Acoustic Guitar EQ

[bigcow]

I'm finishing up a large recording project with a bluegrass band (guitar, tenor guitar, mando, banjo, fiddle and upright bass). All of the instrumental tracks were recorded live and with the use of some good condensers I achieved a good sound with minimal bleed thru. Vocals and some solos were tracked.

I developed a very nice EQ for the acoustic guitar early on and have found that it makes the mix sound cleaner and clearer. The one problem I'm having is with a series of HF overtones that the guitar is producing. When I cut those frequencies, I lose it in the mix and the entire mix suffers as a result. I'm using the Waves Q10 EQ with:

+2db @60
+3.2@123
+2.7@248
+2.4@511
-2@986
+1.3@1,915
+3.3@3830
+5.6@7,772
+6@16,233

This EQ enables the guitar to have a warm, crisp sound which cuts through. Although no one else in the band notices the overtones, they are driving me crazy. Any suggestions?

(ProTools LE5.1.1)

[storm-01]

I'm assuming that you close miked the acoustic guitar and there was possibly a vocal mic nearby?
If so, then I ould be willing to bet that the overtones you are hearing are bleeding through on one of the vocal mics. If that's the case, there is really not a lot you can do.

[storm-01]

+2db @60
+3.2@123
+2.7@248
+2.4@511
-2@986
+1.3@1,915
+3.3@3830
+5.6@7,772
+6@16,233

I forgot to mention that you should be cutting a lot more than boosting. You don't need to raise 60 Hz. or anywhere in 200-300 hz. The guitar will naturally put out freqs around 200. If you boost that area, that could be some of the muddiness/overtones that you're hearing. Also, adding +6 dB to 16K is not needed. Anyway, just my two cents. Try cutting a little around 200 hz and see is some of the problem goes away. However, I still think it might be bleeding through on another mic; causing the overtones.

[qgrm]

absolutely. your high pass could be quite a bit higher than 60Hz, certainly not a boost, as the guitar isnt making any sound down there. well ok there might be some resonant stuff below 80Hz, but probably nothing you'd want to keep in the mix...

B.

[South]

You seem to be boosting rather than cutting.
We tend to feel something sounds better when it simply gets louder.
Use the meter of the Q10 and turn the volume down so that you can make a good comparison.

[Bender]

I work with acoustic guitars everyday and if you are micing correctly you should not be using that much eq period. I have never used that much on a track in my life.
You are most likeky creating some kind of harmonic. Back off and start over

[where02190]

Using that amount of eq you are basically just turning it up unless the bands are extremely narrow, and even still, you're adding a crapload of gain. I agree wiht the other posters, nothing should need that much eq. go back to flat(with everything) and start again,and take away (cut) what you don't want, don't add what's not there. that much gain is going to add a crapload of noise as well.

[Chris Coleman]

I developed a very nice EQ for the acoustic guitar:

+2db @60
+3.2@123
+2.7@248
+2.4@511
-2@986
+1.3@1,915
+3.3@3830
+5.6@7,772
+6@16,233

Hey, I've got this nice three-piece suit that fits me perfectly - it really highlights my best physical assets and hides my flaws...

If you guys want, I'll give you my exact measurements and then you can have a perfect suit, too!





bigcow - in case you couldn't pick up on the subtle hint: there's no such thing as an EQ for all occasions, even within a given family of instruments like acoustic guitar.
I've never played two acoustic guitars that sound exactly the same - nor have I ever found one single EQ setting to work on more than the one single instance that I needed it.
On top of that, there are about a million and one ways to mic an acoustic guitar, so your "acoustic guitar EQ" may not work for the time when I decide to put a ribbon mic behind the guitar.
I could go on and on about why posting EQ settings is an exercise in futility, but I think (hope) you get my point.

There is no one-size-fits all EQ. period.

One more thing - while it's a good idea to use EQ subtractively more than additively, nobody can comment on your choice of EQ settings for that one given instance because they haven't heard it...and that's the whole kit-n-kaboodle, whatever works for the track at hand. But as you learn more about the instruments you're recording and EQ techniques, you'll also mature in the choices you make to get to "whatever works".

[bigcow]

Thanks for your feedback. Yes, I realize there are no "one size fits all" EQs. I have been working with acoustic guitars for years and have developed some good miking techniques and the reason I was looking for some advice is because the sound of this guitar flat has a lot of mids, is very bland and gets buried in the mix. The EQ I set up allows the guitar to cut right through and be heard among the other instruments, even though it does accentuate the high frequency overtone shimmer. Also, as I mentioned earlier, the bleed thru was very minimal and there were no vocals being recorded with the instrumental tracks. The closest instrument to the guitar was a 1929 Martin tenor and it really didn't effect the sound of the guitar at all. Basically, I think the guitar needed some new strings, but it's too late for that. I like a guitar sound that has warmth as well as the crisp sound of the strings. This is bluegrass so it's all strumming. I will take some of the suggestions here and get back to you all later on.

[where02190]

No offense, but if you need that much eq to get a good guitar sound, I think your micing techniques need some work. Granted youa re subject ot the tone of the isntrument, however it si what the artist chose, and it is your job as enginner to capture that tone. Have you spoken to the artist about it? Perhaps you are going for a tone the artist doesn't like. If indeed your mcing technique and signal chain is good (and I am not doubting that it's not) then listen to what the artist is trying to perform. Sometimes what we as engineers and they as artists percieve can be worlds apart.

I'd suggest talking to the artist(s) about this more, and letting them have a listen (with all the eq's off). get a solid mix that they like, then enhance it with a bit of eq. What you got going on is really just a big gain bost. Perhaps, after the artist hears what went to tape they may consider retracking this part, or you may find out that it belongs someplace entirely different than you thought.