Recording Accoustic

[howlin'dog]

Put on your thinking caps.....


We have been getting some really good results with recording at my buddy's house on his BR8

one thing is we have had a hard time getting a real clean crisp accoustic sound down. we can get the sound of what we want by running the guitar through the amp but on final it just looses some of the good stuff.

Any suggestions?

Howlin' Dog

(p.s. Please bare with all the happy faces i just figured how they work )

 

[Jon X]

Are you miking the amp? What have you tried so far to record it? If you are getting the sound you want through the amp, it's a great start. Now just get in there and move the mic around until it's picking up the sound you want. If there's a couple of ya, one put on the headphones and play the guitar while the other moves the mic to different positions until you hit the spot. Sometimes this can take a while.

Since you said you are getting the sound you want by plugging it into an amp, I wouldn't try anything else until you exhaust every mic and mic placement you have at your disposal trying to capture that sound. If you can at least get really close to the sound that way, a little EQ could then finish it off.

 

[Gidge]

I like a natural acoustic sound whenever possibe (guitar + mic)....does the guitar sound good to start off with (the room sound)?......

 

[howlin'dog]

We have shy'd away from to much micing of the amp do to the room.

It is a basment room with no sound treatments.


Howlin' Dog

 

[Jon X]

I'm agree with Gidge on liking a more natural sound with just guitar and mic, but sounds like this situation makes it tough. How much have you worked with miking the guitar itself or the amp even, concentrating on removing room noise by where you place the mic? I would hate to drop that idea, especially when you are getting a sound you like, except when you go direct to record. (Are you going direct out of the amp or the guitar itself to record?)

Just throwing out suggestions, cause obviously I have no other ideas. Room can't be that bad if you like the sound of the guitar through the amp in that same room.

 

[Gidge]

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36354

check out this for a $35 mic.......

 

[baldguy]

I don't know if you're trying to go for a live thing or not but if your room sucks try moving the amp and/or guitar to different places in the basement. I used to record a friend of mine's acoustic in an untreated basement with tons of concrete. The best spot we found was sitting at the bottom of the stairs. I don't know if it just made him more comfortable or what but it seemed to sound better which made him play better. Never mic'ed an acoustic through an amp but I would probably turn up the treble on the amp just because that's what I hear when I listen to acoustic guitars. That and a whole bunch of mud if I recorded it.

 

[howlin'dog]

all the ideas are great. We have used SM57, 58, Beta 58, MXL 2001, 1006, and AKG 3700D mics.

The thing we haven't tried to much is moving the amp around.

the room is heavy concrete and paneling. we have tried curtins along all concrete walls and cloth room dividers. these have added greatly for recording vocals and drums.(stopping the bounce)

The guitar My buddy uses sounds awsome plugged in but lacks the full sound acousticly to just use a mic.

Howlin' Dog

 

[Chibi Nappa]

Why record in the basement? Go up to a bedroom or something. Here is what I do to record accoustic guitars:

First of all, I avoid using pickups and amps at all costs. It just does not sound natural. As far as placing a mic in front of the guitar, have the person playing the guitar sit down and start playing. Have the person recording the guitar plug up one of his ears and put his open ear in front of the guitar as if it were the microphone, moving his head around to find the spot with the best sound. Trust me, this "sweet spot" jumps out and smacks you in the face. No skill required to find it. Once the ear is in the spot that sounds best, have the guitar player put his finger at that point in space and hold it there while the recording person gets the mic and puts it in position. Just line it right up with where the guitar player is holding his finger. Angle the mic to point towards the bridge for brightness, away for less brightness. I use a condenser to record. Usually a small diaphram like an Oktava MC012 for a guitar that needs to be bright and prominent in the mix or a large diaphram like a Studio Projects C1 for a warmer guitar sound. Give this a shot and see if it works for you. I have recorded terrific sounds with this method.

Edit: Oh yeah! Use brand new strings every time! That makes an unbelivable difference.

 

[dobro]

Chibi Nappa - I've dusted off my esoteric Buddhist meditation manuals, and am currently working on the one where you can be in two places at once. My plan is to sit at the mic with my guitar, and then me #2 carries out the procedure you outlined above to find the sweet spot. It's a homerecording approach.

 

[Chibi Nappa]

I made it halfway through the meditation classes, gave up, and called a friend over to do the mic placement.

 

[vulcanofga]

Chibi, You nailed it.I have used a similar method with good results.I do use a good bit of compression on accustic guitar.I know its not good just to start smashing stuff but when I A/B accustic guitar recordings the commpressed signal wins every time for me.

Monty,

 

[boardman]

if your using an acoustic with a saddle pickup or any other for that matter, try running it direct. use a di box, eq flat. once recorded, then use eq, comp, etc. just go easy. you want it to sound like an acoustic. i do this all the time, never use a mic unless the acoustic doesn't have pickup. then use a good tight condenser and the setup that has already been mentioned. new strings do make a world of difference. so does the guitar and pickup. i use a gibson cl30 deluxe guitar that has a fishman under saddle pickup. works and sounds great in the studio and live. oh yeah, may sure the pickup is pre-amped, if not pre-amp it before the direct box.

 

[Chibi Nappa]

I do use a good bit of compression on accustic guitar.I know its not good just to start smashing stuff but when I A/B accustic guitar recordings the commpressed signal wins every time for me.

Monty,

Yeah, I compress mine too, but at mixdown instead of recording. It really can help. As far as that pickup sound, I went out of my way to buy a guitar that didn't have one. I know it's just personal preferance, but I really can't stand that sound! I cringe every time I hear it on a live album. Accoustic pickups almost compleatly ruin the otherwise terrific Nirvana Unplugged album. Almost.

 

[boardman]

Using or not using a pickup on an acoutic is obvisouly a matter of choice. However, a good acoustic with a good pickup mixed right can and does sound as good as micing. I could give many examples of recordings but it would take to much typing and the issue isn't worth it. What ever sounds good to you is what you should do know matter what anyone else says. Go for it!!!

 

[Chibi Nappa]

Using or not using a pickup on an acoutic is obvisouly a matter of choice. What ever sounds good to you is what you should do know matter what anyone else says. Go for it!!!

You speak the truth.... Can't argue there.