Some Acoustics

[kev]

Hi guys, as much as i hate acoustic soppiness, i've recorded a couple of acoustic versions of songs for my rock band to stick on a cd as bonus tracks (not my playing). See if you like them or if anything can be done to improve the tone, or maybe some effects/ mix technqiues i could use as improvements before i record the vocal. We were going to record with a click, but i dont know how to program a click track yet.

www.omission.fireway.co.uk/Acous1.mp3

www.omission.fireway.co.uk/Acous2.mp3

Kev

 

[chadsxe]

Hi guys, as much as i hate acoustic soppiness, i've recorded a couple of acoustic versions of songs for my rock band to stick on a cd as bonus tracks (not my playing). See if you like them or if anything can be done to improve the tone, or maybe some effects/ mix technqiues i could use as improvements before i record the vocal. We were going to record with a click, but i dont know how to program a click track yet.

www.omission.fireway.co.uk/Acous1.mp3

www.omission.fireway.co.uk/Acous2.mp3

Kev

What did you use to record this with.....were was you mic placment.....as of now I think it sounds way to thin on its own.....thats not to say it would not work in a mix....but if it is acoustic and singing - nothing else - then you have a lot more frequinces that you can take up......it sounds like you might have had it miced to far down the neck of the guitar.....also I am guessing that is an artifical reverb you got going on.......what are you using a small room....have you ever tried a plate.......the whole thing sounds very mono and that you were trying to spread things out via stereo reverb......

I don't know let me know....

 

[kev]

What did you use to record this with.....were was you mic placment.....as of now I think it sounds way to thin on its own.....thats not to say it would not work in a mix....but if it is acoustic and singing - nothing else - then you have a lot more frequinces that you can take up......it sounds like you might have had it miced to far down the neck of the guitar.....also I am guessing that is an artifical reverb you got going on.......what are you using a small room....have you ever tried a plate.......the whole thing sounds very mono and that you were trying to spread things out via stereo reverb......

I don't know let me know....

I ended up doing it through an amp electrocoustically, altho i dont particular like the tonal properties of the Ovation he uses, it seems a tad i dont know what.. but not jangly, more sterile somehow. Any way to improve this one?

 

[chadsxe]

I ended up doing it through an amp electrocoustically, altho i dont particular like the tonal properties of the Ovation he uses, it seems a tad i dont know what.. but not jangly, more sterile somehow. Any way to improve this one?

Have you tried micing the acoustic....it is lacking a lot of body with the way your micing it now....

 

[Ravenous Enemy]

What did you use to record this with.....were was you mic placment.....as of now I think it sounds way to thin on its own.....thats not to say it would not work in a mix....but if it is acoustic and singing - nothing else - then you have a lot more frequinces that you can take up......it sounds like you might have had it miced to far down the neck of the guitar.....also I am guessing that is an artifical reverb you got going on.......what are you using a small room....have you ever tried a plate.......the whole thing sounds very mono and that you were trying to spread things out via stereo reverb......

I don't know let me know....

I think your full-stop key is sticking... ......

I ended up doing it through an amp electrocoustically, altho i dont particular like the tonal properties of the Ovation he uses, it seems a tad i dont know what.. but not jangly, more sterile somehow. Any way to improve this one?

Maybe the guy playing could use a slightly thicker pick and play a bit harder?

 

[cobhc]

mic the soundhole and mix that with the tone from the amp, maybe?

 

[ThatGuitarGuy]

First of all I wanna say that an acoustic guitar is not sappy and lame. Opeth used them and a lot of people seem to like them, (I never got into them.) Some of the best metal songs I've ever heard switch to an acoustic for a section of the song and go back into balls out distorted guitars. The variety really adds a lot to a song, so never shoot down other instruments to make your song better! Let your song grow and speak the way it should speak.

As for the recording. Absolutely do not mic an acoustic amp for recording! You have a speaker that won't be colored, and is the REAL sound...the guitar! Typically you have a condensor mic around the 12th fret of the guitar. Move it closer to the body of the guitar to get more bass, farther away to thin it out some more. I would guess that you would move it closer to the body since its an ovation (I hate those honestly, not the same as a REAL acoustic...) In the cases that I've recorded acoustics, and had someone record me, I've had another mic elsewhere. It really has varied.

One was right above me as I sat, another one was near the headstock around the 5th fret, and another one was at the end of the body at the bottom of the guitar. I would suggest experimenting with those placements, but the main thing is the mic by the 12th fret!

Give it a shot and post again bro. I'm gonna find a link that'll elaborate more on what I was talking about. I'll get back to you today or tomorrow.

 

[kev]

So, ive got 2 sm57's whats a good place to start? Reckon it would be a good idea to mic the amp and the actual soundhole/fretboard? Or just mic a real acoustic?

 

[dreamcatcher]

So, ive got 2 sm57's whats a good place to start? Reckon it would be a good idea to mic the amp and the actual soundhole/fretboard? Or just mic a real acoustic?

Aw, that's too bad. An Ovation already seems to present a limited frequency range (yes, they are sterile), and SM57s do as well.

But I have done it with SM57s way back when. Mic the guitar itself around the 12th fret pointed towards the soundhole, or off the ass-end pointed kinda towards the bridge, around a 45 degree angle a foot or so from the bridge. See which you prefer. I prefer the bridge one, myself, usually.

Then, actually, I'd totally cheat, EQ the amp to make up for the lack of the acoustic mic, and mic that from some distance (or even run direct if you can). I'm guessing it would lack high-end interest as well as low end, so do whatever to make that better. Mix that one under the "real" acoustic.

Another thing I'd do would be play facing into a corner, actually trying to get more reflections. Or a bathroom. Try different places.

 

[Suicide_As_Alibi]

Yeah, pretty much what DreamCatcher said - line a mic up with where the neck meets the body about 12 inches away from the neck, and point it towards the soundhole. Move it in bit by bit until the sound is at it's fullest. Personally, I'd screw the amp and DI it - use the mic for the warmth and mix the DI in to give the high end sparkle. EQ-wise, boosting a little around 80-120Hz can help, though this can clash with a kick drum - you can try a bit higher, but around 250Hz things gets a bit boomy.

I've never tried the 'playing into a corner' thing, though I think that's how a lot of Delta Blues was recorded to beef up the sound. If you've got a room with a wooden floors in, that'll help. I have actually tried in a bathroom, but unless the room's a decent size (which the one I tried wasn't) you end up sounding like the guitarist is at the bottom of a well

Another thing is to check the guitarist - make sure he's not playing right by the bridge because you'll lose a lot of warmth that way, especially if the guitar has piezo saddles and you're recording through an amp or DI.

Steve