Aug 05, 2008 08:25 am fret noise as in strings hammering on the frets or fret noise as in fingers sliding along strings?
Acoustic Fret Noise
Posted on Aug 05, 2008 08:07 am
timexone
producer
Member Since: Dec 07, 2006
Hey All,
I recorded 2 acoustic tracks (L/R panned around 70%) so i only used 1 mic instead of the usual matched pair method and I am getting alot of fret noise. I think part of the problem is that the song is all finger-picked so the sound itself is a bit quieter than if I was strumming with a pick which means more gain on the pre thus higher sensitivity to that noise.
The current setup is an NT-1A about 8 inches away between the sound hole and the 12th fret. It just seemed to sound very full there but I wonder if thats maybe why im getting all that noise.
Are there any home remedies or is it all about mic placement? I have a matched pair of SDCs I can try and do it the way I normally would but I thought for 2 mono tracks 1 mic would suffice and the R0DE seems to sound very natural. Any suggestions?
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Aug 05, 2008 08:25 am fret noise as in strings hammering on the frets or fret noise as in fingers sliding along strings?
Aug 05, 2008 10:07 am Sorry I should have been more clear...
that squeak you get from fingers sliding on the strings is what I'm referring to. I know the compressor is whats boosting it but it makes the guitar shine too so I dont want to sans the compressor.
Aug 05, 2008 10:08 am learn better technique?
failing that, use older or flat wound strings.
Aug 05, 2008 10:23 am Is guitar technique really what it comes down to? I'm not sure how many ways one can change chords quickly without sliding them across the strings. I guess I'll just experiment.
Aug 05, 2008 10:29 am It's hard to be perfect, but part of technique is to play cleanly...obviously some noise happens, you may be able to notch out the worst of it with a tight parametric EQ...
Aug 05, 2008 12:49 pm Well i think you shouldnt worry that much about that noise, i mean, whatever you do, you wont be able to completely remove it as its part of the guitar sound. There are a lot of mechanical noises that are part of a instrument's distinct signature, in fact i think that it makes the recording sound more alive, but if you still dont like it, perhaps the problem has to do if you are using new strings, try wearing them off, or change the strings to an other type.
Aug 05, 2008 01:01 pm Not much you can do about the noise. As mentioned it is part of the characteristic of the guitar. You could try coated strings... like Elixir coated acoustic strings. They definately remove the squeaks but I found them to be a little slippery although I suppose you would get used to it.
Aug 05, 2008 01:09 pm Yeah, I usually leave it in honestly. As DB said you can cut that freq with a tight parametric, it will not get rid of it but maybe take a little of the harsh high out.
Aug 05, 2008 01:24 pm Cool, I got a few things to try now. Normally string noise isn't a problem, but I think with the softer finger picking and lots of sliding its become quite noticable. Thanks everyone for all your input.
Aug 06, 2008 12:34 pm You could do worse than trying a de-esser... SpitFish is a free VST that works very (VERY, IMO) well. Not made for fret squeaks, but if set up properly, it can take the edge off.
Aug 06, 2008 12:35 pm you never want to get rid of them completely, as stated above, it's part of the sound, but yeah, taking the shrill edge off of it makes it less distracting.
Aug 06, 2008 01:46 pm Yes, Talcum Powder. Cuts down on some of that fret noise, and has the added benefit of getting you from that pesky F9 chord to your Ebmin7 as quick as you can imagine.
I actually record some of the fretboard sounds and mix them in later just to get the "live" sound.
Aug 07, 2008 02:09 am i'd go with Elixr strings or some other 'coated' ones, i've found they help ALOT.
Aug 07, 2008 12:53 pm I loved Elixr's... They didn't have as much of that 'piano-like' ping to them as other strings, but what they did have, they held onto for hours longer than other strings...
And yes, less of the squeakies.
Aug 09, 2008 10:28 pm Some "Fingerease" might do the trick. It's cheap, so it might be worth a try.
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