Preamp suggestion for MXL 603s

  • Thread starter Thread starter gypsyhick
  • Start date Start date
I'm laying an opinion then, because I think your logic is faulty. :D Not because I don't think you should get an RNP.

But ... you say you "invested" in a lower end preamp and are not happy. How do you know it's the preamp you're not happy with? For guys in your situation, about 99% of the time, the preamp has very little to do with anything. More than likely, it's the guitar ... it's the way you're mic'ing it ... and it's the room, along with your experience level and expectations.
.

Thanks for the advice. I know I have to gain more experience to utilize better equipment. However in this case, it really is the preamp. The Firebox just doesn't have a lot of gain. I have to max out the gain on the unit and still use the 12db digital boost in the software. Its this digital boost that I'm trying to avoid. The Firebox pre's only have 35db of gain.

But with your logic I still could get a DMP-3 and be happy. I guess that is the question. whether, "I" can produce a $300 difference between the DMP-3 and RNP. I got faith I can. Maybe not right away but over time and then I won't have to buy another Pre.
 
This is good advise. Even with the highest end pre's and mics you'll run into trouble recording $2k+ acoustic guitars. I went through many acoustic guitars before finding one I was content recording, and I've yet to find a mic that suits it exactly as I'd like to hear.

At the same time, the more varied your gear and the better the quality gives you more opportunity to record the sound you're looking for.

As far as boominess goes it's all pretty logical: make sure your room is not adding to the low end in a negative way. Start with one mic on the guitar and find a position that's not boomy that sounds good. Then add another mic if needed and make sure it's not boomy either. I'd be more concerned about the boominess before worrying about phase. If you EQ use subtractive with a small Q, watching for phase.

Yeah this expensive guitar has overtones galore, which is why I bought it. Unfortunately, it is a bear to actually record that sound.

Thanks for the tips on the boom. I recorded a mic test project with various positions but never once thought about doing just one mic. Do you think your same tip would be valid if I just went back to the project files and solo'ed a mic out of the x/y or pair config?

You said watch for phase. With each increment of EQ, will the low end start phasing first or is it totally random for each situation? Just trying to get my ears in the right direction.
 
I personally try to record acoustic guitar in mono whenever I can get away with it. You'll have much more controll over boominess this way and also won't have to deal with phase between 2 mics at all.

For EQ the key (for me) is listening critically. In a dense pop mix you can EQ an acoustic guitar a tremendous amount to get it to sound good in the mix.

If you're recording solo acoustic guitar it's a different story; assuming you want the most natural tone possible you may want to use multiple cuts with high Q settings anywhere between 100Hz-400Hz. Many thin, narrow band cuts will sound better than one wide cut when it comes to acoustic guitar.
 

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