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Old 07-22-2019, 07:38 PM
Jimi2 Jimi2 is offline
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Default New to recording - boomy bass with fretted notes

Hi, I’m just getting back into recording after many years away - so many that the whole digital thing is pretty new to me. Running protools twelve and have at my disposal a Neumann tlm193, at2020 , sm57, and just picked up a groove tubes gt55 - was cheap and came highly recommended. I’m experimenting with placing multiple mics, as well as running direct to my interface as I’m putting delay on a lot of my tracks. I’d be interested in any general advice on mic placement, but more specifically also how to avoid a phenomenon that I’m running into with all my mics as well as direct- when I have everything placed for a good but not boomy level of bass on open strings (a lot of drop d), I’m getting way more boominess with fretted notes, particularly up at the 10th fret on the sixth string. This is pretty consistent- any remedies? I’m having the most success avoiding it with the sm57, but it’s still there. Trying to avoid pointing at the sound hole, angling up toward the fretboard, etc....
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Old 07-22-2019, 07:56 PM
sdelsolray sdelsolray is offline
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All of your mics have a cardioid polar pattern. Cardiod pattern mics exhibit a phenomena known as "proximity effect". Basically, as the mic gets closer to the source the bass frequencies' volume increases more than higher frequencies. This might be what you are experiencing, although given that you are only hearing heightened response on the upper frets of the bass strings, perhaps not.

Simple experiment: Move your mic(s) back another 12" to 18" or so and see if those notes diminish in relative amplitude.
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Old 07-22-2019, 08:47 PM
gwlee7 gwlee7 is offline
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Also, aiming the mic approximately where the neck and body meet is a good starting point for eliminating the boomy sound. In addition, I know the 57 doesn’t have a high pass filter, but do either of the other mics let you roll off low frequency say around 100 hz?
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Old 07-23-2019, 12:58 AM
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Upper frets on the sixth string tend to be boomy on many guitars. Have a friend play those notes while you are close in front of the guitar about where you have placed the mike(s) and find out if you hear that.
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Old 07-23-2019, 06:16 AM
jim1960 jim1960 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gwlee7 View Post
...do either of the other mics let you roll off low frequency say around 100 hz?
I'm pretty sure the only mic he has with a high pass filter is the gt55 which starts reducing at 75hz.
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Old 07-23-2019, 06:28 AM
Jimi2 Jimi2 is offline
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Yeah, no high pass filters. Maybe on the groove tube, as it’s not in my hands yet. I know I guy that gets really great sounding recordings with two of them, so I’m hopeful.
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Old 07-23-2019, 07:00 AM
MikeBmusic MikeBmusic is offline
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As mentioned above, if you have been close-miking, move the mic off to about 12". Have you tried a different guitar?
It could also be a room resonance issue if you are not close miking.
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Old 07-23-2019, 08:13 AM
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I’ve tried moving the mics further away, but too far and the sound gets tinny, as well as picking up a lot of room noise. Maybe 12-18” would be a good compromise. Also, yeah I wonder if the room is contributing. Even when going direct from my delay to the interface, that 10th fret on the sixth string is boomier than elsewhere on the neck.
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Old 07-23-2019, 08:20 AM
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Besides mic placement etc.

If it were me, I would put the stock PT 7 band EQ on every guitar track even if only to use the high pass (low cut) filter set to a steep rolloff 12 -18 db per octave from about say 40-60 or 80 maybe 100 depending on specific guitar and where the boom is actually happening Hz adjust to taste until boom is gone. If it is at a higher frequency then you can use one of the other bands with narrow Q centered on the most noticeable frequency of the boom.


Try not placing delays (or any time domain FX) on multiple tracks ( unless for desired intentional affect you specifically want different delay times in different tracks)
Instead consider placing the delay on a Aux track set the Aux track output fader to 0 (unity gain) , run the delay at 100% wet, and send form the guitar tracks to that aux/delay track , and control the amount of effect by lowering the individual guitar tracks send fader.
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Old 07-23-2019, 10:33 AM
jim1960 jim1960 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimi2 View Post
I’ve tried moving the mics further away, but too far and the sound gets tinny, as well as picking up a lot of room noise. Maybe 12-18” would be a good compromise. Also, yeah I wonder if the room is contributing. Even when going direct from my delay to the interface, that 10th fret on the sixth string is boomier than elsewhere on the neck.
There are a few things you can do:

*You can use eq to roll off some bottom end as KevWind suggested. That might fix it by itself but you may find that you're left with thinner or tinnier sounding tracks that will need further EQing (if you make put a downloadable wav file of one of your guitar recordings online somewhere, perhaps some of us might take a shot at EQing it so you have some sense of what can be done).

*If you feel moving the mics back is giving you too much room sound, you might purchase or build some gobos to control what is coming back to your microphone.

*If none of that works, you might want to invest in microphones designed to be forgiving for close proximity recording ...something like the Gefell M295.
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Old 07-23-2019, 12:07 PM
Brent Hahn Brent Hahn is offline
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Part of the trouble with "boom" of any sort is time, not just frequencies. If a room isn't treated to absorb those low and low-mid frequencies, they linger long after the upper mids and highs have decayed. And the size and design of many guitars exacerbates this -- if you think about it, they're little wooden "rooms" devised to project and reinforce size and warmth. Which your ear finds to be in reasonable proportion, but your microphone doesn't.
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Old 07-23-2019, 01:51 PM
Jimi2 Jimi2 is offline
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Thanks everyone. My EQing and protools skills are super basic/nonexistent at this point, so sorry for the dumb questions. I can definitely kill the low frequencies with the stock eq plugin, but how do I identify and isolate a specific frequency? Seems like there are only a few set frequencies to be adjusted in the 7 band plugin. Also, when I have just cut the low frequencies to make the problematic parts of the song sound better, the other parts (with open bass notes for instance) sound too thin. There must be a way to apply different eq settings to different parts of the same track, right?
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Old 07-23-2019, 06:37 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimi2 View Post
Thanks everyone. My EQing and protools skills are super basic/nonexistent at this point, so sorry for the dumb questions. I can definitely kill the low frequencies with the stock eq plugin, but how do I identify and isolate a specific frequency? Seems like there are only a few set frequencies to be adjusted in the 7 band plugin. Also, when I have just cut the low frequencies to make the problematic parts of the song sound better, the other parts (with open bass notes for instance) sound too thin. There must be a way to apply different eq settings to different parts of the same track, right?
Try a 30 band plugin.
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Old 07-23-2019, 07:38 PM
sdelsolray sdelsolray is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimi2 View Post
...
I can definitely kill the low frequencies with the stock eq plugin, but how do I identify and isolate a specific frequency? Seems like there are only a few set frequencies to be adjusted in the 7 band plugin. Also, when I have just cut the low frequencies to make the problematic parts of the song sound better, the other parts (with open bass notes for instance) sound too thin. There must be a way to apply different eq settings to different parts of the same track, right?
If you are referring to the Pro Tools "stock" EQ plugin, being a parametric EQ, it can do many things to resolve your questions above, and can be used with Pro Tools automation is desired.

Pro Tools EQ III
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Old 07-23-2019, 09:36 PM
jim1960 jim1960 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimi2 View Post
I can definitely kill the low frequencies with the stock eq plugin, but how do I identify and isolate a specific frequency?
This guy shows you how to use a parametric eq to make frequency cuts.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimi2 View Post
Seems like there are only a few set frequencies to be adjusted in the 7 band plugin.
A 7 band eq willl let you cut 7 frequencies. The frequencies are whatever you choose within the range of the eq you're using.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimi2 View Post
Also, when I have just cut the low frequencies to make the problematic parts of the song sound better, the other parts (with open bass notes for instance) sound too thin. There must be a way to apply different eq settings to different parts of the same track, right?
If it sound thin, then you probably have cut too much. It's very easy to go overboard with the cuts and boosts when it's all new to you. But you probably also want to tame the low stuff that's hitting the mic. Gobos can be built fairly cheaply as DIY project. There are lots of videos that show you how.
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2009 Bamburg JSB Signature Baritone macassar ebony/carpathian spruce
2004 Taylor XXX-RS indian rosewood/sitka spruce
1988 Martin D-16 mahogany/sitka spruce

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