#1
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Using a Magnetic pickup to enhance recordings
Lately I've been spoiled a bit by adding a mag pickup to record solo fingerstyle playing along with 3 mics. So I have 4 inputs, two wide spaced pair, a center large diaphragm, and the magnetic pickup which is mixed in, added to taste.
So this is working good for me except now I don't hear as much of the unique characteristics of a particular guitar. In other words, it's making everything a little more similar sounding, homogenized. So if I'm playing the maple/sitka Beneteau CS, it can sound like my Collings OM IRW/German by just dialing in the magnetic pickup. Normally these two guitars would sound nothing alike, but now I have to listen very carefully to distinguish between the two. I'm not sure if this is a good thing. The pickup really gives the bass a bump and I try not to let the "fakey" magnetic pickup sound win out or become dominate. I'm mixing it center as with the middle microphone, the spaced pair are mixed hard L and R. So some of the guitars I'm recording do not have a magnetic pickup and I still play them and record them... but listening back, I'm not liking the sound as much. It's like I want to throw a mag pickup in there just to give it that bass bump. I think the trick will be to use a mag pickup and just mix enough to add the bass but not take away from the overall sound. Comments, suggestions, welcome.
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Beneteau Concert cutaway Sitka/Maple 2009 Beneteau Baritone Sitka/Walnut 2005 Beneteau Concert cutaway Adi/Honduras Rosewood 2003 Maple Beneteau for sale |
#2
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Why not try to isolate the part of the magnetic pickup you like and roll off the rest?
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Jim 2023 Iris ND-200 maple/adi 2017 Circle Strings 00 bastogne walnut/sinker redwood 2015 Circle Strings Parlor shedua/western red cedar 2009 Bamburg JSB Signature Baritone macassar ebony/carpathian spruce 2004 Taylor XXX-RS indian rosewood/sitka spruce 1988 Martin D-16 mahogany/sitka spruce along with some electrics, zouks, dulcimers, and banjos. YouTube |
#3
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Your setup is way more complex than what I go for with acoustic guitar, and especially by throwing the magnetic in there.
I put this guitar together recently and I was really pleased with the resulting sound. It's technically a large chambered semi-acoustic, but it has a really nice electric tone, more acoustic than what you'd think. I think part of it is what it produces naturally. A friend was playing it unplugged and I was surprised by how loud it was, so I'm sure that's coupling back through the single magnetic pickup. All this to say that in your case the addition of the magnetic might end up being a definite plus. |
#4
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I tried adding the built-in piezo, and also a mag soundhole pickup to the mic recording on my acoustics but the only time I liked the mag was when I sent the signal to an amp, using my 12 string, to emulate an electric 12-string.
If you're not getting enough bass tone with your 3 mic set up, you need to start trying different mic positions. Not sure what a centered LDC does for you when you have a spaced pair of SDCs. Why not put the LDC on the lower bout?
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Mike My music: https://mikebirchmusic.bandcamp.com 2020 Taylor 324ceBE 2017 Taylor 114ce-N 2012 Taylor 310ce 2011 Fender CD140SCE Ibanez 12 string a/e 73(?) Epiphone 6830E 6 string 72 Fender Telecaster Epiphone Dot Studio Epiphone LP Jr Chinese Strat clone Kala baritone ukulele Seagull 'Merlin' Washburn Mandolin Luna 'tatoo' a/e ukulele antique banjolin Squire J bass |
#5
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Quote:
Mike, I think that it's not that I'm not getting enough bass response, I am getting plenty of bass with just two mics or three. And I do have EQ available when mixing to add or subtract any frequency.... it's that I like the added bass the mag gives me. I recorded my OM yesterday using a really old (like from 1980s) magnetic, removeable, Bill Lawerence pickup as my 4th input. I mixed like I normally would and found the difference huge. No longer a balanced OM sound but more of a big body SJ... even more pronounced. My system can handle 8 inputs, so why not use what is at my disposal. Also, I found that using a spaced pair can sound good if I keep them 18" apart... but then I have to deal a bit with phase issues and if I don't sit in the perfect spot, there goes my recording. So now they are ~28" apart and sometime further, depending on the guitar I am recording. The middle mic, if mixed at 50-80% of the spaced pair fills in the gap in the sound. The mag is the icing on the cake as it gives me even more options to smooth out the sound but the drawback is having every guitar sound the same or not as different as one would like.
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Beneteau Concert cutaway Sitka/Maple 2009 Beneteau Baritone Sitka/Walnut 2005 Beneteau Concert cutaway Adi/Honduras Rosewood 2003 Maple Beneteau for sale |
#6
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Hi KB
That is THE thing, right? If they are going to sound the same while eliminating unique properties, why not just skip mics and go all pickup? Easier and quicker… |
#7
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I’ve tried recording using a variety of pick-ups as an added flavor. The only one that sounded good to me was an LR Baggs Lyric. It does not sound like a high end mic, but It took well to low end EQ enhancement and added a unique sound to the overall guitar mix when panned hard left and right with a good mic. It has a wonderful stereo effect
With that said if, you like to blend in a mag check out Peter Mulvey. He uses a Fishman rare earth blend for live and recording (plus mics in the studio) Here he is talking about his sound I think he has a unique playing style but were he really shines is in his song writing
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David Webber Round-Body Furch D32-LM MJ Franks Lagacy OM Rainsong H-WS1000N2T Stonebridge OM33-SR DB Stonebridge D22-SRA Tacoma Papoose Voyage Air VAD-2 1980 Fender Strat A few Partscaster Strats MIC 60s Classic Vib Strat Last edited by Mbroady; 10-22-2019 at 08:22 AM. |
#8
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Sacrilege!!!
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Jim 2023 Iris ND-200 maple/adi 2017 Circle Strings 00 bastogne walnut/sinker redwood 2015 Circle Strings Parlor shedua/western red cedar 2009 Bamburg JSB Signature Baritone macassar ebony/carpathian spruce 2004 Taylor XXX-RS indian rosewood/sitka spruce 1988 Martin D-16 mahogany/sitka spruce along with some electrics, zouks, dulcimers, and banjos. YouTube |
#9
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I never head of anyone separating mics 28" for spaced pair acoustic recording. Have you tried X-Y?
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Mike My music: https://mikebirchmusic.bandcamp.com 2020 Taylor 324ceBE 2017 Taylor 114ce-N 2012 Taylor 310ce 2011 Fender CD140SCE Ibanez 12 string a/e 73(?) Epiphone 6830E 6 string 72 Fender Telecaster Epiphone Dot Studio Epiphone LP Jr Chinese Strat clone Kala baritone ukulele Seagull 'Merlin' Washburn Mandolin Luna 'tatoo' a/e ukulele antique banjolin Squire J bass |
#10
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Hi Jim
I should have mentioned my tongue was deeply embedded in my cheek when I wrote that. |
#11
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Quote:
It wouldn't be out of the question for an A/B separated microphone position if one is going to maintain a 3:1 spacing ratio (if the mics are 10" from the body, then they would be spaced 30" apart). |
#12
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I knew ...but I couldn't let an opportunity to use the word "sacrilege" slip by.
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Jim 2023 Iris ND-200 maple/adi 2017 Circle Strings 00 bastogne walnut/sinker redwood 2015 Circle Strings Parlor shedua/western red cedar 2009 Bamburg JSB Signature Baritone macassar ebony/carpathian spruce 2004 Taylor XXX-RS indian rosewood/sitka spruce 1988 Martin D-16 mahogany/sitka spruce along with some electrics, zouks, dulcimers, and banjos. YouTube |
#13
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Quote:
At 28" one is nearer the bridge, one is way up the neck. Or lower bout and 8th or 9th fret.
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Mike My music: https://mikebirchmusic.bandcamp.com 2020 Taylor 324ceBE 2017 Taylor 114ce-N 2012 Taylor 310ce 2011 Fender CD140SCE Ibanez 12 string a/e 73(?) Epiphone 6830E 6 string 72 Fender Telecaster Epiphone Dot Studio Epiphone LP Jr Chinese Strat clone Kala baritone ukulele Seagull 'Merlin' Washburn Mandolin Luna 'tatoo' a/e ukulele antique banjolin Squire J bass |
#14
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As I understand it , the 3 to 1 ratio concept, is actually referring more to recoding a multi source situation, like overheads or room mics for a drum kit, orchestra ,or choir with a fair amount of inherent physical separation involved.
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Enjoy the Journey.... Kev... KevWind at Soundcloud KevWind at YouYube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD System : Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1 Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Ventura 12.2.1 Last edited by KevWind; 10-24-2019 at 07:40 AM. |
#15
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Quote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryw8v4okgLc&t I have used that amount of mike separation (or more) with good results. With XY on the other hand I don't care for the sound.
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