muddy thumpy boomy crappy recording.

  • Thread starter Thread starter tjohnston
  • Start date Start date
tjohnston

tjohnston

New member
First of all I would like to thank everyone who has helped me in the past. I really appreciate. I underestimated how difficult this really is.

I am stereo micing my acoustic guitar (Taylor 414 grand) with 2 sm-81. I am having a problem with muddy unfocused bass. The treble strings sound fine. I know what your gonna say...."Move the mic away from the sound hole. I tried that. I have the mic pointed a few inches away from the bridge. I have been experimenting with mic placement for days. Nothing seems to work. If I point the mic away from the bridge the sounds becomes thin and hollow. Move it a little bit and its muddy and thumpy. There no happy medium. I am not sure how much it will help but panel bass traps are in the process of being built. I also set up my monitors (yorkville) out side the house to see if it was my room. The sound was less muddy but still not pretty. I refuse to blame this on the gear or the guitar. As always thanks for your replies.
 
Also, use the low cut on the SM81, those things pick-up sounds you can't even hear with your ears, they are so flat.
 
The low cut filter.... is that the straight line or the bent one? Either way it still sounds dull and thumpy.
 
It's the bent one.
Try keeping the best placement you've found but just move it back a few inches or even a foot.
You've probably tried that already though...maybe it's time for a different mic.
 
For the mic on the "body"...Start at the "end pin"this is the button that the strap gos to..start there and move it closer to the bridge{experiment with the angle/distance of the mic also} the closer to the bridge the "muddier" it will get Taylors are pretty brite you'll get it...Good luck



Don
 
If you can get your hands on a decent small diaphragm omni, give it a try. What you're mainly fighting here is the proximity effect of directional mics.

BTW I think I'll steal the title of this thread for my studio name:

Muddy Thumpy Boomy Crappy Recording Inc.

...it has a certain ring to it.

SG
 
tjohnston said:
I have the mic pointed a few inches away from the bridge.
Click to expand...

Try micing in xy about 6" out from the neck joint.

Also, if you are going to mic in spaced pair, you need to back the mics off the guitar IMO. Sounds like you are micing too close to the box.
 
heavily compress 0 to 350 hz. this is what i've used to get rid of the crappy boomy bass sound of palm muting, and it may help here as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top