Mixing suggestions for acoustic guitar song

  • Thread starter Thread starter Armistice
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Armistice

Armistice

Son of Yoda
JUST REALISED I SHOULD HAVE PUT THIS IN MIXING... whoops... anyway...


Here's the scenario...

Recording a duo - both acoustic guitars.

Song is fingerpicked main guitarist (that would be me) with occasional plectrumming and picked with plectrum by second guitarist (that would be other guy). We play slightly different variations.

I have recorded me playing it twice (identically) - each recording has a mic channel and a pickup via effects unit channel. I have recorded other guy playing it once with a mic and a pick up channel - so 3 different recordings of the song over 6 channels.

My guitar is a brightish Maton Messiah, his is a mahogany Martin D18 with lighter strings - his guit sounds more "American country" when recorded (Matons have a sound of their own... can be hard to tame when recording but this one's better than others I've owned..)

So far I've just put my two versions hard left and right and split the two channels (mic/pup) a little, and have plonked his version at about 1/2 right, again splitting the two channels a little.

They sound fine together even without touching EQ but it struck me that I sort of did that mix set up on autopilot, without thinking of any other way of doing it.

Anyone got any suggestions they'd like to offer as to how to place / mix these 6 channels that might be worth trying?

There will be singing over most of it, eventually...

Thanks in advance :drunk:
 
I think only you can judge that! You might fade the p-up sound down a bit for all 3 takes (giving a more acoustic-room sound, but that all depends on what overall sound you want. There is no 'right' answer for this. I often go back to things I've recorded and thought, "hey, what if I tried it THAT way instead", but usually the first attempt is the one that your brain wanted.
 
Sounds as if your trying to get the early "byrds" sound, if so it will be very open/airy what you may have to do Armistice to gel this all together is to add a bass line.







:cool:
 
Armistice said:
JUST REALISED I SHOULD HAVE PUT THIS IN MIXING... whoops... anyway...
Anyone got any suggestions they'd like to offer as to how to place / mix these 6 channels that might be worth trying?
There will be singing over most of it, eventually...
QUOTE]

I think I would start by trying to keep the two guitarists panned apart - say 80/20 hard left and the other 80/20 hard right. Since you have 4 channels of you on one side and 2 of him on the other, you will have to balance the levels a bit. This would give a "real" sound of different guitarists playing. If you want that.

Fill the intervening stereo field with vocals.
Click to expand...
 
Armistice said:
They sound fine together even without touching EQ but it struck me that I sort of did that mix set up on autopilot, without thinking of any other way of doing it.
Click to expand...
If it ain't fixed, don't break it.
 
grimtraveller said:
If it ain't fixed, don't break it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there is that... it just struck me that this is what I always do, so perhaps I should consider other options...

It's only a demo so perhaps I shouldn't overthink it... I'm sure the legions of our fans on myspace (at last count = 5) don't appreciate the subtleties!

I may post it up somewhere later in the week perhaps, depending upon how recording progresses...

Cheers
 
Son of Yoda,
If you routinely cook good meals that people love, without pepper, does it profit you to pour in a whole cannister for the sake of doing something different ?

The interplanetary council has spoken.
 
grimtraveller said:
Son of Yoda,
If you routinely cook good meals that people love, without pepper, does it profit you to pour in a whole cannister for the sake of doing something different ?

The interplanetary council has spoken.
Click to expand...

No, but you could add a little to see how it tastes. Make sure you keep your tried and true mix, then the sky's the limit. As I say with digital you have nothing to lose, literally.
 
grimtraveller said:
If you routinely cook good meals that people love, without pepper, does it profit you to pour in a whole cannister for the sake of doing something different ?
Click to expand...
Cooking analogies? Cooking f***ing analogies????? Who's brilliant idea was that crap?????






j/k :D

G.
 
Now I just have to work out what the mixing version of "adding pepper is..."

:laughings:

Perhaps I'll just add more reverb on everything... that works.. :)
 
grimtraveller said:
I learned at the skillet of the master........:D
Click to expand...
Ahhh, yes, of course....

Swedish-Chef-and-Moose-the-muppets-77712_512_410.jpg


G.
 
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