New Neo-Classical Acoustic Track.. Trying to get a good sound.

[demensia]

Hi.
I haven't been around in some time.. I've been working on jamming with a band and playing out instead of recording..

Now I've got some more of my own stuff that I want to get down nice and clear.. But I'm having some trouble with noise...

I just bought a SM81 thinking it would help clear up the problem, but it hasn't done much. In my opinion it doesn't even sound better than the PG81 that I had.. But maybe I just haven't learned to position it right yet...

I'm thinking my preamp could be a bottleneck too.. Its a presonus bluetube.. And I've had it on for about 2 years straight... Could that be a problem? Hurt the tube? Theres no power button on the thing, so I just assumed it stayed on. It doesnt make my voice warm anymore, it just seems to make things (including noise) louder... I'm recording into Audition with a Delta 4/4.

Anyway.. Heres a track with as little noise as I can get.. Its recorded with a taylor 410ce, both the SM81 and the PG81 at a 90 degree angle pointing toward the 12th fret, capsules about an inch apart.

I'd like some ideas on how I could get a clearer sound.

Anyway.. The track is at

Thanks Guys,

Luke.

 

[Rockerbob]

It sounds pretty darn good. It sounds like a guitar. I don't hear noise as a problem. Nice playing and good guitar sound.

Of course, if you want more clarity, get a Collings OM.

 

[demensia]

It sounds good at low volume, but if I turn it up in my monitors its very noisy.
Maybe its the monitors that suck.. They're studiophile sp-5bs

 

[NL5]

I hear the noise you are talking about. It sounds to me like your preamp gain is up pretty high. Is that right?

 

[demensia]

No, I got had the gain up only to about 4. The drive was up all the way though. That was the hottest signal with the least noise I could get out of the unit. I'm going to try replacing the tube since I've never done that.. I've been using the preamp for a few years now, and I didn't know the tube was supposed to be replaced. We'll see how the tube replacement does.

I'm pissed I thought it was the mic, and it obviously isnt.

 

[NL5]

It could be the mic, but in my experience, it's usually the electronics.

You said the "drive" was turned all the way up?

That can't be good either.

I don'yt think changing the tube will do much good.

Can you borrow a better pre from someone?

 

[demensia]

Changing the tube is helping the sound, but not the noise.
The drive is just how much singnal goes through the tube.
Either way, one of them has to be turned up alot in order to get a hot enough signal.. I assumed drive would be better than gain..

It could be picking up the computer fan... But I doubt thats it.. I'm placing the mic pretty far away.. Theres nothing else in here really thats making noise.