Eliminating side instruments

[bairradino]

I made a recording of 4 instruments using 1 cardioid mic for each one, about 20 cm from each, and about 150 cm of distance from mics.
I have, now, 4 mono tracks (one from each mic), but each track has a certain amount of others instruments.
Is there a way of separating the "neighbour" instruments?

 

[AGCurry]

There's no good way eliminate the bleed once it's been recorded.

 

[ssscientist]

There's no good way eliminate the bleed once it's been recorded.

I agree.

If they are percussion instruments consider treating them as a group - do a pan spread, then eq and effect them the more or less the same. See if you can make the bleed into a positive rather than a negative.

.

 

[Elton Bear]

Over-dub everything separately if you want a clear-cut sound to mix with, otherwise embrace the cross-overs that live recording gives.

That's what makes the difference between one type of recording and t'other.

 

[bairradino]

They are not percussion instruments.
They are, from left to right, a classic guitar (nylon strings), two portughese guitars (steel strings in a superior octave relative to classic guitar) and a second classic guitar.

 

[rayc]

CLOSE mic NOT with an omni. Put barriers between the performers (heavy blankets/perspex screens/wall/etc). Record 1 at a time. Use phone booths. have them phone in their performances.

 

[bairradino]

1. As I said I used cardioid mics (not omni)

2. There are situations (this is the case) where the overall performance is dependant of each other and you have no alternatives.

3. This recording was made 4 years ago, one of the musicians is dead... and I wanted to restore that recording.

 

[ridgeback]

1. As I said I used cardioid mics (not omni)

2. There are situations (this is the case) where the overall performance is dependant of each other and you have no alternatives.

3. This recording was made 4 years ago, one of the musicians is dead... and I wanted to restore that recording.

If the instruments are in unison most of the time, it could be tough. I'd start by making an exact of the existing tracks, rename , and put aside. Next back to the original and make the best stereo mix you can without panning too hard, bounce that to a new stereo track. One by one on the original audio tracks, soft gate if possible and any enhancement/panning/clean-up that you can do. Then ride the original four with your new stereo track and see what you can do. Might work, might have issues, but at least it's worth a try and you haven't f'up the original.

 

[travelin travis]

walters has some panning secrets that you could try. hit him up, i'm sure he will explain.

 

[mrhotapples]

If they were a classical quartet, bleed is a good thing, no? They performed in the same room like that, that is the essence of it, that it wasn't multi-tracked, it was live, it was real. Embrace the bleed. I'm not sure how natural a heavily gated track would sound for that style of music.

 

[ridgeback]

One by one on the original audio tracks, soft gate if possible and any enhancement/panning/clean-up that you can do.

Heavily gated would be ugly.

 

[mattamatta]

I, too, agree with embracing the bleed as others have said. There's really no good way to get rid of it, and it will give you so much of a reality of space and performance in the recording that we always try to fake when things are overdubbed.