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mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
edited October 2003 in Musicians and Gearheads
So, just out of curiosity, how many of the gearheads on here are industry folks? I am a sound system engineer/front of house/monitor technician for the University here. All live sound, in a whole variety of settings: small bar-style gigs, medium "concerts", a live radio-broadcast show, and full-fledged concert production. I've done stuff for solo acoustic acts, bad rock cover bands, really interesting (if obscure) local original acts, and touring bands. Last big name I worked with was Built to Spill. Those guys are great, very laid back, easy to talk to. Anyways, just wanted to see if there were any live engineers, recording engineers, or what have you in the Jamily.

Oh, and any tips for recording an acoustic guitar? I'm going into the studio this weekend to produce my friend's third album. I've got AKG 414's, Shure SM81's, a Neumann TLM 103, a Neumann KLM 184, and an Avalon U5 Direct Box. No outboard compression or FX, just Focusrite pre's straight into ProTools. Need a really good (think Emmylou Harris or Ani DiFranco) acoustic tone, he plays alterna-folk with an indie flavor. Gonna be adding drums, electric bass, samples, some drum machine, some harmonica, some electric guitar, and some slide guitar, depending on the track, so I need a tone that is warm and rich but will sit in the mix.

Any ideas?
...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
Post edited by Unknown User on

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    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    the avalons and focusrites should be clean enough those mics are great. No need to add much compression from that setup I would think with a good guitar. I'd go with something with a rosewood back or cedar top. I have an all maple and it's great live but to bright to record.

    I'm a nobody. I just love music. Everything I know I know from reading and listening. One place you might go is http://www.zvex.com shoot him an email.

    Zachary is really nice and he was a studio engineer for years. He knows his stuff
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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    mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    The guitar is a spruce-top Martin D-28 with a Fishman piezo. Not bad electronics, but still not natural. Gonna go with mostly mics for tone, but haven't quite decided which mic(s). The 414's are awesome mics for anything and everything, will use them for drum overheads and vocals for sure, but might use one on the acoustic. Either that or a pair of SM81's in X-Y configuration. Just have to find that sweet spot to mic from...

    Wish I had a couple Neumann U87's or Royer ribbons. A Telefunken would be cool, too. Brenden O'Brien once said he could record a top-10 album with an AKG D112 and a pair of Telefunken ribbons. I believe it.

    Damn, a Decca tree would be sweet, too. Might have to try to build one tomorrow.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
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    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    {Wish I had a couple Neumann U87's or Royer ribbons. A Telefunken would be cool, too.}


    You and me too brother. The hell with the Fishman forget it. You're talking quality, that fishman is nice for live but it won't cut it for the sound you want, it's just not rich enough. D-28 is a great guitar the HD-28 even better. Great player guitar. I'd go with something with a wide frequency response, A ribbon would be nice. You could always cut off an arm and a leg and go finance a couple of U87's :)


    well maybe you could work with the fishman it's a blender right?

    I think the compression should be about right coming off the Avalon anyway dosen't it have a tube gain stage anyway?
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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    mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    No, the Fishman is the standard panel-mounted preamped piezo. I am really only going to use the DI for some beefy low end and percussive effects. Like, 85% mic, 15% DI. The Avalon is one of the solid-state ones. It sounds fucking sweet, don't get me wrong, but it's not tubed.

    I think it'll just be an issue of play and adjust, play and adjust. Find that sweet spot and stick to it!
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
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    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    yeah play and adjust. that sounds like studio work. A labor of love.

    you can always warm it up with an Art or maybe even that new EHX LPB 2 tube preamp. I hear good things.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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    exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    lr baggs for the electronics. if anything.
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    mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    Well, it's a little late to buy $500-1000 toys for this project... we start recording in 16 hours. I would love to have a pair of Joe Meek studio channels for this, though. Tube pre, opto compressor, parametric EQ, de-esser, limiter. All in one unit. Or in a pinch:

    http://www.joemeek.com/joemeekvctwinq.html

    I just love Joe's stuff.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
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    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    ooooh a joe meek opto comp would be just the thing. These are all the goodies we got to play with and hook up but never take home.

    Working at guitar center was fun becasue it was like being a kid and living at Toys R US. Every new thing I got to see and play with first. So much fun. I kind of miss it.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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    exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    if i ever snap and quit engineering, i've got a job at the music shop here waiting for me.
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    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    you'll be poor but satisfied.

    It's the equivalent to being Brooke Burke's pool boy.


    You get to play with the toys buy you can't take them home.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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    exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    i like not being poor. not that i'm not now. but i am now b/c i have no willpower. and a line of credit.
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    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    dude. Pool boy for Brooke Burke. Who cares if you're broke?
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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    mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    I'm seeing an Office Space tangent coming on...
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
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    dannyschmannydannyschmanny Posts: 69
    i go to recording school in the bay and have some good tips with what you've got..


    take the tlm103 and place it about a foot or so away from the bridge angled up the guitar...might take some slight adjusting...then take the km184 and line that up about a foot off around the 7th fret aimed slight down...work with panning them out for a nice stereo sound and/or just mix the levels between the two to get the best sound. but if you are gonna have it in a full band setting...try dropping the 184 and just used the 103 at the bridge...and cut out 70hz and below to clean up the mud and focus on around 3 to 5k to bring it out in the mix.
    i remember you...i was gonna vote for you one time...but voting isn't cool so i stayed home and got trashed on listerine.
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