Acoustic Sound in Garageband

[cb1975]

I recently got the M-Audio Fasttrack to work as a USB interface with Garageband. The vocals sound fantastic but I am having some difficultly getting clarity out of the acoustic guitar. Adjusting the level on the Fasttrack just seems to adjust volume and not help with the harshness of the guitar.

I am sure the mic is a big part of it (I'm using a dynamic mic for the moment) - but does anyone have any tips to get a clear sound out of the acoustic while recording through a mic with Garageband? I'll be getting a condenser mic soon... Thanks!

[Fran Guidry]

Originally Posted by cb1975

I recently got the M-Audio Fasttrack to work as a USB interface with Garageband. The vocals sound fantastic but I am having some difficultly getting clarity out of the acoustic guitar. Adjusting the level on the Fasttrack just seems to adjust volume and not help with the harshness of the guitar.

I am sure the mic is a big part of it (I'm using a dynamic mic for the moment) - but does anyone have any tips to get a clear sound out of the acoustic while recording through a mic with Garageband? I'll be getting a condenser mic soon... Thanks!

I can't possibly address your question in any meaningful way without hearing your source and recording, and neither can anyone else, but that won't stop us <grin>.

If the vocal sounds fantastic, the recording chain is clearly working well, so the problem with the guitar recording must be

performance
instrument
room
mic position
preamp settings

So, does the guitar sound the way you want when you listen to yourself play it? Are you playing it the same way when you record?

Does the guitar sound the way you want when you listen to someone else play it?

If you clap your hands in the room does it make a clean snap, or does it echo and fuzz?

Where are you placing the mic? Are you recording voice and guitar at the same time? How far is the mic from the guitar? Where is it pointed on the guitar?

What recording levels are you trying to reach? Are you trying to get close to 0 dBFS in Garage Band or are you aiming around -18 dBFS?

Fran

[ljguitar]

Hi cb1975…

Hello and welcome to the group. We are glad you joined...listen to Fran.

[cb1975]

Thanks for the advice and comments - the guitar itself is fine and while I'm certainly not Chuck Berry, I don't think it is the operator!

I am just trying to record the guitar alone and was hoping to get more of a natural sound by recording it with the mic rather than going through an amp (that and the Marshall I have has a terrible clean channel). I have experimented with mic placement... mostly in the one foot-two foot range with it pointed at the neck. I certainly understand the inability to really get an idea of the sound without... the sound! But basically it sounds overdriven and harsh... which could be due to me needing to increase the distance. Are there any standards that y'all have found to work?

Basically, I am in the soliciting advice mode so I can be more efficient in my experimentation. I really do appreciate you taking the time to give me some thoughts.

[Fran Guidry]

If it sounds harsh and overdriven, turn down the preamp gain.

Back in the days of tape, noise was the problem and recording hot to minimize noise sounded OK. In digital recording, noise is practically non-existent, and recording too hot just makes things sound bad. So make sure you're not cranking up the gain when you don't need to.

The distance between the mic and instrument has a few different effects.

First, it changes the ratio of direct to reflected sound. Generally this means we want to get closer, because we want more direct and less reflected.

Second, getting closer focuses on a specific quality of the instrument and performance. Getting close to the neck emphasizes fingering noise and the treble sound of the strings, while getting close to the bridge emphasizes low mids and the woody sound of the top.

Third, a directional mic has proximity effect, a bass boost that increases as you get closer. So the distance works as a tone control.

You can change the sound of your recording by playing with these three positioning effects, but if your recording is harsh and distorted, my first guess is that your preamp gain is too high.

Fran

[rdm321]

I have the same setup as you do - dynamic mic through Fast Track into Garageband. I get acceptable results, minimal noise with little or no distortion.

I lay the mic on the computer desk top (or use a mic stand), aimed toward the neck/body joint of the guitar, about a foot away (or maybe a bit further). Sometimes I aim it toward the bridge, for a slightly different sound. Never aim it at the soundhole

As Fran has said, watch the gain on the Fast Track. I never turn the leftmost knob past 2 o'clock, and it's usually around 12 o'clock.

Check recording levels in both Garageband and the iMac Preferences. It's easy to forget that there are 2 sets of Preferences that must be properly set up.
Be sure to record in mono rather than stereo; as I recall, on the Fast Track the microphone (XLR) input goes to Channel 1, while the 1/4" input should be sent to Channel 2.
When you set up your New Track, do not select "Guitar" for type of instrument. Instead, use the default selection ("Basic Track"?) and then select "No Effects". Always record "dry" - with no effects. You can add any effects later - GB has many to choose from. I always use EQ on acoustic tracks (and vocals too).

Good luck and enjoy recording. If there are any points that I've missed, or if you have any other queries, ask away!

[cb1975]

Fran and RDM - thank you bother very much for some great perspective and advice. Experimenting with the gain and mac levels is time consuming but I am seeing much better results - Thank you again for your help!

[Ivob]

Originally Posted by cb1975

...I'm using a dynamic mic for the moment...

This is the reason! I've got Fasttrack too and recorded with a dynamic mic..horrible!!! then got a condenser, it's totally different. Fasttrack doesn't have such a good amp, very poor for recording with dynamic mics

[rdm321]

Originally Posted by cb1975

Fran and RDM - thank you bother very much for some great perspective and advice. Experimenting with the gain and mac levels is time consuming but I am seeing much better results - Thank you again for your help!

Another piece of advice....buy a book on GarageBand. Try a "for Dummies" or "Missing Manual", or something of that ilk. Spend some time reading it, then some more time using GB with the book open on the computer desk. It'll help a lot learning how to navigate the screen, and there'll be a lot of tips on how to avoid pitfalls.