Quashing fret noise

[KevWind]

Given I only record for myself and am under no deadline. I automate the specific offending instance. For both any really egregious squeak or significant sibilant vocal (S'ss) I use a single band, narrow Q, EQ cut, that is bypassed except for specific offending instance And I do not try to eliminate completely only to reduce it to less noticeable .....

[AcousticDreams]

I had thought I had worked out a perfect mic placement to eliminate phase issues and capture the entirety of the acoustic guitar's sound. It seemingly worked fine on soft played passages. But when I increased my dynamics through my harder attacks, string buzz was coming through so prolifically that it totally destroyed the tone and content. I will admit I also had accidentally reverse compressor settings, magnifying the problems.

Everything I thought I had accomplished mic placement wise, was thus proven totally false. Totally useless. As it turns out, too wide of a spread was picking up fret buzz more from the upper frets. Even more so were complex phasing issues that were not apparent till I plucked harder. Phase issues were extremely magnifying the fret buzz.

* On an interesting note, I will quote a dear friend of mine. He is not a recording engineer, but rather a sound engineer for various HI-FI companies throughout a 50 year career. An acoustic-electric guitar player and an avid listener to all kinds of music =he had this to say about listening to acoustic guitars in the mix.
" Recordings without a little bit of string buzz, does not sound natural to me. "

I look forward to trying out some of these techniques mentioned in this thread. As always the AGF recording has so many valuable tips and tricks.

[zenpicker]

By way of a before and after... I worked further on that example of fret noise using some of the techniques suggested here and I think it's all but gone. Still a teeny artifact but certainly better than it was. Here's the new version:

After processing

And the original:

Before processing

Goodness gracious me. Thanks to all for the great suggestions.

[BoneDigger]

Do you guys find that you get more fret rattle when the action is too low. In other words, does raising the action help?

[121]

Originally Posted by zenpicker

For context, here's an 8-second snippet with the types of squeaks I have particular trouble addressing:

https://on.soundcloud.com/5d6Ls

Magma Flat Phosphor Bronze GA120PBF strings will give you a quality
acoustic guitar sound with no string squeaks.

https://magmastoreusa.com/collection...-048-ge120pb-1

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by BoneDigger

Do you guys find that you get more fret rattle when the action is too low. In other words, does raising the action help?

Yes, more likely to get fret buzz (rattle) if action low. Strings squeaks are in a different category however.

[zenpicker]

Originally Posted by 121

Magma Flat Phosphor Bronze GA120PBF strings will give you a quality
acoustic guitar sound with no string squeaks.

https://magmastoreusa.com/collection...-048-ge120pb-1

Intriguing, and new to me. How would you characterize their sonic character? Brighter than a coated string, I'm guessing (in a good way)? Looks like they achieve their playability through flattening rather than a coating.

Thanks -
E

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by zenpicker

Intriguing, and new to me. How would you characterize their sonic character? Brighter than a coated string, I'm guessing (in a good way)? Looks like they achieve their playability through flattening rather than a coating.

Thanks -
E

I've tried some other brand of flattened strings, and thought they sounded good on a recording - better than they sounded acoustically to me. As I recall, they didn't last long. I'm not sure I'd say they (whatever it was I tried) were brighter, more like a bit deader, and perhaps quieter, if I recall. The set linked to here is incredibly light - way too light for me anyway, but they do also make a 12-54 gauge set that seems worth trying out.

[rick-slo]

I once tried a set of flat wound strings on one of my acoustics. I found the tone relatively flat and dull. I think just the physics of the flat windings reduces the string's ability to produce higher overtones.

[phcorrigan]

My solution is Magma flat-ground Phosphorus Bronze strings. They sound great and last a long time.

https://magmastoreusa.com/collection...1-052-ge130pbf

[121]

Originally Posted by zenpicker

Intriguing, and new to me. How would you characterize their sonic character? Brighter than a coated string, I'm guessing (in a good way)? Looks like they achieve their playability through flattening rather than a coating.

Thanks -
E

I'm unable to comment about Magma Flat PB string sonic character to coated strings.
The only coated strings I remember trying were Elixir.
I briefly tried them years ago when initially seeking strings with little or no string squeak
I don't recall Elixir string sonic traits but do remember they were not squeak free.
I can offer an opinion comparing Magma Flat PB (GA120PBF) strings to other flat wound strings I've tried.
I think Magma Flat PB (GA120PBF) strings have warmth but more clarity and brightness compared to
some of the other flat wound strings I've tried. Definitely not dull sounding.
These Magma Flat PB strings are higher tension than typical round wound strings of the same gauge.
If you decide to try them, I recommend the next lighter gauge string set below the
typical round wound gauge string set you normally use.

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by 121

I'm unable to comment about Magma Flat PB string sonic character to coated strings.
The only coated strings I remember trying were Elixir.
I briefly tried them years ago when initially seeking strings with little or no string squeak
I don't recall Elixir string sonic traits but do remember they were not squeak free.
I can offer an opinion comparing Magma Flat PB (GA120PBF) strings to other flat wound strings I've tried.
I think Magma Flat PB (GA120PBF) strings have warmth but more clarity and brightness compared to
some of the other flat wound strings I've tried. Definitely not dull sounding.
These Magma Flat PB strings are higher tension than typical round wound strings of the same gauge.
If you decide to try them, I recommend the next lighter gauge string set below the
typical round wound gauge string set you normally use.

Just to clarify, Magmas are flat-ground, not flat wound. They are wrapped with round wire then ground flat. Acoustically, they are similar to other PB strings, but in my experience they last much longer. Before the Magmas I was using Martin Lifespans, and these seem to retain their tone much longer.

As far as sizing goes, they are smaller gauge than standard strings. For example, their mediums are 12-54 instead of the standard 13-56.