acoustic mixing tips

[timh]

of course it helps! anything helps.

and thankyou all for being so friendly and taking time to answer my questions. i really appreciate it.

another sound i really like is Iron&Wine's "The Creek Drank the Cradle" album. its such a great lo-fi sound. thats a sound id really like to achieve one day. it almost sounds like its done on 4-track tape or something.

[DrummerMan]

It's funny to me that people are recommending thin picks. I don't have that recording in front of me but when I think of the kind of smooth, less attacky sound I think you're talking about, I imagine a medium-heavy pick strummed lightly (and evenly, with good technique and control) down towards the neck. Then, yes, well-broken-in strings (though not so old that they've lost all their body) and in mr.smith's case, double tracking. Mic'ing not-too-close seems to help me with that stuff as well.

A guitar that's set up well helps too, minimizing buzzing. Even little micro-buzzes tend to come off as obnoxious string attack sibilance.

YMMV, and obviously different folks have different ways of going about this, but these are things that have worked for me.

[timh]

well last night i went to work on getting this acoustic thing down. and for once i used my sm57. i placed it pointing in the middle of the body behind the bridge, and really close so i could get a loud enough signal. i really liked the sound. it was more of the lo-fi iron&wine thing goin on, but it just sounded right. im gunna have to eq the brightness still, because the b and e strings are a little too much. maybe ill post this song when its done tonight/tomorrow.

[jgimbel]

i really liked the sound. it was more of the lo-fi iron&wine thing goin on, but it just sounded right.

Told ya I'd definitely like to hear it, I love that sound.

[teleharmonium]

It's funny to me that people are recommending thin picks. I don't have that recording in front of me but when I think of the kind of smooth, less attacky sound I think you're talking about, I imagine a medium-heavy pick strummed lightly (and evenly, with good technique and control) down towards the neck.

I agree; I use thin (and small) picks exclusively for guitar because I like the crisp attack and the way the flexibility allows the pick to move through the string faster. Also, the pick itself makes a percussive sound as it contacts the string; they're so thin, they vibrate like a piece of drum head; this is much quieter with a thick pick. You can test this just by holding a pick in one hand and flicking it with your fingers with the other hand. Thin picks make a clear snap; thick ones make a quiet dull thud.

Thick picks, at least the way I use them, are much darker, they transfer more energy to the strings and seem to bring out more bass.

[timh]

alright my song is finished. to download go here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?zln5mm34hvm

to listen, go here:
myspace.com/getoutofthepool

its called lightning show.