First spaced pair test

Vindellama · #1 10-03-2018, 03:20 PM

So I managed to get a second akg c451 b.
After some trouble-shooting, I've recorded some fast samples using 2 guitars.
Listening from opinions from the last recording I used fingerpicks and tried to put more emphasis on the sixth string.
What do you think?

I like the sixth string on the l-00:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zjfe96kf30...M0013.WAV?dl=0

And the rest on the 00-42:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fkv3lh9q6k...M0014.WAV?dl=0

Picking closer to the bridge:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/rk191rxroz...M0015.WAV?dl=0

The L-00 has a martin PB sp string set light. The 00-42 daddario NB light.
From what I remember the L-00 also had a "muddier" sixth string, so I guess the new 00-42 will get more defined until next year.
I also think the martin PB sp strings could be a good match, but due to a corrosion issue with several sets I had stored, I went with the NB set.

edit
Forgot to mention. Drop D and 75hz low cut in the mics.

DupleMeter · #2 10-03-2018, 08:36 PM

Sounds nice. Spaced pair can be exceptional & the c451s are great performers when it comes to stringed instruments.

As always, sound is very personal & all. I scooped just a touch out at 500Hz to open up the guitars a little. Literally stopped just shy of -2dB (-1.9 to be exact). I just tend to be sensitive to the "boxiness" at 500Hz.

Vindellama · #3 10-04-2018, 06:22 AM

Do you think It would be better to leave the low cut off in drop d and other open tunings?

Trevor B. · #4 10-04-2018, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vindellama

Do you think It would be better to leave the low cut off in drop d and other open tunings?

Low D = 73.4 Hz, therefore your HPF should start below that. If you're looking to get rid of low end rumble I'd say go down to about 60 Hz. The other option is to insert a Noise Gate plugin at the front end of your channel strip FX and set it at a level that eliminates the metered signal you see before you start recording. Obviously that still leaves the recorded bass response of your guitar out of the equation. That said, you're in a better position to know what hums and buzzes, etc. are present in your recording space as well as the response of your instrument. Those are the main factors in determining where to set your HPF (low cut filter).

ChuckS · #5 10-04-2018, 06:49 PM

Glad that you posted with your new mic setup, and especially the comparison of your guitars. Sounding very nice, and hope you post some songs in their entirety once you get things sounding as you want. I favor the tone of your new 00-42, and like you mentioned it may change as it gets some months/years of playing.

To me, it seems like an abundance of bass and I'm wondering how much proximity effect might be contributing, Could you tell me a bit more about your mic setup? What's the distance between the mics, how far are they from the guitar, and where are they pointed at?

DupleMeter · #6 10-04-2018, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vindellama

Do you think It would be better to leave the low cut off in drop d and other open tunings?

It really depends.

I didn't find the low end anemic (quite the opposite, actually).

Logic says your low D is just below the cutoff frequency...but that doesn't mean that it's wrong to engage it. In fact, it's quite common to high pass above your lowest frequencies to tame the low end. Unless you have an extreme filter (24dB/oct kind of extreme), you're still hearing frequencies well below the cut-off. Doing the math for a 6dB/Oct HPF @ 75Hz, you're D (about 73Hz) is down just a smidge over 3dB...probably what you're going to roll off anyway.

Of course, the real litmus test is in the listening, If it sounds better with the HPF out, then go with it.

Vindellama · #7 10-05-2018, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChuckS

Glad that you posted with your new mic setup, and especially the comparison of your guitars. Sounding very nice, and hope you post some songs in their entirety once you get things sounding as you want. I favor the tone of your new 00-42, and like you mentioned it may change as it gets some months/years of playing.

To me, it seems like an abundance of bass and I'm wondering how much proximity effect might be contributing, Could you tell me a bit more about your mic setup? What's the distance between the mics, how far are they from the guitar, and where are they pointed at?

The mics were about one and a half hands from the guitars(12 inches).
I tried to point one to the bridge and the other to the 14 fret, with the mics angled towards the soundhole.
The L-00 is preeeeety close to how it sounds in real life. Still figuring out how to bring out the low end in the 00-42 the right way (both on real life and on the recording). I'm tempted to change the NB set sooner than I would to replace with a PB set with the slighter heavier sixth string (054 instead of 053), and see if I get a tighter response.

DupleMeter · #8 10-05-2018, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vindellama

Still figuring out how to bring out the low end in the 00-42 the right way (both on real life and on the recording). I'm tempted to change the NB set sooner than I would to replace with a PB set with the slighter heavier sixth string (054 instead of 053), and see if I get a tighter response.

FWIW I have always found phosphor bronze to sound best on the smaller bodied Martins. I usually swear by John Pearse strings, but sometimes Martins just sound best with Martin strings...it's weird. It's like Fenders...Fender amps always sound good, but a Fender through a Fender amp has this exponential increase of "goodness" that is unexplainable by reasonable logic.