recording acoustic guitar

[Ael]

Silly recording question...but I'm using Pro Tools Mpowered and an MAudio Firewire 410 Interface..a friend and I wanted to record a song using his acoustic guitar, but for some reason, we can never get him loud enough while recording, and the times we put the gain up, we get this fizzing/"shhhh" sound from the monitors during playback (and recording even)...he's using an acoustic pickup (obvioulsy), but I can't figure out how to get that static noise to go away, it's really bothersome...any input?

[calmar]

wich microphones do you use? And maybe try to set a better recording quality in your soundcard and/or sequencer.

[Enigma™]

Just sounds like you're getting hiss at the gain stage. As advice, never use the piezo pickups on an acoustic for recording. Use a mic...


If you can get a decent mic, the better, but generally that'll fix most of your problems if you get a good mic/preamp combo.

[Grey Loki]

Gainer...?

[Ael]

So basically don't use the pickup, just mic the guitar and record it that way is what you're all saying? lol I guess that means I have to use headphones to play the rest of the track for the guitarist so he can record in time..

[Grey Loki]

Yep.

It's a nice effect (if you have the mics to spare) to record a mic at the 'sound hole' and then another one at the fretboard, then pan them slightly left and right in the mix. I think this is done most noticabley in Misunderstood (SDOIT).

[Ael]

Let's say I don't have the microphones...(which I don't, I may be able to borrow some from a friend, but...), yeah so if I don't have them, what are other ways of reducing this noise...?

[lighthouse]

Are you just using the M-Audio´s preamp?



Juan Pablo

[Ael]

Yeah, I just have it plugged into the M-Audio Firewire 410 (on the front where the Mic/Inst inputs are)

[Enigma™]

Well, the problem is actually the pickup. External acoustic pickups are generally HORRIBLE for producing line noise. That's why they invented piezo pickups *I remember reading anyway*
The problem is that the coiled pickups in an electric are passive *usually* and go through an amp or distortion pedal.
When you crank the volume on an acoustic pickup, you're increasing the amount of line noise associated with it.
A POSSIBLE solution is to get a VST that is a maximizer of sorts. You'd record the guitar without the line noise, but it'll be really quiet. Then you basically EQ it to bring out certain levels that may make it more audible however there's not much you're going to be able to do depending on the noise/sound ratio.

[Grey Loki]

I suppose to build on what Enigma suggests, if you could find a decent Graphic/Parametric EQ VST, you could install it, isolate the frequencies the hiss is on, and reduce them, but that's a time-consuming way to work, plus depending on what frequencies the sound is, you might lose some of the definition on the guitar track.

[Enigma™]

Which is why you would use a mic, so you don't have that problem. Otherwise, use a sonic maximizer or compressor/limiter combination to bring the overall boost up but again, you'll be bringing up the noise floor as well.

[Ael]

Alright, thanks guys, I'm going to see if I can get my friend's microphones and see if we can use that...by the way, what microphones are good in general for recording an acoustic guitar or just an acoustic instrument in general ? I"m trying not too expensive...this is mainly for a home/personal use, not something ultra professional, I just want something that is going to sound pretty good.

[Enigma™]

You'll get a decent sound from a Shure58... pretty standard mic I think.

That's what we use anyway and sounds pretty good

[calmar]

What I do to record a guitar with a good stereo effect, I use the Shure SM57 -its like the 58 but for acoustic instruments- and a condenser microphone (more expensive, but very sensitive, and you need a 48V alim. (that you'll find on any good mixer)) If you want to record with only 1 mic and don't want to spend much money, go with the SM57 (around 70$US). Or a cheap condenser mic like the Audio-Thechnica AT3035 (~250$US), the Apex 420 OR 430 (~350 and 250$US). Personnaly, I own an Apex 420 and a SM57, and I get a great guitar sound. But if you record with a condenser mic, you'll need a very quiet piece, because its very sensitive, you'll record all the noise in the piece, like the computer fan, etc...

Dave

[lighthouse]

I ´ve got nice results with a Shure PG81....put it about 15cm facinh the bridge but close to the body so you get resonance of the wood and the brightness of the strings


Juan Pablo