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-   -   Mixing solo fingerstyle guitar (https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=239758)

DarkestDreaming 01-25-2012 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Young (Post 2911730)
going back the original "how do I sound like Andy McKee" question, record with mics, and also record a pickup. You can record the pickup on a mono track, so you can actually make good use of that pan control :-) Blend with the mics to taste.


actually what i really want to know is the post-production of a solo acoustic guitar recording, meaning how do you edit the track after the recording phase

I mentioned Antoine Dufour and Andy McKee mostly as a reference to a general style that is opposed to say, Bert Jansch

Doug Young 01-25-2012 08:20 PM

Thats of course exactly what my video is about. I tried to show every setting, every tool used. What do you want to know that I left out?

mc1 01-25-2012 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Young (Post 2912380)
Thats of course exactly what my video is about. I tried to show every setting, every tool used. What do you want to know that I left out?

i'll jump in and ask a question. how did you get rid of chair noise?

also, any comments on reducing breath sounds. i tried recording something today and it was a little breathy (but not in a good way).

rick-slo 01-25-2012 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mc1 (Post 2912385)
i'll jump in and ask a question. how did you get rid of chair noise?

also, any comments on reducing breath sounds. i tried recording something today and it was a little breathy (but not in a good way).

Don't get these noises recorded in the first place. Trying to remove them later is highly unsatisfactory.

Unless you want something quite different than the real guitar sound there is not a lot to do post recording if there was a good recording in the first place.

DarkestDreaming 01-25-2012 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Young (Post 2912380)
Thats of course exactly what my video is about. I tried to show every setting, every tool used. What do you want to know that I left out?

The video was comprehensive and your explanations were thorough. Just clarifying my question for the other readers :)

Also, i dont use most of the plug-ins described in your video and when I full-screen it I cant see the parameters as it is rather pixelated. I guess thats secondary anyway since most of it is experimenting anyway, like you mentioned.

Doug Young 01-26-2012 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mc1 (Post 2912385)
i'll jump in and ask a question. how did you get rid of chair noise?

also, any comments on reducing breath sounds. i tried recording something today and it was a little breathy (but not in a good way).

I agree with Rick-slo, this more of a tracking question that a mixing issue. Get a chair that doesn't squeak, and practice sitting still when you play. Keep mics away from your mouth, and stay calm and breathe gently. You can hear breathing on a lot of acoustic guitar recordings, but you should be able to minimize it with some practice and mic placement.

If all else fails, there are tools like iZotope RX that can remove noises, and you can always edit in the same spot from an alternate take. Depends on your software how that works, but it's basically cut and paste.

Doug Young 01-26-2012 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkestDreaming (Post 2912427)
Also, i dont use most of the plug-ins described in your video and when I full-screen it I cant see the parameters as it is rather pixelated. I guess thats secondary anyway since most of it is experimenting anyway, like you mentioned.

If you watch in HD (1080p) and expand to full screen, you should see the same resolution as was on my screen, 1920x1280. It's an exact replica, right down to scale and resolution of my screen. There are thousands of plugins, so yes, you'd have to extrapolate to whatever you have. Same with the DAW. But I'm not doing much that's very fancy here, and for solo fingerstyle guitar, I think that's typical - mixing of a single solo guitar track is pretty straightforward. Most of these effects, and most DAWs are more or less the same as far as controls go. Reverb times, compression thresholds, EQs. There are enough of these plugins that anyone you talk to is likely to use something different. But the concepts are the same.

I'd say "listening" might be a better word than experimenting. That's pretty much the story of the mastering part as well. Listen carefully and try to figure out how to improve anything you don't like. Hopefully, if you've done the tracking part right, there won't be much you don't like, so there's nothing to do but perhaps add a little reverb.

Doug Young 01-26-2012 02:57 AM

By the way, DD, if you want, I'd be happy to take a crack at mixing a track of yours. We can try to get whatever sound you have in mind, and I can tell you exactly what I did, or better or worse. I did this exercise with redavide a few weeks ago. I enjoy hearing what other people have recorded, and working with different tracks. I always learn something from the process. Send me something, and I'd be glad to take a crack at it, if you have any interest. Just PM me.

mc1 01-26-2012 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rick-slo (Post 2912423)
Don't get these noises recorded in the first place. Trying to remove them later is highly unsatisfactory.
...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Young (Post 2912575)
I agree with Rick-slo, this more of a tracking question that a mixing issue. Get a chair that doesn't squeak, and practice sitting still when you play. Keep mics away from your mouth, and stay calm and breathe gently. You can hear breathing on a lot of acoustic guitar recordings, but you should be able to minimize it with some practice and mic placement.

If all else fails, there are tools like iZotope RX that can remove noises, and you can always edit in the same spot from an alternate take. Depends on your software how that works, but it's basically cut and paste.

thanks for the answers. just to clarify, there were two questions. in teoaagr, doug you mentioned that you cleaned up some chair noises. so my first question was just wondering how you did that. i think you answered that with izoptope rx.

the question about breath sounds wasn't clear, but i was looking for pointers on reducing the sounds when recording, not after the fact. i appreciate the tips. i think i'm a noisy breather, and my face and the mic both seem to want to point toward the 12th fret. maybe i can build a little shield for the mic. at any rate, i should start my own thread about this. thanks for the help.
.

DarkestDreaming 01-26-2012 05:44 AM

Doug, that would be very much appreciated! I've sent you a track which i recorded.. to the email that you provided at your profile. The one that is hosted at your site :)

RRuskin 01-26-2012 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mc1 (Post 2912385)
i'll jump in and ask a question. how did you get rid of chair noise?

also, any comments on reducing breath sounds. i tried recording something today and it was a little breathy (but not in a good way).

There's a reason why studios use sturdy metal folding chairs. They don't squeak or creak. I've had players use disposable face masks to remind themselves to breath slowly & quietly.

Doug Young 01-26-2012 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mc1 (Post 2912625)
maybe i can build a little shield for the mic. at any rate, i should start my own thread about this. thanks for the help.
.

They do make wind screens for mics, used for vocalists, but I'd try to just work on breathing and mic placement first. Breathing's a tough one, because we have to do it :-) I've blown directly across mics, that pretty much kills the take! I've heard other engineers say the same thing as Rick, keeping a supply of drugstore masks handy.

Noises happen, tho, and RX is a pretty impressive, if not particularly cheap, solution for those occasional things that occur despite best efforts. (Haven't had much luck with it for breathing, tho). My chair doesn't squeak, but you can still get rustling sounds from moving, even your arm moving on the guitar. I've had recordings where I forgot to take my watch off, and you could hear the tick, tick, tick of the second hand. There seems to be no end of noise sources...

Here's a cute example of the hazards of home recording and how RX can help. This was just some test I was doing, nothing that was a keeper, but I ended up keeping it as a memory, since my long time cat, Missy passed away last year. Listen to her at 4 seconds in on the tail of this tune. (Cats, wives, neighbor's cars, airplanes - they always pop up on right on the quiet tail, don't they? :-)

Meow on tail

You can see the meow in RX (selected):

http://www.dougyoungguitar.com/mp3/meow.jpg

Click the "repair" button and it's gone:

http://www.dougyoungguitar.com/mp3/no_meow.jpg

And now check out how the fixed track sounds:

No Meow!

mc1 01-26-2012 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Young (Post 2913014)
No Meow!

that was pretty cool. i like the meow, though, it kind of fit. i wonder if missy meowed because: of the harmonic; she could sense the tune was over; coincidence.

Doug Young 01-26-2012 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mc1 (Post 2913027)
that was pretty cool. i like the meow, though, it kind of fit. i wonder if missy meowed because: of the harmonic; she could sense the tune was over; coincidence.

Yeah, I considered using that clip as the closing of my latest CD, with the meow left in! I assume it was an editorial comment on my playing, or perhaps "Good, you're done, can you shut up so I can sleep now?"

mc1 01-26-2012 12:47 PM

or "good you're done, i'm about to jump on your lap".


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