Avid Pro Audio Community

Avid Pro Audio Community

How to Join & Post  •  Community Terms of Use  •  Help Us Help You

Knowledge Base Search  •  Community Search  •  Learn & Support


Avid Home Page

Go Back   Avid Pro Audio Community > Legacy Products > 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Win)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 04-20-2005, 10:02 PM
romerom romerom is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Fullerton, CA
Posts: 78
Default having a problem getting a good guitar recording..

I can't get a good, clean signal. I've been reading different things here and there, and what it all seems to boil down to is either I mic the amp, or I use some type of direct box setup or with a nice preamp. The only preamp i have are the ones on the digi 002 so I'm kind of trying to work with what I have though with this configuration, I'm noticing alot of HUM. If I turn my guitar or gain knob up to a point where I can actually get a useable waveform, I end up with a bunch of HUM.

The guitar I'm recording with is an American Fender Stratocaster 50th w/single coil pickups. I read somewhere that humbucker pickups seem to get rid of some of the hum and that single coil pickups are prone to this. Would a direct box fix this? I've heard of people using gates to get around that hum as well..

what type of direct boxes or gates/preamps would you guys recommend for recording a fender strat and an electric/acoustic.. the mic's I'm using are a Rode NT-K and a Rode NT-3.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 04-20-2005, 10:12 PM
KingFish KingFish is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Nashville TN
Posts: 2,660
Default Re: having a problem getting a good guitar recording..

A large part of that hum is likely from sitting in front of your computer monitor.

try shutting it off, while you track.

Rec enable the track, shut your computer monitor off, and use F12 to start recording, Spacebar to stop, "Ctrl+." (Pre 6.7) or "Esc" (6.4 and below) to discard take.

there also have been recent discussions on here about shielding your pickups, and single coil v.s humbucker / hotrail's / noisless etc...
__________________
David

- MacStudio M1
- HDX II Sonnet xMacStudio
- 16x16 HD i/o x 6
- PT ULTIMATE
- SONOMA
- ProTools Dock / S1 / Control App
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 04-20-2005, 10:13 PM
jonnn's Avatar
jonnn jonnn is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: El Sobrante, CA SF Bay Area
Posts: 158
Default Re: having a problem getting a good guitar recording..

you could probably use the free digi gate. I have a Shure SM57 that works well on electric guitar amps. I like how AKG 414's sound, if you have the money for one. The 414's also work well on acoustic guitars.
__________________
Jon Lesher
Mixing Engineer
Editor
jonlesher.com
thedrumeditor.com
Studio pre-production guide
Drum recording guide
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 04-20-2005, 10:29 PM
Ruben_B Ruben_B is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 316
Default Re: having a problem getting a good guitar recording..

Quote:
A large part of that hum is likely from sitting in front of your computer monitor.

Hi KingFish, ive never heard about that before and im not experiencing it yet i aways record with 2 19" LCD's running. Is it also prone to happen with LCD monitors or just CRT's?

thanks,
Ruben
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 04-20-2005, 10:58 PM
Cavet Your Eruptor Cavet Your Eruptor is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 174
Default Re: having a problem getting a good guitar recording..

I also have a Strat and get the same humming issues. I find that simply moving myself around the room and pointing the neck in different directions can help significantly. Experiment in your room and then try to record from the 'quietest' location and orientation of the guitar. It probably won't go away altogether, but I find it can help a great deal.

Also, I have a light in the hallway next to my second bedroom/studio that operates on a dimmer switch. That thing causes a lot of interference. Check to see if you have any dimmer-type controllers for your lights and turn them all the way off when recording.

__________________
CYE [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
www.cavetyoureruptor.com
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 04-20-2005, 11:05 PM
Naagzh Naagzh is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,175
Default Re: having a problem getting a good guitar recording..

1. With your amp turned up, hold your guitar up to any lights and see if the hum gets louder. If it does, turn the lights off.

2. Borrow two guitars (one single coil and one humbucker) and see if the problem still exists.

3. Check if your electrical outlet is grounded.

4. What kind of amp are you using? How long has it been since you've had it serviced? In my experience, Fender Blues DeVilles and Reverb Twins are very prone to hum.
__________________
002R PT7.3.1
MacBook Pro 2.33
OS 10.4.8
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 04-21-2005, 01:13 AM
KingFish KingFish is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Nashville TN
Posts: 2,660
Default Re: having a problem getting a good guitar recording..

Quote:
Hi KingFish, ive never heard about that before and im not experiencing it yet i aways record with 2 19" LCD's running. Is it also prone to happen with LCD monitors or just CRT's?

thanks,
Ruben
Ruben, I don't think LCD monitors are bad for this, I Know it's not with my Apple Cinema Display, but the other two CRT's on both sides of me, are the devil... I always shut them off... i have to shut them off, to record guitar.

I can't speak for all LCD's ... so ..Shut your LCD's off, with your guitar "Live" and see if it makes a difference.
__________________
David

- MacStudio M1
- HDX II Sonnet xMacStudio
- 16x16 HD i/o x 6
- PT ULTIMATE
- SONOMA
- ProTools Dock / S1 / Control App
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 04-21-2005, 06:58 PM
albee1952's Avatar
albee1952 albee1952 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Norwich, CT
Posts: 39,307
Default Re: having a problem getting a good guitar recording..

Most LCD monitors will not induce hum, but CRT's will big time. In my room(with LCD's), if I turn so the guitar faces to either side wall, the hum is almost completely gone. I also tend to use a volume pedal so I can keep it down till I actually start playing. If you end up with hum on the track where you stop playing for a moment, you can cut out the section right up to the start of the next part and put a fadeout on the previous part. If you do this, consolidate your tracks afterwards.
__________________
HP Z4 workstation, Mbox Studio
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/...0sound%20works


The better I drink, the more I mix

BTW, my name is Dave, but most people call me.........................Dave
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 04-22-2005, 12:58 AM
romerom romerom is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Fullerton, CA
Posts: 78
Default Re: having a problem getting a good guitar recording..

these are all excellent suggestions.. i'm going to try recording with lights off and monitor off to see how much that helps - it sounds like it will help quite a bit

i'm recording with a fender convert reverb and i also have this little 15watt marshall amp that i use now and then.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 04-22-2005, 06:14 AM
ScorchedEarth ScorchedEarth is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 73
Default Re: having a problem getting a good guitar recordi

If none of the other suggestions presented here help, you might want to swap out your instrument cable. If the shielding is broken, most likely caused by wrapping the cable around your hand and elbow which causes the wires inside to twist, that cable could pick up all sorts of interference.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Problem recording guitar lblanks14 Pro Tools SE and Essential (Win) 7 08-14-2012 04:32 AM
Guitar recording problem pieroft Eleven Rack 11 01-19-2011 08:06 AM
Mbox Mini guitar recording problem Deamos Pro Tools M-Powered (Win) 1 12-29-2010 06:45 AM
Recording electric guitar into Mbox mini problem.... thegp 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Win) 0 08-05-2007 04:47 PM
recording guitar sounds not so good platinumx99 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Win) 18 06-22-2003 05:30 PM


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 07:28 AM.


Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Limited. Forum Hosted By: URLJet.com