Recording Flamenco Guitar

[orpheus_2]

Hi guys,

I am recording a friend playing flamenco guitar. I manage it pretty good, but in every piece there are two or three (peak loudness) chords I just cannot manage. I am doing parallel compression, sending all to Aux 1 with EQ only. I envelope the peak chords there a little, but still get the red signal on that Aux. I send to Aux 2 with reverb, and then to the master fader. In the end there seem to be no clips, but I fear the clipping on Aux 1 might have some repercussions. If I do more enveloping on these chords, it doesn't sound realistic.

Any ideas?

Thx

[Sardi]

Parallel compression won't really do anything to tame the peaks.

I would use some gentle compression to bring it in check. If you'd prefer to keep the dynamics as they are, use a limiter to catch the peaks.


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[orpheus_2]

Hi Sardi, the player's condition was that all the compression there may be is the parallel compression (he wants that sound).

Acoustic people generally seem to bear grudge towards compressor/limiter.

Originally Posted by Sardi

Parallel compression won't really do anything to tame the peaks.

I would use some gentle compression to bring it in check. If you'd prefer to keep the dynamics as they are, use a limiter to catch the peaks.


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[WKG]

You might try backing your mics out a bit. Or you just could tell the player to go practice a bit and come back when he's got his dynamics under control...

[albee1952]

Some other things to try;
1-if the same part is played elsewhere, grab a clean clip and paste over the squeaky section
2-highlight just the squeak, call up EQ III in Audiosuite and click the audition button, add a very narrow boost, sweep it until the squeak is its loudest, cut that frequency by 3-4db and render. This can be repeated(keep the EQ plugin up on the screen to hold the setting). Doing this might allow you to tame it enough without removing it(a little squeak can sound natural)
3-try a de-esser

[orpheus_2]

Thx for the elaborate answer. I'll give a try to all the solutions tomorrow.
Just to make clear, there is no clipping whatsoever in the original recording.
I just get it on the Aux1 with EQ. On Aux 2 and the master fader,
and the bounced audio, everything seems fine.
I would even leave it as is, but have no experience with flamenco recordings,
and fear there might be some artefacts audible in the course of many format conversions, compressions etc.

Thx again!

Originally Posted by albee1952

Some other things to try;
1-if the same part is played elsewhere, grab a clean clip and paste over the squeaky section
2-highlight just the squeak, call up EQ III in Audiosuite and click the audition button, add a very narrow boost, sweep it until the squeak is its loudest, cut that frequency by 3-4db and render. This can be repeated(keep the EQ plugin up on the screen to hold the setting). Doing this might allow you to tame it enough without removing it(a little squeak can sound natural)
3-try a de-esser

[jeam25]

You can try automation too !

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by WKG

You might try backing your mics out a bit. Or you just could tell the player to go practice a bit and come back when he's got his dynamics under control...

Uh? That thing is a part of that style, and using proper mic technique things should be under control at all times. In case the stuff has already been recorded, just use a limiter that only catches that one peak. It's just as same as volume automation, but easier to do.

[Simon2065]

Hi Not sure of your exact parallel compression signal flow but I believe you can introduce phase shifting if EQing either the compressed or uncompressed signal and then recombining.

[Sardi]

I can pretty much say with absolute certainty, that the guitarist will not hear the effect of adding a limiter to catch the peaks.

He doesn't even need to know. Just put it in the chain and set the output to be hair below zero. Done and move one.


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