Taylor with boom. I heard that the Walnut one has it though....but muddy

 

[Track Rat]

I just picked up a Grand Auditorium sized Taylor. Definately NOT boomy. Now my D-41 on the other hand...

 

[erichenryus]

wes. i know this is a really stupid question but...are you using a pick? i noticed that if i'm strumming without a pick i hear a lot of extra boom.

i also noticed that it's best not to aim directly at the sound hole.

 

[dtb]

I think that if you are having a problem with boom, from an acoustic guitar, then at least you know the guitar is a super axe. Yeah man, the Taylor's, and Martins are great for this. That's the reason you don't need mics when jamming with your buds. But, this is a problem, which I have, when trying to record these babies. The only thing I do is always make sure the mic, any mic, that is near the body of the guitar is pointed up from the bottom of the area, to get the high end first. The bass end of the guitar will usually blend with the bass guitar, of course, unless there is no bass, which in that instance, you realize, that's why I bought this axe. Shit, I'm gone.

dtb

 

[Phyl]

I've recorded my Taylor 310 using a Rode NT1 about 6 inches away from the 12th fret and almost perpendicular to the neck, actually it's biased ever so slightly towards the headstock.

If I start to bias the mic the other way, toard the sound hole, the boominess comes in almost immediately.

 

[tdukex]

Listen to kjam22 and Gidge. Back the mic up to about 2 - 2 1/2 feet and don't point it toward the soundhole. If you are only using one mic, give it some space to pick up the complexity of tones the guitar puts out.

 

[Richard Monroe]

I'm recording a Taylor 710CE and I got plenty of boom! I'm using a coincedent (X-Y) pair of Oktava MC012's in front at about 24" and an MK319 over my left shoulder, pointed at the upper bout. The 012's go into a DBX386 with the low cut engaged on both channels, and then into the board, with an RNC in line as a send/receive from the DBX. The 319 goes into a Joemeek twinQcs, no bass cut, and is slightly compressed by the Joemeek's compressor, then to the board. The 3:1 rule is slightly violated, and I reverse phase on the Joemeek. I start with the 012's on tracks 1 and 2, then add in the 319 on track 3 until I begin to hear a hint of boom, then stop.
The original settings were done tracking with cans, big mistake! A good listen on monitors inspired me to engage the high pass filters on the DBX. I don't know yet, but bass cut on the 319 or the Joemeek may follow. I've almost got the damn sound the way I want it.-Richie

 

[Gidge]

http://www.humbuckermusic.com/acguitrectec.html
one of my favorite links....