Electric Acoustic Guitar through DI

[Stoneface]

I'm looking to pick the guitar back up but would like to go with an acoustic. Honestly, I don't want to mic the guitar and would prefer to go in through my Di. (U5). With that being said, which guitars should I be looking into, somewhere in the $500 range. Also, what is the best method to run an acoustic guitar direct? Would I need additional gear? Looking to capture styles such as classical, spanish, etc.

I haven't messed with a guitar in years so am way out of the loop. Any help is appreciated.

[tINY]

If you want to go direct with a pick-up in an acoustic guitar and you have a DI in mind, you may want to add a decent parametric EQ. There is a lot of notching and shaping you'll need to do to get it to sound right.



-tINY

[84K]

Sunrise makes the best acoustic guitar pick ups and Pendulum Audio makes the industry standard in acoustic guitar preamps. SPS-1 is the model.

[shikawkee]

If I may say so, we made our Coil EQ box for just such an occasion:

http://www.edpettersen.com/edpettersen/Coileq.html

www.valvotronics.com

Pickups are a whole 'nother matter though.....

[borau]

You still need to be aware that Acoustic guitar via Pickup will NEVER sound GOOD!!!

No matter what pre-amp or EQ you try to polish it with.

It's simply a neccesary evil of Live Sound.

Any reason for not wanting to mic. it?

[SynthaxUS]

http://www.fishman.com/

[SynthaxUS]

http://www.music123.com/Kaman-Feedba...r-i10792.music

For live use this is a must....

[jerkrecords]

acoustic direct = barf.

seriously. mic it.

-pete

[absrec]

Check out this new thing call the D-TAR. Looks pretty cool, if you're into that sort of thing...

[shikawkee]

Originally Posted by borau

You still need to be aware that Acoustic guitar via Pickup will NEVER sound GOOD!!!

No matter what pre-amp or EQ you try to polish it with.

It's simply a neccesary evil of Live Sound.

Any reason for not wanting to mic. it?

True enough.

[Stoneface]

Originally Posted by borau

You still need to be aware that Acoustic guitar via Pickup will NEVER sound GOOD!!!

No matter what pre-amp or EQ you try to polish it with.

It's simply a neccesary evil of Live Sound.

Any reason for not wanting to mic. it?

Currently, I do mic acoustic gtrs when I track someone else. I would like to track myself. There's no way for me to record myself going back and forth from the studio to the control room and still maintain the exact mic placement. That's why I figured, direct would probably be a good solution. The direct method was suggested to me by someone who used to work at or record at the Chocolate Factory (R. Kelly) and they run all thier gtrs direct. Or so they say.

Thanks for all the posts, thus far. i'm continuing the research but so far, you guys got me a little nervous about attempting to do this. If it's going to sound like crap...well that's just unacceptable.

Also, what guitar brands and models should I look at for either direct or micing. $500 range. Like I said, I'm out of the loop and there are more choices out their than Kool-Aid flavors.

[Jamstudio]

Originally Posted by Stoneface

I'm looking to pick the guitar back up but would like to go with an acoustic. Honestly, I don't want to mic the guitar and would prefer to go in through my Di. (U5).

Why is that
IMHO acc. guitar should be miced.(<--spelling?)
The only excuses for having a acc. not miced is

• a live gig
• Special FX eg. Freaky distorion from a pod or sumpting

Even the crappiest mic sounds more 'real' than a di

Remco

[borau]

Originally Posted by Stoneface

Currently, I do mic acoustic gtrs when I track someone else. I would like to track myself. There's no way for me to record myself going back and forth from the studio to the control room and still maintain the exact mic placement. That's why I figured, direct would probably be a good solution. The direct method was suggested to me by someone who used to work at or record at the Chocolate Factory (R. Kelly) and they run all thier gtrs direct. Or so they say.

Thanks for all the posts, thus far. i'm continuing the research but so far, you guys got me a little nervous about attempting to do this. If it's going to sound like crap...well that's just unacceptable.

Also, what guitar brands and models should I look at for either direct or micing. $500 range. Like I said, I'm out of the loop and there are more choices out their than Kool-Aid flavors.

What about using cans and track in the CR? That's what I do, anyway, when I have to engineer AND play.

For cheap guitars (anything less than $1500)

Seagull beats everything.(I tried about 75 guitars in that range $0-1500)
And fits very nicely to your $500 budget.

Good Luck!

[Stoneface]

Originally Posted by borau

What about using cans and track in the CR? That's what I do, anyway, when I have to engineer AND play.

For cheap guitars (anything less than $1500)

Seagull beats everything.(I tried about 75 guitars in that range $0-1500)
And fits very nicely to your $500 budget.

Good Luck!

I did think of this but with computer noise, hard drives, etc it becomes difficult to "block" the control room sounds when I'm micing in Omni. Maybe I could put up some gobo's or something. Hmmmm...

Thanks for the tip on the Seagull...I'll check em out. Need to get down to the GTR shop and play a few for myself as well.

[borau]

RE: The seagull.

When I recommended those, I didn't notice you where looking for a Nylon.

I was on the lookout for a steel stringed when I did my Shootout.

Maybe someone else can chime in with Nylon recomandations.

I can see your point about computer noise in the CR..

Imho, you should consider getting rid of that noise, it will not only allow you to record your guitar properly, but also gives you a better mixing enviroment.

[shikawkee]

Can you put the computer in a closet and run keyboard extension to your rig?

[Stoneface]

I bought a Middle Atlantic Isolation rack for exactly that reason. Problem is, the fan on the back is nearly as loud as the computer. It does help but a good condensor will pick up the fan noise. Good thing I only paid a few hundred for it which was great deal a couple of years ago. I think you guys are on to something though. Maybe money would be better spent on reducing my control room noise and tracking in the CR. Thanks alot everyone who posted.

Still wouldn't mind a few Acoutic GTR manufacture recommendations. Let me know what works for you.

[SynthaxUS]

Crown GLM-200-E mini condenser microphone


Has anyone tried this thing? It comes with Fishman blenders...

[shikawkee]

Originally Posted by SynthaxUS

Crown GLM-200-E mini condenser microphone


Has anyone tried this thing? It comes with Fishman blenders...

Yeah, it's pretty good but like any mic you can only use so much
before it feeds back. Usually, it's only dialed into the sound about 10-20%. YMMV.

[Foldedpath]

I haven't tried the Fishman/Crown rig, but I have a similar setup with a Baggs Dual Source in my classical guitar. It's okay for something like a potted plant gig, where you might want a little extra amplification, but it's still not something I'd want to use DI for a recording. All an internal mic does, is help an undersaddle or soundboard pickup sound a little better than it would on its own. I have the internal mic on the Dual Source dialed in about 30% relative to the undersaddle pickup. For recording, it's all external mics.

@ Stoneface -- If you're lookjng for a decent entry-level classical (or "crossover" nylon string with a slimmer neck), then check out Takamine guitars. Takamine nylon string models have a good pickup system (if you do need that for live playing), and they're fairly common in guitar stores. Also try a few Yamahas. Between Takamine and Yamaha you'll probably find something good in that price range.

[Mr. Victory]

Originally Posted by borau

You still need to be aware that Acoustic guitar via Pickup will NEVER sound GOOD!!!

No matter what pre-amp or EQ you try to polish it with.

It's simply a neccesary evil of Live Sound.

Any reason for not wanting to mic. it?

I don't know. I love the sound of an acoustic myself, but try the M1 by LR Baggs. It really isn't bad at all. I've een diggin the soun, while I am free to move around when jamming with a drummer. Ni more tonal changes from moving around the mic.

[Marjan]

If you don't feel able to choose an acoustic guitar, get someone to go with you.
As you probably know, a guitar is worth what you can get out of it, not the brand.
In that price range you may find a supposedly good guitar ("according to the brand") that's crap. And you may also find something from an unknown brand that's really nice.
I've got five acoustics from all the price ranges, and I must tell you my old $150 Washburn is one of those that I just don't get tired of playing with.
You can eventually tell that its wood is not top of the range, but it just sounds so right...

[themaidsroom]

i've got the pendulum box which is great , with fishman gold plus + baby akg mics installed
in most of my guitars......
what's strange is the cheap nylon string guitar with this setup actually
can be recorded and the tracks cut real well and sound very balanced
even with no external mic........
as soon as it steel strings on the lowden
or the martin - it's great for shows, but, we
rarely use any of the d.i. signal - it's all
about the mic in front of the guitar......

so if it's gotta be d.i.
i'd go with a nylon string guitar
while it's more than you want to spend,
the gibson chet atkins nylon string
always sounded good to me,
but you can't play it accoustically......


be well


- jack

[Bob Olhsson]

The latest Fishman that has no controls or bells and whistles is the best sounding pickup I've ever heard. Unfortunately we had to switch my wife's guitar back to an earlier, higher output version due to some RFI problems. The newer ones are awesome if you can make it work for you.

[Antonio Agrusta]

hI. In these days i'm trynig to recording my electrified-acoustic WASHBURN ea20, directly in the onboard pres of my Motu 828mkii (without di box).

This guitar have either 1/4 jack and TRSjack and a pre-eq onboard called EquisII with "level output" and "contour" roll.

When i recorded using jack/jack (from guitar to motu pres) i can use the guitar's eq onboard and i'm able to increase the gain pre from motu almost at max level and level output from guitar at 2 o'clock never reach the "red zone" from cubase.

Instead, if i use trs/trs connection i have a such distortion/overload that i have to put at minimum level the gain pre of motu (at 7 oclock!!) and guitar's eq onboard is bypassed. Thanks

What i have to do? since i've ever think that balanced connection was better than simply mono jack!

Don't suggest me to use a dibox or to mic...i want to obtain the bettere recording from directly connecting guitar to motu pres...shoul i use an impulse of some pre with a vst?

What is the best way to connect? balanced or unbalanced? To rest in the most professional direct method of recording?

[Antonio Agrusta]

excuse maybe is better open a new thread...in this my question is a little OT..EXCUSE ME AGAIN