Old 12-01-2016, 12:19 AM   #1
dmoss74
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Default i need engineer's ears to help me out here

https://app.box.com/s/7cu0yqaij4rc0w4iis4kp3bdtiaxmkth

this file is indicative of a problem i am having recording my acoustic guitar. there are so many stray overtones when i attempt to eq/mix these tracks, that i'm ready to pull my hair out.

the file linked here has only had a hpf (123hz) applied. from here, any attempts i make to get this to sound good just devolve into frustration. i use reaeq for eq, but end up with so many points of notching that it kills me, and yet never sounds good.

the room i am recording in is roughly 15'x 20', but has vaulted ceilings (carpeted floor) and a side room attached that would be half way down the long side. it being an additional 10'x 10' cut into the left side wall.

from what i can tell,there are certain harmonic overtones that are he culprits. i guess what i'm wondering is, are there portable diffusion items/blankets i could use to tame these overtones? if you open this file in reareq, the analyzer graph will show you what i'm talking about.

mic is a c 414, close miced (10" to 12") pointed that the neck/body joint, and angled slightly towards the sound hole. i used the hyper cardioid pattern here, and have the roll off set to 160 hz. the guitar is an eastman e10ss (adirondack spruce over mahogany back and sides).

thanks for any suggestions.

Last edited by dmoss74; 12-01-2016 at 01:22 AM.
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Old 12-01-2016, 10:54 AM   #2
thunderbroom
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dmoss74 View Post
https://app.box.com/s/7cu0yqaij4rc0w4iis4kp3bdtiaxmkth

this file is indicative of a problem i am having recording my acoustic guitar. there are so many stray overtones when i attempt to eq/mix these tracks, that i'm ready to pull my hair out.

the file linked here has only had a hpf (123hz) applied. from here, any attempts i make to get this to sound good just devolve into frustration. i use reaeq for eq, but end up with so many points of notching that it kills me, and yet never sounds good.

the room i am recording in is roughly 15'x 20', but has vaulted ceilings (carpeted floor) and a side room attached that would be half way down the long side. it being an additional 10'x 10' cut into the left side wall.

from what i can tell,there are certain harmonic overtones that are he culprits. i guess what i'm wondering is, are there portable diffusion items/blankets i could use to tame these overtones? if you open this file in reareq, the analyzer graph will show you what i'm talking about.

mic is a c 414, close miced (10" to 12") pointed that the neck/body joint, and angled slightly towards the sound hole. i used the hyper cardioid pattern here, and have the roll off set to 160 hz. the guitar is an eastman e10ss (adirondack spruce over mahogany back and sides).

thanks for any suggestions.
It became quite apparent to see what was going on. Overall, it's not a bad source recording. I'm not sure you need the hyper cardioid setting on the mic - maybe open it up to regular cardioid. You also might try a pair of mics and record in X/Y too.

In running it through, the frequency issues were obvious but really easy to fix. Here's what I did for a quick-n-dirty fix to tame the guitar:

I used the standard 4 band ReaEQ.
Band 1 - used a hi-pass filter starting around 60Hz, with the full 2 octave spread - that was to remove the lo-end rumble
Band 2 - set -3dB at around 265Hz, with a narrower spread - just shy of an octave. That was the biggest problem area, and something I almost always cut from just about every track (aside from fingered bass) before I get started. This made a hell of a difference
Band 3 - reduced -4dB at 730Hz. Again, all that woofiness and the upper mids that linger were all in here.
Band 4 - The hi frequencies were a bit harsh (are you using bronze or bright coated strings?) Anyway, a hi-shelf of about -2.6 dB starting around 6760K took that "sizzle" off the top - again, narrow bandwidth (.64)

About your room - well there's all kinds of things you could try. Free standing gobos, blankets, etc. Setting up something nearer the player would help initial absorption, but with that vaulted ceiling, you don't want to completely lose the room sound. I'd also strongly suggest (if you have one) a nice ribbon mic as an overhead (which will get the room, keep things warm, and might be a great balance to the C414.) But year, any kind of closer in panels or stands with absorption in front and behind the player would help a bit. That said, it's a good piece, and easily tamed with minimal EQ, so don't kill yourself over it.
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Old 12-01-2016, 04:15 PM   #3
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It became quite apparent to see what was going on. Overall, it's not a bad source recording. I'm not sure you need the hyper cardioid setting on the mic - maybe open it up to regular cardioid. You also might try a pair of mics and record in X/Y too.

In running it through, the frequency issues were obvious but really easy to fix. Here's what I did for a quick-n-dirty fix to tame the guitar:

I used the standard 4 band ReaEQ.
Band 1 - used a hi-pass filter starting around 60Hz, with the full 2 octave spread - that was to remove the lo-end rumble
Band 2 - set -3dB at around 265Hz, with a narrower spread - just shy of an octave. That was the biggest problem area, and something I almost always cut from just about every track (aside from fingered bass) before I get started. This made a hell of a difference
Band 3 - reduced -4dB at 730Hz. Again, all that woofiness and the upper mids that linger were all in here.
Band 4 - The hi frequencies were a bit harsh (are you using bronze or bright coated strings?) Anyway, a hi-shelf of about -2.6 dB starting around 6760K took that "sizzle" off the top - again, narrow bandwidth (.64)

About your room - well there's all kinds of things you could try. Free standing gobos, blankets, etc. Setting up something nearer the player would help initial absorption, but with that vaulted ceiling, you don't want to completely lose the room sound. I'd also strongly suggest (if you have one) a nice ribbon mic as an overhead (which will get the room, keep things warm, and might be a great balance to the C414.) But year, any kind of closer in panels or stands with absorption in front and behind the player would help a bit. That said, it's a good piece, and easily tamed with minimal EQ, so don't kill yourself over it.
thanks for the help. i'll try those eq settings and see what i hear.

oh, and the strings are phosphor bronze (non-coated), and getting a little old for me.
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Old 12-01-2016, 05:12 PM   #4
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Yeah, those strings can be quite bright and often brittle sounding. My standard acoustic for recording is all mahogany, sides, neck, etc. So bronze strings there are necessary to brighten up the warmth. But with your room, I think coming up with some movable absorption could be something you'd end up using quite a bit (even make shift vocal booth.)

My live room is filled with panels by the company GIK Acoustics - affordable, easy to work with, and they make freestanding gobo panels as well. There are also tons of resources available if you choose to DIY some of your own.
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Old 12-01-2016, 05:52 PM   #5
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thanks again, thunderbroom, i appreciate the input.
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Old 12-01-2016, 06:15 PM   #6
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My live room is filled with panels by the company GIK Acoustics
I have 22 of those panels. Great company.
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Old 12-01-2016, 07:45 PM   #7
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I have 22 of those panels. Great company.
I have their bass corner traps, reflection traps, one of the mega bass traps, and 2 reflection traps as a cloud. Love them!
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