Heavy Breathing

  • Thread starter Thread starter punkin
  • Start date Start date
punkin

punkin

Univalve & Avatar Speaks
I'm working in a new location the last few weeks. The room has a little work yet but I'm trying to work with a classical guitarist to get a few audition tracks down. Most of the recordings I've made to date were of electric or amplified guitars. This mostly because of my lack of quality mics. Recently picked up a couple LD MXL V69's and an M-Audio LUNA which is much better than what I've been working with previously.

I'm trying some close mic stuff with this classical player hoping to get the best of the sound of his guitar...sounds very sweet but...

I'm not sure if it's the room or what. I'm picking up a lot of body sounds off this guy. I can hear every breath he takes. I've got pretty good saturation on the recordings...If I back off, the sound gets a little thin. Between breaths, it sounds wonderful. I'm also picking up some light finger sounds but it's not objectionable...in fact it really adds a little to the natural sound.

Tried mic placement in a couple different ways...mic at the neck joint mic near the sound hole mic under the neck but still the body sounds...driving me nuts...just a little to intimate.

Suggestions?
 
Not like he's a mouth breather or a wheezer or anything. All appears to be rather normal about the situation.

I was thinking to use little wads of paper and stuff them up his nose but I was really counting on getting paid.
 
Is it part of the trade-off of a lot of high-end lift -stunning intimacy?
 
Position the mic so it's just above the height of the guitar, pointing down at the guitar.
 
Don't be embarrased to tell him. Just say "Man it sounds good, lets go for a clean one now so lets make sure while were recording to not move around or breath to loud because these mics will hear a mosquito fart!" Then just keep reminding him if you can hear him.
Ron
 
To Mixsit...the answer is yes...it sure seems to be. As I back off the mic or turn down the gain, the desired audio seems to suffer. If I back off to the point where the objectionable sounds are gone or nearly gone, the recording is really quite useless.
 
I was thinking more along the lines of the effect of having a surreal high end rather than a volume or gain thing. But if it's sounding good, I think VSpace has it nailed.
:D
 
Thanks everyone...he's going to come back tomorrow.

I'm going to try some testing of my own to see if I can be better prepared. Anyone ever try placing a screen or baffle/shroud on the mic so that the player's face or head isn't in direct line with the mic?

I actually think the room has a nice sound to it. We're doing this in my living room...it's actually a very large room with 20' vaulted cieling and hardwood floors with plenty of furniture..just a bit of ambiance but not too "live". Sounds a little like a stage.

If I could focus the mic a little more on the instrument, keep the room but cut the player's head out of the picture.

It's as if I were asking for a super cardiod...doesn't it?
 
Vspace/mixsit...you're right on...looking to get him to settle down a bit then possibly some sort of shroud or shield on the mic stand...ever try anything like that?
 
Or fig-8's and a bit of good placement in the room. They work great for getting a vocal and guitar on seperate tracks.

I whish I had the guts to open my ceiling up like that.:(
 
House actually came that way...I really like getting singers in there...but just not a lot of acoustic guitar experience. Kind of an irregular shape to it, open on one end which opens into another very "dry" living area.
 
I had a guy {nose breather} who would "pop" the mic..the only thing I could do was to take a popfilter and put it over the mic...across the top not like you were singing into it,because he was above the cap..worked well


Don
 
There seems to be some useful advice here -- if you exclude mine. I have a guitarist who practices "Lamaze guitar" -- she starts every session with a prolonged breathing exercise. I just discovered yesterday that I've got heavy breathing all over the intro to a song we thought we were finished with. =sigh=
 
punkin,
Is there not some thing that you as the recording engineer can do like keeping the mute on till just before the first sylable starts to come out then un-mute the mic?

D
 
well check "it"...I've been playing around with a couple pieces of auralex, the thin stuff..not real pretty but I think it can be.

I've been simulating what my player has been doing...it turns out, it's not just him...I get the same thing just sitting in front of the mic...very sensitive...not so much when the guitar isn't in front of me...the guitar seems to play a part in this.

Anyway, I bent a half cone shape and taped it to the top of the mic stand just over the mic...imagine a salad bar sneeze guard about 6 inches proud of the front of the mic. I can't actually "see" the mic...seems to have help considerably. Completely gone if I get rid of the guitar...

With this, I tried mic'ing from different side angles...I think I'm onto something here.

btw dyson steel... this a completely solo acoustic exersize. I tried cleaning up the parts, silence removing, etc...the breathing sounds are audible even during the loudest parts. Thanks though...good thought.
 
I've got it!!!

I'm going to get one of those doggie things the vet puts on my dog to keep him from licking himself!

That should do it!
 
punkin said:

I'm going to get one of those doggie things the vet puts on my dog to keep him from licking himself!
Click to expand...

Err...they give those things to dogs too??


:eek:
 
Ride the faders in the mix or put a gate on it. That might do it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top