K
ktismael
New member
So, in what I suppose is a fairly common procedure I've been undergoing "recording block" somewhat similar to writer's block. In short, everytime I say, "OK, now I'm going to sit down and record the latest track I've been working on" I suddenly come up with a new idea and spend a couple hours dinking around on guitar or keys to find out what it was going to become and then it was time to sign off for the night to be ready for the horrendous day job.
Don't get me wrong: I like recording. But still, the process of creation is far more interesting than the process of recording to me. And recording is *work*. Hard work. Who wants to do that when you're come up with page after page of great lyrics and melody lines?
So, I broke out of this finally last night, and decided, as early as 7 PM to sit and finish the backlog of work I'd gotten to. And after rerouting cables for the requisite 10 minutes I got my axe (Ovation Celebrity 6 string) plugged in.
And, just in order to get it out of the way, yes, its an elect-acoust and yes, I've been recording it direct rather than micing it. I suspect this will get me a big flame, which maybe I deserve, but I'm mostly just trying to get "demo" quality tracks, as I'm new to this whole recording racket, and am prepared to royally screw up my first go at it.
So be a little nice. I'll get around to direct micing with dynamics and then adding a condenser for ambience and whatever else needs to happen, but right now I just need to do *something.* Anyway.
After tuning, I started everything up for a quick sound check, and it sounded like a big box of hell. Weird, crazy low level tones like transistors belching. And after 10 minutes of strumming and swearing I came upon a conclusion.
Everytime I play a "D" I get this crazy resonance. Not just the D-string, but playing a D on the A-string, or tuning B up to a D. It only shows up through the electronics (when I plug into an amp, or monitor through my multitrack with headphones or speakers). I tried using my hands to mute every part of the guitar and I couldn't find anything that slowed it down in the bridge or the neck or the body. This isn't a new guitar, I've had it for several months and have recorded on it before without this problem. Its also the only acoustic I have, so its the only thing I can record with, short of buying a new guitar.
The question (knew you were waiting for it):
Has anyone seen this? Is it a problem with the pickup? Is there any reasonable, cheap, or quick way to get around this with the current setup? Assuming that answer is no, am I stuck micing after all?
Finally: Does the universe hate me? Will I ever get to record these songs?
Before this message approaches Tolstoy (too late) I'll quit here. But any suggestions or fellow suffering would be appreciated. I'm not a guitar guy (knowing just enough to be dangerous), but I am an engineer and have a background in acoustics, so I can take a little bit of tech-speak without melting.
--ish
Don't get me wrong: I like recording. But still, the process of creation is far more interesting than the process of recording to me. And recording is *work*. Hard work. Who wants to do that when you're come up with page after page of great lyrics and melody lines?
So, I broke out of this finally last night, and decided, as early as 7 PM to sit and finish the backlog of work I'd gotten to. And after rerouting cables for the requisite 10 minutes I got my axe (Ovation Celebrity 6 string) plugged in.
And, just in order to get it out of the way, yes, its an elect-acoust and yes, I've been recording it direct rather than micing it. I suspect this will get me a big flame, which maybe I deserve, but I'm mostly just trying to get "demo" quality tracks, as I'm new to this whole recording racket, and am prepared to royally screw up my first go at it.
So be a little nice. I'll get around to direct micing with dynamics and then adding a condenser for ambience and whatever else needs to happen, but right now I just need to do *something.* Anyway.
After tuning, I started everything up for a quick sound check, and it sounded like a big box of hell. Weird, crazy low level tones like transistors belching. And after 10 minutes of strumming and swearing I came upon a conclusion.
Everytime I play a "D" I get this crazy resonance. Not just the D-string, but playing a D on the A-string, or tuning B up to a D. It only shows up through the electronics (when I plug into an amp, or monitor through my multitrack with headphones or speakers). I tried using my hands to mute every part of the guitar and I couldn't find anything that slowed it down in the bridge or the neck or the body. This isn't a new guitar, I've had it for several months and have recorded on it before without this problem. Its also the only acoustic I have, so its the only thing I can record with, short of buying a new guitar.
The question (knew you were waiting for it):
Has anyone seen this? Is it a problem with the pickup? Is there any reasonable, cheap, or quick way to get around this with the current setup? Assuming that answer is no, am I stuck micing after all?
Finally: Does the universe hate me? Will I ever get to record these songs?
Before this message approaches Tolstoy (too late) I'll quit here. But any suggestions or fellow suffering would be appreciated. I'm not a guitar guy (knowing just enough to be dangerous), but I am an engineer and have a background in acoustics, so I can take a little bit of tech-speak without melting.
--ish
