|
|
Post by M57 on Jan 4, 2020 7:16:01 GMT -6
Asided from getting the player to avoid them, what are your strategies for mitigating squeaky strings on acoustic guitar? Are they the same as sibilance with vocalists? Right now, I'm using a combination of de-esser and automation. I just hate the way automation momentarily sucks the air out of the track, but I'm having trouble zeroing in on the frequency range with a de-esser.
|
|
|
|
Post by jcoutu1 on Jan 4, 2020 7:36:21 GMT -6
Asided from getting the player to avoid them, what are your strategies for mitigating squeaky strings on acoustic guitar? Are they the same as sibilance with vocalists? Right now, I'm using a combination of de-esser and automation. I just hate the way automation momentarily sucks the air out of the track, but I'm having trouble zeroing in on the frequency range with a de-esser. Izotope RX? |
|
|
|
Post by EmRR on Jan 4, 2020 8:56:18 GMT -6
RX7
|
|
|
|
Post by kcatthedog on Jan 4, 2020 9:03:02 GMT -6
Or leave it, acoustic strings do makes noise, part of a natural performance ?  Or avoidance If it’s not solo guitar but in a mix, sometimes I’ll punch in the chord or phrase I am going to, then also punch in preceding bar or whole section but not play the jump to the next section . So, basically I don’t play/record the squeaky part. When I end the first section, I just let the natural sustain of guitar room ambiance record to overlap with the next section, so your ear in the mix doesn’t hear a gap, as there isn’t one ? Canucks, polite, hell yes, but a little sneaky! |
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Jan 4, 2020 10:43:15 GMT -6
Yeah, I thought about Izotope. I have enough issues with my home recordings that I'm sure I could use it in a number of situations. The product gets great reviews, but the way the company does business has me concerned, or at least scratching my head. I saw one of their $1000 packages on sale for $500 for a few weeks about a year ago at SW ..then it went right back up. Also I've heard that upgrading is expensive ..and required??
|
|
|
|
Post by iamasound on Jan 4, 2020 11:00:16 GMT -6
I've found that Martin Monel strings have the least squeak of any string that I've used. I hear them work best with mahogany backed or especially all hog guitars...and since they don't corrode the added bonus is that they can last a good long while before they give up the ghost.
|
|
|
|
Post by damoongo on Jan 4, 2020 11:20:38 GMT -6
Is there a new/special module in rx7 that makes it better at dealing with string squeaks than rx6? I currently us the spectral editor in rx6 to manually deal with them. It’s not a quick process though, if you need to do a whole bunch of them. It would be great if they built a separate module like “mouth declick” for string squeaks. |
|
|
|
Post by EmRR on Jan 4, 2020 11:41:47 GMT -6
Is there a new/special module in rx7 that makes it better at dealing with string squeaks than rx6? I currently us the spectral editor in rx6 to manually deal with them. It’s not a quick process though, if you need to do a whole bunch of them. It would be great if they built a separate module like “mouth declick” for string squeaks. I've found moving from 5 through 6 to 7 that the processes become easier to setup and more effective with each upgrade. They are definitely refining them. Possible the 'find similar' tool might get somewhere, I haven't tried it. I did go through an 8 song record with two live acoustics taking squeaks down or out, maybe put 4 hours into it out of an overall project duration of 130ish hours. |
|
|
|
Post by johneppstein on Jan 4, 2020 13:03:22 GMT -6
Asided from getting the player to avoid them, what are your strategies for mitigating squeaky strings on acoustic guitar? Are they the same as sibilance with vocalists? Right now, I'm using a combination of de-esser and automation. I just hate the way automation momentarily sucks the air out of the track, but I'm having trouble zeroing in on the frequency range with a de-esser. Not close micing the acoustic helps a LOT. Most people these days get the mic(s) way too close. You get exaggerated squeaks, picking and fingering noise, and an unnatural tonal balance.
A De-esser will probably mess with your tone in a failrly serious way.
|
|
|
|
Post by RealNoob on Jan 4, 2020 23:09:40 GMT -6
I’ve seen baby powder work on the tracking side.
|
|
|
|
Post by saltyjames on Jan 5, 2020 7:22:03 GMT -6
I've found that Martin Monel strings have the least squeak of any string that I've used. I hear them work best with mahogany backed or especially all hog guitars...and since they don't corrode the added bonus is that they can last a good long while before they give up the ghost. Prolly cause Martin strings go dead in about 5 minutes. haha.
Subtle squeaks are i guess ok.. but I always find them distracting.
I put oil on my hands... olive oil, etc.. If I don't have regular oil as I am trapped in the studio I will rub my fretting hand finger tips on the inseam of my nose (an oily area of any face).
Prevention is better than trying to fix it later.
Enough with the "What software should I buy / what panties should I wear".
Come on!! We're recording engineers. It's always about fixing the source!!
... of course when I'm mixing someone else it's different. I automate the sound down with a sharp cut right after the squeak starts. I let it start almost normally, then cut it hard. So the after affect to the listener is, "hey, a squeak.. oh that wasn't too loud."
|
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Jan 5, 2020 7:55:25 GMT -6
Good point. I was surprised to find that some cutting after the waveform transient made a lot of difference. I didn't really try taking it to the next level from there ..with less of a deep cut at the transient but cutting a little deeper into the sustained part of the waveform. |
|
|
|
Post by sirthought on Jan 5, 2020 10:10:19 GMT -6
M57 sent me some files of the acoustic to try Rx7. I've never attempted to fix string squeak before, but it did a good job of eliminating it with a spectral repair plugin.
Kind of voodoo, like, where does it go? It somehow zones in on the frequencies and attenuates it, I think.
|
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Jan 5, 2020 10:26:41 GMT -6
M57 sent me some files of the acoustic to try Rx7. I've never attempted to fix string squeak before, but it did a good job of eliminating it with a spectral repair plugin. Kind of voodoo, like, where does it go? It somehow zones in on the frequencies and attenuates it, I think. OK, better than good; at least for my purposes, it was amazing! ..almost too good. and sirthought said he just used the standard version. I actually think I want some squeak back. Of course, I'm going to have to buy the software now. Good news - it's on sale for a few more days at $200. |
|
|
|
Post by sirthought on Jan 6, 2020 2:17:29 GMT -6
|
|
|
|
Post by nnajar on Jan 6, 2020 10:47:20 GMT -6
Asided from getting the player to avoid them, what are your strategies for mitigating squeaky strings on acoustic guitar? Are they the same as sibilance with vocalists? Right now, I'm using a combination of de-esser and automation. I just hate the way automation momentarily sucks the air out of the track, but I'm having trouble zeroing in on the frequency range with a de-esser. Not close micing the acoustic helps a LOT. Most people these days get the mic(s) way too close. You get exaggerated squeaks, picking and fingering noise, and an unnatural tonal balance.
A De-esser will probably mess with your tone in a failrly serious way.
Listen to uncle John. |
|
|
|
Post by donr on Jan 6, 2020 11:08:11 GMT -6
What's wrong with string squeak? Maybe too loud when you compress the bejesus out of the guitar track. Not close mic'ing is a good point to reduce it on the way in.
You could clip gain the squeaks down if there's a few obnoxious moments, but if the squeaks are as loud as the guitar, better to re-record the guitar.
|
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Jan 6, 2020 12:19:02 GMT -6
What's wrong with string squeak? Nothing ..until your wife notices it, and then it's all she can hear. Honestly, it didn't even bother me until it was pointed out. I wasn't thinking about it while tracking ..no doubt I could re-track it and consciously perform the part with a lot less squeak. Ultimately, it's player thing, magnified by close micing. |
|
|
|
Post by donr on Jan 6, 2020 12:37:21 GMT -6
The trick as a player would be to squeak in a musical and rhythmic manner, so it'd be obvious that you meant to do that. : )
|
|
|
|
Post by johneppstein on Jan 6, 2020 12:48:40 GMT -6
What's wrong with string squeak? It attracts mice?
I hate mice. They eat holes in speakers and nest in there....
|
|
|
|
Post by EmRR on Jan 6, 2020 13:10:22 GMT -6
What's wrong with string squeak? Maybe too loud when you compress the bejesus out of the guitar track. Not close mic'ing is a good point to reduce it on the way in. OMG everyone I encounter squeaks loudly fairly often. Distant mics have plenty of it. I rarely compress acoustics much either. Ribbons make it better, but it's still there and in need of remediation. |
|
|
|
Post by sirthought on Jan 6, 2020 19:06:59 GMT -6
Listen to the track I posted from M57. I assume from the file name it was mic'd over his shoulder and that's not direct, but you hear the squeak very loudly. It's distracting as loud as it gets, especially if it's not buried in a full mix. I have never tried to remove squeak before, but I would with that track. It sounds better without it.
|
|
|
|
Post by jeremygillespie on Jan 6, 2020 19:27:54 GMT -6
I think it comes down to the guitar/string choice/player combo. I don’t really get the squeak on my 000-18 with the strings I use. Maybe I just changed my playing to make sure it doesn’t happen.
Give me a Taylor with some new strings and I’m squeeking all over.
|
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Jan 6, 2020 19:30:32 GMT -6
Listen to the track I posted from M57. I assume from the file name it was mic'd over his shoulder and that's not direct, but you hear the squeak very loudly. It's distracting as loud as it gets, especially if it's not buried in a full mix. I have never tried to remove squeak before, but I would with that track. It sounds better without it. Yes, the shoulder is an LDC placed a little above shoulder height about 12 or 15" away aimed at a point between my shoulder and behind the sound hole. The neck was a SDC pointed at the upper bout of the guitar below the fret board, and very close ..probably less than 10." I was surprised how much squeak the shoulder mic picked up. I know I could have played with a lot less squeak if I was being conscientious about it. I just don't play much guitar these days. |
|
|
|
Post by saltyjames on Jan 6, 2020 19:51:09 GMT -6
Give me a Taylor with some new strings and I’m squeeking all over. Taylor? ..with new strings??
... please kill me now.
|
|
