Recording Bluegrass + Vocal effects question
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Posted on Aug 03, 2004 10:27 pm
blugrasser
Member Since: Aug 03, 2004
OK,
So I am in a bluegrass band and we are recording things very well into an AKAI DPS 16 digital hard disk recorder. The intstrumentation is bass, guitar, mando, and banjo. All 4 sing, much of the stuff is recorded at shows directly into the AKAI, only 8 inputs needed. Everybody uses top of the line pres for their instruments, so no effort needed there. Question is about eq'ing the instruments on the recording, not much of a problem with the bass, but guitar and mando and banjo all occupy mostly the same frequencies. Should I use panning to separate the instruments, or try more eq? What kind of reverbs are recommended to try on the vocals. Generally I like to leave the instruments dry, is that not a good idea? I have been using just a bit of medium hall reverb on the vocals, basically leaving at presets (is that bad?) Some samples of what I am doing are at:
www.stringtownpickers.com/music
Nightfall is an original
Old Home place is not
Thanks for any insight
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Aug 04, 2004 07:22 am Blu,
It's great to have another picker on the line! Welcome!
I was not able to listen to your samples (forbidden!) However, from my admittedly novice experience of recording the bluegrass/country genre I can tell you that panning is extremely important. I always try to picture the band in front of me, and then pan according to how they are standing. Also, try messing a bit with different fequencies to pull out the harshness that is typical of the banjo, and to enhance the percussiveness that is typical of the mando.
I would be happy to offer more of my amatuer insight if I could only hear your stuff!
Jim
Aug 04, 2004 04:15 pm That link works much better!
I listen to a LOT of bluegrass, and I think that you guys have a lot of talent! Each of you have certainly mastered your instruments. HOT!
In terms of recording, I'm still figuring out the whole EQ thing myself, but I think that the guitar in particular needs some help. The solos sound a little flat and tinny. How was it recorded? (pickup?, mic?, mic type? mic placement?) These are areas where a little experimentation will give great results.
Overall, great recordings! The vocals on "Old Home Place" are tight and sit nicely in the mix. Well done!
Jim
Aug 04, 2004 09:45 pm The guitar is a Larivee BG-50 model, retrofitted with a Fishman passive under saddle pickup and then run through a Fishman platinum pro-eq pre-amp. I have been struggling to get the exact right tone I want, in fact, lately I have been dialing the trebble back on the preamp, while also adding a little brilliance to it to let it sit a bit below the mando and the banjo. The mando and banjo both use LR Baggs Para-Acoustic II preamps, and the bass, which is a wild Eminence 5 string upright, runs through a Fishman Platinum Pro EQ Bass model. I am mainly trying to get the vocals to really blend together and am having trouble finding the right sound, both eq wise and reverb or chorus wise.
