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Subject:Sudden Booming
Posted by: bflat
Date:9/15/2003 8:21:05 PM

Kinda bizarre:I can record fairly well as far as levels go, except when I hit a low F# note on an acoustic guitar -- this causes the VU meter to suddenly JUMP way up and distort.

I've used four different acoustics, and all have the same problem. I'll pull the mic back about a foot and a half to avoid bassy proximity effect, but the F#'s still do this.

Could it be a mic problem? I get this BOOM on an OCTAVA large condenser and small condenser cardiod... Perhaps these mics are sensitive to that frequency. Interestingly, the mics have no problem with keyboards playing the same note, or notes lower than F# on acoustic guitar.

Subject:RE: Sudden Booming
Reply by: Jessariah
Date:9/15/2003 10:19:39 PM

Keyboards & acoustic instruments are different beasts. Do you have an outboard EQ? If not, as long as the "boom" isn't distorting, you can use an EQ or band compressor to find the frequency and limit it.

Subject:RE: Sudden Booming
Reply by: bflat
Date:9/17/2003 12:35:51 AM

I'm using a Mackie mixer with pre-amps, which has EQ. The sudden peaks/BOOMS distort terribly, which is the odd thing. I've tried recording at low gain levels, but I still have the problem (and, believe me, it's dramatic).

My work-around is to record any passages using the low F# separately, at VERY low levels.

Question: would a new external compressor/limiter help this? For the life of me, I can't figure out what's going on, unless it's some kind of mic problem. Oddly, it's happening with two different Octava mics.


Subject:RE: Sudden Booming
Reply by: jtuffen
Date:9/17/2003 9:10:46 AM

Have you tried recording in a different room?? Might be resonances there??

Anyway, definitely sounds like a resonant frequency problem - if the desk is overloading, then that's bad news; if the desk doesn't overload, then I would suggest using a sweepable EQ to cut that frequency (but in preference, if the room is a problem try some treatment - hang a duvet or blanket up on a wall or something!).

Hope this helps,

john..

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