Acoustic Guitar Size in a Bass Heavy Mix
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Acoustic Guitar Size in a Bass Heavy Mix
If I want to record an Acoustic and the rhythm section is already quite bass heavy, would a smaller sized guitar be a better choice? Or will EQ allow any size to work just as well?
Hopefully I'm not being too vague for a proper answer.
Thanks.
Hopefully I'm not being too vague for a proper answer.
Thanks.
Re: Acoustic Guitar Size in a Bass Heavy Mix
One option is Nashville-strung guitar, where you use lighter strings on the E, A, D, and G so that you can tune them an octave higher - it's based on the idear of a 12-string with the lower octave strings removed.
Or you can shelf off a lot of the lows, boost some highs - I like a parametric and a shelf for this but a graphic or a tilt can also work.
A smaller guitar might be easier to work with, but mic'ing is important whatever the size of the guitar - pointing at the neck is brighter vs. at the sound hole, from above rather than straight on, a little farther away, etc.
I have found that a chorus on the acoustic can also brighten it to cut better, or sometimes a small and tight plate reverb.
Or you can shelf off a lot of the lows, boost some highs - I like a parametric and a shelf for this but a graphic or a tilt can also work.
A smaller guitar might be easier to work with, but mic'ing is important whatever the size of the guitar - pointing at the neck is brighter vs. at the sound hole, from above rather than straight on, a little farther away, etc.
I have found that a chorus on the acoustic can also brighten it to cut better, or sometimes a small and tight plate reverb.
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Size in a Bass Heavy Mix
The correct answer is:
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Size in a Bass Heavy Mix
The missing equation here is whether the acoustic is acting as part of the rhythm section or if it's a featured instrument. How big and prominent does it need to be in the mix?
If it's acting like a percussion instrument then you can pick a bright mic and roll off the lows until it fits the way it should. If it's a featured instrument you may need to follow a similar path but also use eq to carve some space out of the rest of the rhythm section so it has room to shine.
If it's acting like a percussion instrument then you can pick a bright mic and roll off the lows until it fits the way it should. If it's a featured instrument you may need to follow a similar path but also use eq to carve some space out of the rest of the rhythm section so it has room to shine.
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Size in a Bass Heavy Mix
arrangement is the other thing I haven't seen anyone say yet - by that I mean, if it's a strumming part, don't play the same chords. play different voicings, maybe higher up the neck, or a harmony, or capo it (or like VVV said, alternate tuning). If it's a picked/plucked part, then again something higher up the neck so it's not sitting in the same frequency range. A smaller guitar won't necessarily change that since it's still tuned the same. and I agree with using a brighter mic, if that's what sounds good (that usually works good for a strummed guitar but may not be best for an arpeggiated thing...)
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Size in a Bass Heavy Mix
In addition to the great advice above, I'd think a lot about mic choice. I smooth, even, extended mic is not actually what you want. A mic with rolled off bottom and a presence peak is going to be much better. I love AT Pro37s for stuff like this, but a lot of things can work, including dynamic mics. A Beyer M201 could work, and to get a little space around it an EV 635A might be the ticket. Placement is often based on tone desired, and the function of the part.
Re: Acoustic Guitar Size in a Bass Heavy Mix
And then there's the nuclear option ...
... sub in a banjo.
... sub in a banjo.
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Size in a Bass Heavy Mix
What role does the guitar play in that song/at that part of the arrangement? What kinda frequency range does it need to occupy to do the job? Does it still work when i cut the lows? Do it get away with just an SM57, mono? Is the guitar played well enough to contribute low frequencies to the rhythm?
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Size in a Bass Heavy Mix
i like sdc for nice clear top end but not as much lows - akg 460 is my fave for this.
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Size in a Bass Heavy Mix
I'm thinking mic placement and rolling off some lows should work with about any acoustic.
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