Very First Rec. - Advice for a better, fuller, 'studio' sound?

[Zaahir]

Alright so this is my first attempt at recording with my new equipment and I probably made quite a few technical mistakes.

I'm recording my acoustic, with an Audio Technica AT2021 (Small Diaphram Cardiod) and I'm recording with the mic about 10-12" from the 12th fret.

At first after recording a mono track i played around with the ProTools Audiosuite by adding some reverb (using D-Verb because i haven't figured out TL-Space), I also normalized it to make it a little louder.

After reading that it might help to copy the original track and pan them to the far left and right I did that and it did sound a little better, then I went back to my original and used T-Racks' "w.armth + Presence setting" (i think that's it?) to fill up the sound and then I decided that something was still missing. There was no reverb, which I thought it probably needed, so I took the original file I had previously added reverb too, copied it, panned them to opposites (but not to the extremes b/c it sounded nicer) and then lowered their volume b/c it seemed to have reverb. After all my "work" it still seems to sound very flat to me. (Oh! I also read about cutting off the low frequencies with EQ and putting a peak @ 10k so I had also done that to the first pair of tracks)

Anyways, i guess im firstly wondering where i went wrong, or if i did anything right? and secondly im wondering, what should i be doing to get a better sound? I've recorded twice in a friend's dad's studio and so i know what it should sound like more or less, but its not close.

I guess I'll attach what I created and what I'm kinda aiming for...
Attached is my recording "New Song" and a friend's song from his recent album. I realize he's recording a softer song then mine, but i guess its the tone im aiming for? That "in-studio" CD-Quality sound...if i can get it.

Thanks!

[crooked09]

I'm going to qualify my statement with I don't know all that much technically about specific EQ frequencies and stuff like that, or recording acoustic, so take from it what you want. But my listening impression is the first clip actually has less processing. I'm not sure if its so much about tweaking as much as more fundamental things - guitar itself, strings (were they new?), room it was recorded in, mic placement.

I also think that the amount of reverb and fullness you tried to add by copying tracks may actually be muddying up the sound a little bit. I think the first thing to try is just turn down the heavy reverb a bit though and see what that sounds like.

[HuntleySlim]

I'd say that normalizing early on is a bit counterproductive. You'll just boost a lot of the noise in the bottom of the track, and when you double the, you are just doubling any extra noise. The first track you posted sounds like it was a very clean record. The reverb used is minimal at most. Also, I would play with mic placement. Your guitar sounds like it could be a little beefier, and probably has a lot more low end to it. I would suggest aiming just slightly towards the body of the guitar, and try and get a bigger sound from mic placement, instead of trying to fix it in he mix.

[Zaahir]

Originally Posted by HuntleySlim

I would suggest aiming just slightly towards the body of the guitar, and try and get a bigger sound from mic placement, instead of trying to fix it in he mix.

Alright thanks, I'll try that, after I recorded i realized my mic was a little bit above my soundhole so I'll lower it and try aiming it to the body. I also realized that i completley forgot to use my Acoustic Pickup (though its usually really quiet because its one you fit into the soundhole) So i'll try that too.

[gehauser]

Your recording is well-played, but it sounds very bright, almost shrill in places on the high strings. Your mic location at the 12th fret is a bright location, good for most guitars with a mic with a flat response. But that at2021 has a 4db rise at around 10KHz frequency, and a pronounced rise from 4K-16KHz. On the low end, there is a 3db dip around 80Hz. See attached freq curve. A mic with flatter frequency response on both ends of the frequency spectrum (sm81?) would serve you better and probably be the fuller sound you are seeking. Right now you have a bright mic positioned at a bright location on a bright guitar.

But before you try another mic, move your at2021 over to the bridge side of the sound hole, out front 6"-12" and see if you like that better. It should give a fuller sound and tame down the high end quite a bit. Two mics (whatever you have) in a 3:1 spaced pair (stereo) would also probably give you a fuller sound. Deader guitar strings might help too.

You might also experiment with some room treatment, if you have an untreated room (which can sometime be too bright sounding). Hang a sleeping bag on a couple mic stands in a V, and set the mic well into the V aiming out, then play into the V. This will tame some of the high end a little as well if your room is small and otherwise untreated (and lively sounding). You can even hang another bag behind you as you play, to prevent any reflections from the wall behind you getting back into the front of the mic.

I would use these suggestions rather than processing to get the sound you want. Work with mic position and room treatment and multiple mics, or a mic with flatter response, and use minimal processing.

[Zaahir]

Alright, sounds good, I see what you mean about the bright guitar, i'll try moving the mic around, as for trying other right now I can't afford any other mics, but i bought this one in a pack so I also have an AT2020 but it has a similar frequency response, and I wanna test the 3:1 idea but im short on mic stands, though im sure I can afford another one of those. I just tried this one first because the datasheet in the box says its best for vocals, piano and acoustic guitar. But I'll definitely try out using two mics and moving them around.

As for the room I must admit im recording in a terrible environment, giant open, hardwood floor basement, I can't wait to move my stuff into our small spare bedroom with carpet flooring, but its full of junk from moving last year, so ya.

Thanks again for the advice, I'll try out all your guys reccommendations

[gehauser]

Yes, you are right - the freq curve on the at2020 is similar to the at2021. Stereo is still worth a try though. But if you have to pick one mic, you would use the at2021 as an SDC is more appropriate for capturing the dynamics of the guitar than the LDC. That said, I would still experiment with the at2020 just to hear them back to back.

Try hanging a blanket on anything behind the mic and another behind you as you play. That and moving the mic to the bridge side might do the trick. Post some more samples as you experiment and let us hear what you try.

[Zaahir]

Originally Posted by gehauser

Post some more samples as you experiment and let us hear what you try.

Will do, just can't guarentee it'll be too soon, Hopefully though.
Thanks again!