EQing Mandolin

[dmckissic]

mixing acoustic song mainly acoustic guitar bass drum and mandolin. Having a problem getting the mandolin to fit in the mix. The only place that I can find that sounds halfway decent is between 100-500 Hz with a slight boost at 200, with both ends rolled completely rolled off.I know this is not right. Just want mandolin to be soft in background. Can someone help me with the freq rang. I recorded on Pro Tools LE with condenser mic (little too harsh), cardioid (not bad), finally settled with Shure sm57.

 

[mixsit]

mixing acoustic song mainly acoustic guitar bass drum and mandolin. Having a problem getting the mandolin to fit in the mix. The only place that I can find that sounds halfway decent is between 100-500 Hz with a slight boost at 200, with both ends rolled completely rolled off.I know this is not right. Just want mandolin to be soft in background. Can someone help me with the freq rang. I recorded on Pro Tools LE with condenser mic (little too harsh), cardioid (not bad), finally settled with Shure sm57.

You're right. That is bizarre -a mix (acoustic no less) so dense that there's only a two octave slot left? Is that the mode of thought here?

 

[dmckissic]

I dont think it is that the mix ix so dense, I cant get the mando to sit where I want it, (behind the guitar and lower volume). It seems that when I bring up the mid and high freqs it wants to take over the mix. dont want it to be the focal point in the mix, just barely heard accompanying guitar. Is the freq range on the mando basically the same as the guitar? I cant find anything on the net.
should I use a complementary EQ and just treat it as another guitar, not tried that yet?

 

[mixsit]

.. I dont think it is that the mix ix so dense, I cant get the mando to sit where I want it, (behind the guitar and lower volume).
.. Is the freq range on the mando basically the same as the guitar? I cant find anything on the net.
.. should I use a complementary EQ and just treat it as another guitar,

In that case lower volume (you're on the right track there), and/or a bit of small-med. close'/early' reflections push things 'back (as opposed to bigger verbs with predelays in the reflections). This could help but if the mando is recorded as a close image it clould make it more of a fight both eq and effect wise.
Some corrective eq might be needed and yes guitar and mando overlap, but that's completely legal. They coexist by nature just fine.

 

[Micter]

I have tried to eq mandos but usually a low cut is all that seems to work. It is kind of a high pitched instrument. Pilnk plink plink! lol

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Pilnk plink plink!

That pretty much says it in three words . Personally I love mandolin, but without the HF stuff, it just doesn't sound very mandolin-y (sorry for the high tech jargon there ). Even when mandolin is in the background, it does tend to draw the ear's attention somewhat because of it's sharp attack sound.

Mandolin and guitar are going to overlap quite a bit. There are two areas I'd concentrate on; first is the arrangement. Do you have the two instruments playing in the same key and/or following the same root chords in the progression? If so on either one (or both) of them, you might want to consider a more complimentary arrangement in that regard rather than a conflicting one.

Second, look at your EQ on the guitar as well as the mandolin. Try giving the guitar a gentle accent where it's most important and the mandolin a mirror image gentle scoop in the same area (and vice versa). We're talking a couple of gentle slopes here, nothing too radical; the idea is to not greatly affect either instrument singly, but to have the combined EQ curves create enough of a difference between the two to let them co-exist. Also sweep the mandolin and narrow cut or notch any midrange (1k-5k or so) honkers that might be giving it more energy than you want. This will lower the overall mando energy without removing the pleasurable parts of it's sound.

For a good classic example of acoustic guitar and mandolin working together, check out the track "Ripple" by the Grateful Dead.

G.

 

[dmckissic]

Thanks for the great tips, and let me just say that in the short month that I have been a member here, I have learned a great deal about home recording from you guys, and my music has improved greatly. Thank You again so much!
I have posted a 30-40 second clip in the mixing clinic, just starting to experiment with some of the ideas you have given me. Let me know what you think.
Thanks