Ask Rudy
October 10, 2000
Ask Rudy is a column based on questions submitted by users like you. We are currently taking a break from the column, so please hold off on submitting new questions.
When recording acoustic guitar, what's better: pickup or microphone?
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My friend and I both play Martin acoustics with built-in Fishman pickups. We recently got our hands on a Tascam PortaStudio. Our recorded vocals sound fine, but for some reason the guitars don't sound right when we plug them directly into the mixer. I understand we may not have "professional equipment," but is there something we can do besides dropping tons of money?
-- Josh
Tallahassee, FL
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While built-in saddle pickups are live performance life-savers, you owe it to yourself to use microphones to record your instruments. Check out the simple example below -- I recorded this lick simultaneously using a $100 saddle pickup and a $100 dynamic microphone. I'm sure you'll hear the difference.
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The first example was recorded with a saddle pickup. Certainly recognizable as an acoustic guitar, but it sounds a little flat and "in-your-face." MP3 (114 KB) |
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The second example was done with a basic dynamic microphone positioned near the soundhole, about six inches from the guitar. Not an outstanding guitar tone by any stretch, but it illustrates my point: A mic captures the air around the instrument, providing a more natural picture of its true sound. MP3 (115 KB) |
If you're singing and playing at the same time, experiment with mic placement. Spaced vocal and guitar mics will "hear" the same sounds, but at slightly different times. This short delay (about one millisecond per foot) results in phase cancellation when the two mics are mixed together. This is why adding more mics to any recording project often leads to a muddier, rather than clearer sound. A common approach is to position the guitar and vocal mics close to your instrument and mouth, respectively. This will minimize the "leakage" of your vocal into the guitar mic and vice versa. Experiment with placement to find a sound that seems natural to your ears.
-- Rudy
Over-the-top distortion: Could less be more?
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I would like to get seething, over-the-top distortion similar to artists like Sevendust, deftones, Powerman 5000, and other alternative rock/metal type bands. When they hit a power chord it almost sounds like their amps are ready to melt! I have two rigs: a Mesa/Boogie head, which I crank up through a 4x12 cab, and an alternate rig that utilizes a Line 6 into a Bogner cab. Neither seems to get the vicious, scooped-mid distortion tone I'm looking for.
I've tried a couple different distortion boxes, but they just seem to muck up the sound. I realize that it's often the player, not the gear, but I can still tell there's an obvious difference when these guys just punch out a power chord. Even with my rig feeding a really good house concert system turned up to almost deafening levels, my sound is not even close!
-- Keith
Honolulu, Hawaii
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Let's talk about what distortion does to your sound, and how this might be getting in the way of a huge guitar tone. Distortion increases the higher harmonics present in a sound. The more distorted your tone, the brighter and thinner it becomes.
Next, distortion reduces your dynamic range. With a clean sound, picking harder or softer dramatically affects volume and tone. As you increase the distortion, your picking has less influence over the volume of your instrument. This can take away impact from your playing -- all your chords, leads, whatever, will be at the same old level. There's no way a little extra picking-hand punch will actually make the guitar any louder.
At the next practice, experiment with a little less distortion. Don't obsess over how your guitar sounds by itself. Instead, see how a slightly less distorted tone fits in with the rest of the band. You may find that reducing the distortion adds extra definition to your playing.
Here's another way to think about it: If more distortion always meant better tone, the world's best-sounding guitarist would be the guy who used a hundred fuzz boxes at once!
-- Rudy
P.S. Keith wrote me back a few days later and said: "I think you were exactly right that reducing the distortion might result in a punchier sound. I backed off the gain by about 30% and was able to hear more grit and articulation in my tone. At soft levels, it doesn't sound that great, but when I crank it up I can hear the amp and cabinet characteristics better. I'll have to get used to the reduced sustain, but the other benefits far outweigh that drawback. I have yet to try it in a rehearsal or performance, but I get the feeling it'll work out nicely."
How can I use a Leslie Cabinet with my guitar?
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This might sound a bit mad, but I want to play my electric guitar through a Leslie speaker. I know Leslies are usually used on organs, but I've heard guitars through them and I think it sounds amazing! I have a Leslie speaker waiting (a 760 model) but it has a single nine-pin input connector. How can I plug my guitar into this thing? I've heard a kit for this purpose exists, but I can't find any info on it.
-- Paul Holford
United Kingdom
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You heard right. There is some DIY info available on the Web (see pointers below), but the most convenient option would be to find a used Leslie Combo Preamp. Resembling a giant stomp-box on steroids, this gadget takes your guitar signal in via a standard 1/4" jack and generates the power and control signals required to operate the Leslie.
One might ask: "Why bother with a real Leslie (which is the size of a small refrigerator) when there are so many digital versions of the effect available?" If you can handle the cartage, there's nothing like the real thing. Leslies use two rotating elements -- a pair of spinning high-frequency horns and a low-frequency rotating drum. In operation, these rotate within the cabinet enclosure and send sound flying around the room. The rotation and varying reflections generated by the room's unique acoustics combine to create an unmistakable sound. Live, this will definitely be cooler than a mono or stereo recreation coming out of fixed-position loudspeakers.
http://www.theatreorgans.com/hammond/faq/mystery/mystery.html
http://www.captain-foldback.com/Leslie_sub/combo_preamps.htm
http://www.captain-foldback.com/Leslie_sub/pinouts.htm
-- Rudy
Follow-up: Closed-Back Cabinets
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Several readers wrote in regard to last my column's item on closed back cabinets, asking if it was OK to seal off the back of a combo guitar amplifier to increase its low-end output. Kids, don't try this at home (or anywhere else)! Sealing the back of your amp will cut off the circulation of cool air, causing it to overheat and potentially lead to its premature death! Aieeee!
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