EQing SOLO Acoustic guitar?

[ofajen]

Purely for comic relief, and not as a suggested practice, I'll mention that I usually record both nylon and steel string acoustics from a working distance of 18 to 24 inches within the Quick Sound Field created by ASC Studio Traps.

Most often recorded in mono with a ribbon mike (M130), or perhaps two in the "Blumlein" crossed figure-8 stereo configuration, angled down from above, rather than straight out in front.

It usually ends up sounding very natural without a lot of tweaking (other than perhaps a HF shelf going to tape to make up for some high end roll off on the ribbon mike above 10K). Getting away from up close and right out front reduces the prominence of the strong resonant modes of the guitar top and finger squeaks are not unnaturally prominent, either.

Cheers,

Otto

[DupleMeter]

I second the back off a bit method. I prefer a couple of KM184s at about the same 18-24" back and slightly up so they point down toward the instrument (about equal with the players head if they're sitting aimed down to the "business parts" of the guitar). I find I need a lot less EQ to get a great sound that way.

Though, I have been known to get right in there with a good ol' SM7b just a couple inches from the neck/body joint...but I find myself doing that more for mandolin than guitar these days.

[Brian Brock]

depending on how much time you have, and how prevalent the string squeaks are, a little bit of spectral cleaning (that's what Samplitude calls it, anyway - basically you zoom in and remove offending frequencies by crossfading them with the immediate surroundings) can be just the ticket.

[hank alrich]

hey. so ive been recording some solo acoustic guitar (some picked single notes and thicker chords) stuff and have a few questions as to EQing suggestions. ive been using a TS1 (on neck) and a C414 (below bridge) in stereo and its definitely on the crisp side. i always find myself cutting 100 and 200 a bit, then trying to find some upper freqs to cut down on string noise. any suggestions as to specific freqs that string noise tend to spike at?

Have you tried backing the mics away from the guitar a distance about equal to the full length of the instrument, and putting them into an X/Y coincident cardioid configuration? A little distance can help alleviate both proximity effect (the low end problem) and string/finger noises (the high end problem). This often captures a much more natural sound if one wants the full sound of the guitar, as opposed to a portion of an acoustic guitar that will sit nicely in a dense mix.

[aaronaustin]

I'm gonna totally avoid answering the question and talk about mic placement too. I've got somebody else mixing my album right now so I don't have to screw with the eq.

I really like putting a mic so it's looking down the neck of the guitar. It still sort of points at the 12th fret, but is usually up around the 5th or so looking down the length of the neck. sometimes I'll throw another mic looking up the other way. But this is my guitar. I just dance around the mic for awhile to see where I'm gonna get the sound I'm looking for.

I also tend to use different mics for fingerstyle stuff than for strumming. When I'm fingerpicking I really like a heil pr20 looking down the neck and a cascade fathead at the body. Whether or not it ends up in stereo, I like the tone of those two mics combined on my axe. As for string noise, I try soaking my hand in warm water or something. It helps.

I also got an oktavamod 219 and sometimes I just plug the sucker in, stand back and strum. It just works.

Sorry for not answering your question and taking so much time not to do it.

[KennyLusk]

Try a de-esser for the string noise.

I don't often EQ AC guitar at all but this is one of my favorite effects when the mix calls for it. Love, lovely effect. Play with de-essing a narrow band around 7k (that's where I play with it anyway).

[red cross]

hey. so ive been recording some solo acoustic guitar (some picked single notes and thicker chords) stuff and have a few questions as to EQing suggestions. ive been using a TS1 (on neck) and a C414 (below bridge) in stereo and its definitely on the crisp side. i always find myself cutting 100 and 200 a bit, then trying to find some upper freqs to cut down on string noise. any suggestions as to specific freqs that string noise tend to spike at?

Pull the mics back. If the room sounds bad find a better one to record in, no kidding. I'll have to chime in and say I don't think massive amounts of EQ on a solo acoustic recording is something my ear particularly bends towards. Still, whatever works eh.

[meldar produxshunz]

well...its all done for now. mastered and all. let me know what you think. i just put it on my myspace. there are a few old tunes (unmastered and recorded on my old H4, pre logic/ensemble/etc) on there with a bunch more plays counted on there. anything with like 1 or 2 is from the most recent effort. if nothing else, an improvement from the last stuff. though i have a fondness for the oldies too, before i even knew how to edit. haha. here is a link:

http://www.myspace.com/matthewmeldon

[bronsonmestizo]

Only because you asked, I have only used a close neck/body configuration when (a) the acoustic is in a dense mix, or (b) when the player is incredibly proficient and can therefore play without all of the scratchy mess. I am not a noiseless player, and can't get away with close mics for a solo acoustic track. I think it best to back off the mics, if your environment allows this. I have a huge space in the middle of nowhere and there, I can really utilize distance... However, I LIVE 5 blocks from UG Athens in a noisy apt. So for immediacy's sake, I'll have to adapt to the new living locale'. At any rate, the first line is always best. If you can't edit your playing, edit your micing. If you can't do that, start shelving and compressing. There are a lot of great ideas here posted already, and experimenting with these ideas will at least teach you new ways of handling material in the future.

[bronsonmestizo]

Okay, nevermind all of that... it sounds quite nice. Very nice playing.

[meldar produxshunz]

thanks. i think that the key is getting it right with mic placement. EQing that stuff was a bitch. seems like you cant have it ALL. def learned alot about mic combinations. still could never really get a good picked acoustic sound. always too bright.

but thanks! im really jonesing bad for a chandler germ tone control. im thinking thats next for me. EQing in the box i was never 100% happy.

[DJ_LBP]

Man, I think your Bach Prelude sounds awesome. I remember playing that in college.

Off-topic, but you ever play any Villa-Lobos?

[meldar produxshunz]

yeah, the VL is probably my favorite classy guitar stuff. if there were more like that, id probably have stuck with it! thanks though.

im pretty happy with how the classy stuff turned out. steel string guitars seem a bit more problematic for me. either too bright, too bassy. ive been drooling looking at these vintage KM54s they have for sale at vintage king. wish i had $7000 sitting around. then it would be on!

[hank alrich]

You might enjoy a pair of Schoeps CMC6 amps w/Mk4 cardioid heads. Very little color; terrific articulation. Not cheap, but less than the KM54's, which are very nice mics, too.

[Brian Brock]

Yeah Villalobos and Leo Brouwer are the greatest. I like how they develop harmonies by inventing ways to play the guitar rather than trying to invent ways to play a given harmony.

Those H4 recordings sound pretty good. I assume it was sitting back from the guitar a ways, and it does have a less glassy sound.

Although I think the 414 is probably contributing mightily to the crispiness you noted in your newer recordings, I think guitar is definitely one of those things where the recording comes from everything before the mic capsule.