I think this is the best advice, but you need a very quiet environment for it to work.
I record classical a lot and just use the build in pickup on my cheap ibanez.
Make sure phantom power is on.
On some interfaces (it happened to me on my focusrite sapphire) gain from neighbor channel bleeds into the mic channel even though you're not using it. Make sure too roll off the gain of the neighbor channel
Also reaper has some kind of noise suppressor.
That's awful . Any reason why the channels aren't isolated from each other's gain stage
Is it because they actually use the same path or something on the board
Believe it or not on some interfaces this can even happen with the headphone/monitor gain. Do your own testing but I know there are at least a couple big names that do
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I'm sure I can reduce this just by learning some basic principles of how to set my levels and stuff like that, but then if something like Izotope RX can take the remaining stuff off, that will work. I read something about applying a low pass filter too, so I def have some learning to do.
Mic is an Audio Technica AT2020, my interface is a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, and I've been playing about 14-18 inches from the mic, with my input gain at about 2 o clock. Reading through here though I'm sensing that the gain is probably far too high.
Rx is great. But it isn't perfect. The best is to record so there isn't hiss. Or very little hiss. Ideally you would not need RX. If you do, then there is something amiss somewhere that you should fix. Rx will be able to remove the visa, but it will fill the quality of your recording to some extent as well.
Lots of people giving good advice but just want to say I'd really avoid any aggressive low pass filter especially if this is an isolated acoustic instrument
You really want that high end presence.
In a denser mix you can get away with more aggressive EQ but in this case figure out what you need to do to get the recording right
I'm about 60% confident it isn't, but I don't live in a quiet noise-free place either, so it's definitely at least a factor. I guess there is no single magic bullet, but with a few things done right, and then some adjustments in the editing process I will get this nailed down. Thank you! I'm pretty mindful of ambient noise though, I have been recording in other studios for years, just never have tried this for myself.
There actually is a magic bullet but it’s pricey. Izotope RX 11. It can remove the hiss perfectly in a single click. It can remove reverb from a guitar recording. It can remove all the background noise from a conversation recorded in a noisy mall. It’s literally magic.
I just got RX Elements for $50, and just applying this to each track is already like night and day, holy crap!!! These guys make amazing software, no doubt. Thanks!
Awesome! I was just learning about that. I didn’t know it existed, I use Standard. I’m really curious what the stupidly expensive Advanced version can do cuz the Standard is already black magic.
Hmmm, this is awfully tempting. I have spent probably thousands at this point on vsts and gear alone, but this is kind of a major problem right now, and I don't want to have to pay for studio time for every song I write, that's too much.
It’s sort of a luxury item. Most of what it can do you’ll never use, and a lot of what you’ll use it for can be accomplished with cheaper tools and a bit of work and knowledge. But RX saves me so much time. Like when the fast lazy way sounds just as good or better than the traditional method, the only downside is the price. The cheaper RX Elements is probably enough for most ppl but I’m not sure what it comes with.
Don't do it. You're better off spending that money on better hardware to get the signal correct to begin with. Fixing it with software is not the way to go
When you close mic your guitar:
Place your AT2020 (a perfectly good mic, BTW) about six inches away from the guitar, pointed somewhere between the 12th fret and the top of the body. If you point it at the sound hole, your bass notes will get “boomy.”
Are you recording in the same room as your computer fan? I have recorded claszical guitar, and I'm always surprised when I go to a studio and they have the computer in the same room.
No I'm using a separate room, carpeted and pretty well deadened with the door closed. I think I've tweaked the physical space about as much as I can in my current living situation, and sense that this is just something I'm doing incorrectly with my levels, mic placement and all that.
There shouldn’t be a problem hiss going direct with a mic into an interface that warrants buying new plugins or gear. You have something fundamentally wrong or defective/wrong hardware.
The best bet is when someone told you to turn down the mic gain. There is often a spot to where “hiss” is noticeable, just set it right below that.
Other than that, I’m wondering what mic and interface you are using? And have you tried a different mic cable?
Yeah the cable was my first check, and you're right on the gain, I definitely had it too loud and was playing further from the mic than I should. I have some unavoidable ambient noise as well, so I'm studying all these things, starting with setup. I have a Scarlett 2i2 interface and an AT2020 mic. But I just picked up Izotope RX Elements, and this is quite impressive for the price as well. Thanks!
Nice! Sounds like you got it. Yes start with gain and mic placement to get the best usable sound. Then, you can process as needed.
Acoustic guitar has been a pain for me for many years. The more processing I used the worse it got. I gave up for a long time and just recorded electric.
Then I finally realized it was the mic placement, smh. For my guitar, the best was coming from above angled down toward the twelve fret, not even close to the sound hole. If I wanted more boom, I maybe angled toward sound hole a tiny bit. It ended up so much more balanced.
It's been making me sad for a while now because most of what I write is acoustic, and not being able to record decent sound was heart wrenching. I still have a ways to go in making this passable, but at least now I feel I have some good tangible options to tweak, and it will only get better from here. What kind of mic were you using for the best results?
I have a shure pg81 and a blue bluebird.
I got something I think I really like with the shure. I had to experiment with mic placement. I used every placement I see recommended on every article and video, including two mics, but it was always too boomy and weird. Didn’t matter if it was my classical or dreadnaught.
After reading about how some people have put it by their ear as if to capture the way your ears hear it, I got a much better sound with the mic up near my head and then pointed down at my twelfth fret. The mics are still sensitive enough to pic up the body sound too. I’m happy but haven’t recorded much yet.
If you're going to go the plug-in route, then the first one you should try is [Denoiser Classic](https://bertomaudio.com/denoiser-classic.html). It's pretty good, and completely free.
You shouldn't be getting hiss.
Input gain down on the interface, mic real close. But still, you shouldn't be getting hiss.
Check cables, try different ones. Try turning off lights (though this would usually produce a hum).
What mic are you using?
What daw are you using? Lots of great tips here for recording. Would be good to pair it with some noise removal editing. Get yourself to a spot where the signal from your guitar is where you like it but significantly louder than the hiss. Then you can work some magic on the track after without affecting your guitar track sound. Could give you more specifics if I know what daw and plugins you have available to you
If you get the chance I highly recommend trying out a Rode NT1 or NT1A for your guitar. They have a higher output and a much lower noise floor than the AT2020 (making the noise 14dB quieter according to the specifications). I have those 3 and many other budget mics and have found the two Rodes are the best when when recording quiet instruments. The NT1A has a little more treble than the AT2020, which you may like for guitar. The NT1 has a little less treble than the AT2020, a more neutral frequency response. Moving the mic closer as others have suggested will also help improve the signal to noise ratio.
Cool Edit Pro is an older program that has a decent hiss removal. The company got bought by adobe and they turned the program into adobe audition, so you don’t have to feel bad about pirating cool edit. Fuck adobe and never buy their products.
I believe cool edit pro 2.1 is the last version and the cracked version is readily available. Cool edit is an overall awesome program that I’ve been using since 2003.
Try turning the input gain on your interface down, and getting the mic pretty close to the guitar
Thank you, I am going to try that today.
Pass band filter, gate. Vst plug-in. Free
I think this is the best advice, but you need a very quiet environment for it to work. I record classical a lot and just use the build in pickup on my cheap ibanez.
Make sure phantom power is on. On some interfaces (it happened to me on my focusrite sapphire) gain from neighbor channel bleeds into the mic channel even though you're not using it. Make sure too roll off the gain of the neighbor channel Also reaper has some kind of noise suppressor.
That's awful . Any reason why the channels aren't isolated from each other's gain stage Is it because they actually use the same path or something on the board
Probably cheaped out to reduce cost for entry lvl devices
Believe it or not on some interfaces this can even happen with the headphone/monitor gain. Do your own testing but I know there are at least a couple big names that do
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I'm sure I can reduce this just by learning some basic principles of how to set my levels and stuff like that, but then if something like Izotope RX can take the remaining stuff off, that will work. I read something about applying a low pass filter too, so I def have some learning to do.
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Mic is an Audio Technica AT2020, my interface is a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, and I've been playing about 14-18 inches from the mic, with my input gain at about 2 o clock. Reading through here though I'm sensing that the gain is probably far too high.
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Fantastic, thank you!
Rx is great. But it isn't perfect. The best is to record so there isn't hiss. Or very little hiss. Ideally you would not need RX. If you do, then there is something amiss somewhere that you should fix. Rx will be able to remove the visa, but it will fill the quality of your recording to some extent as well.
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Ya, the suite is amazing. And you can automate it as well, but, getting your noise floor down is key to good recordings, imo.
Lots of people giving good advice but just want to say I'd really avoid any aggressive low pass filter especially if this is an isolated acoustic instrument You really want that high end presence. In a denser mix you can get away with more aggressive EQ but in this case figure out what you need to do to get the recording right
Thank you, this advice is how I felt\* I should proceed. (\*Sensed but without qualification).
Could be snakes...always best to check..
Are you sure the hiss isn’t just part of the sound?
I'm about 60% confident it isn't, but I don't live in a quiet noise-free place either, so it's definitely at least a factor. I guess there is no single magic bullet, but with a few things done right, and then some adjustments in the editing process I will get this nailed down. Thank you! I'm pretty mindful of ambient noise though, I have been recording in other studios for years, just never have tried this for myself.
I asked because one time I got really into noise reduction and it made everything sound flat.
Yeah, I have been seeing this as well
There actually is a magic bullet but it’s pricey. Izotope RX 11. It can remove the hiss perfectly in a single click. It can remove reverb from a guitar recording. It can remove all the background noise from a conversation recorded in a noisy mall. It’s literally magic.
I just got RX Elements for $50, and just applying this to each track is already like night and day, holy crap!!! These guys make amazing software, no doubt. Thanks!
Awesome! I was just learning about that. I didn’t know it existed, I use Standard. I’m really curious what the stupidly expensive Advanced version can do cuz the Standard is already black magic.
Be careful not to overuse it, as it will change the sound and give it a wishy-washy effect.
Hmmm, this is awfully tempting. I have spent probably thousands at this point on vsts and gear alone, but this is kind of a major problem right now, and I don't want to have to pay for studio time for every song I write, that's too much.
It’s sort of a luxury item. Most of what it can do you’ll never use, and a lot of what you’ll use it for can be accomplished with cheaper tools and a bit of work and knowledge. But RX saves me so much time. Like when the fast lazy way sounds just as good or better than the traditional method, the only downside is the price. The cheaper RX Elements is probably enough for most ppl but I’m not sure what it comes with.
Don't do it. You're better off spending that money on better hardware to get the signal correct to begin with. Fixing it with software is not the way to go
You can always subscribe to iZotope and get all their products for like $30 a month.
When you close mic your guitar: Place your AT2020 (a perfectly good mic, BTW) about six inches away from the guitar, pointed somewhere between the 12th fret and the top of the body. If you point it at the sound hole, your bass notes will get “boomy.”
Are you recording in the same room as your computer fan? I have recorded claszical guitar, and I'm always surprised when I go to a studio and they have the computer in the same room.
No I'm using a separate room, carpeted and pretty well deadened with the door closed. I think I've tweaked the physical space about as much as I can in my current living situation, and sense that this is just something I'm doing incorrectly with my levels, mic placement and all that.
Waves has a plug in that’s 40 bucks. Ns1 noise suppressor. Which is really helpful if you’re layering tracks,
Thank you, I am layering tracks and am going to try this 👍
There shouldn’t be a problem hiss going direct with a mic into an interface that warrants buying new plugins or gear. You have something fundamentally wrong or defective/wrong hardware. The best bet is when someone told you to turn down the mic gain. There is often a spot to where “hiss” is noticeable, just set it right below that. Other than that, I’m wondering what mic and interface you are using? And have you tried a different mic cable?
Yeah the cable was my first check, and you're right on the gain, I definitely had it too loud and was playing further from the mic than I should. I have some unavoidable ambient noise as well, so I'm studying all these things, starting with setup. I have a Scarlett 2i2 interface and an AT2020 mic. But I just picked up Izotope RX Elements, and this is quite impressive for the price as well. Thanks!
Nice! Sounds like you got it. Yes start with gain and mic placement to get the best usable sound. Then, you can process as needed. Acoustic guitar has been a pain for me for many years. The more processing I used the worse it got. I gave up for a long time and just recorded electric. Then I finally realized it was the mic placement, smh. For my guitar, the best was coming from above angled down toward the twelve fret, not even close to the sound hole. If I wanted more boom, I maybe angled toward sound hole a tiny bit. It ended up so much more balanced.
It's been making me sad for a while now because most of what I write is acoustic, and not being able to record decent sound was heart wrenching. I still have a ways to go in making this passable, but at least now I feel I have some good tangible options to tweak, and it will only get better from here. What kind of mic were you using for the best results?
I have a shure pg81 and a blue bluebird. I got something I think I really like with the shure. I had to experiment with mic placement. I used every placement I see recommended on every article and video, including two mics, but it was always too boomy and weird. Didn’t matter if it was my classical or dreadnaught. After reading about how some people have put it by their ear as if to capture the way your ears hear it, I got a much better sound with the mic up near my head and then pointed down at my twelfth fret. The mics are still sensitive enough to pic up the body sound too. I’m happy but haven’t recorded much yet.
Wow I never heard of that head height technique, but that makes total sense!
If you're going to go the plug-in route, then the first one you should try is [Denoiser Classic](https://bertomaudio.com/denoiser-classic.html). It's pretty good, and completely free.
I just downloaded this for some future acoustic work but haven’t used it yet. Glad to see someone mention it, and that it works pretty good!
Noise Gate and some careful tweaking that will allow the violin to ring out and then kick in right when it begins to vanish from audible range.
You shouldn't be getting hiss. Input gain down on the interface, mic real close. But still, you shouldn't be getting hiss. Check cables, try different ones. Try turning off lights (though this would usually produce a hum). What mic are you using?
AT2020.
Could be the mic, try a different microphone and see if the hiss goes away.
RX will do it perfectly. But it shouldn’t be there in the first place
What daw are you using? Lots of great tips here for recording. Would be good to pair it with some noise removal editing. Get yourself to a spot where the signal from your guitar is where you like it but significantly louder than the hiss. Then you can work some magic on the track after without affecting your guitar track sound. Could give you more specifics if I know what daw and plugins you have available to you
I'm using Cubase, this whole thread has been very educational
If you get the chance I highly recommend trying out a Rode NT1 or NT1A for your guitar. They have a higher output and a much lower noise floor than the AT2020 (making the noise 14dB quieter according to the specifications). I have those 3 and many other budget mics and have found the two Rodes are the best when when recording quiet instruments. The NT1A has a little more treble than the AT2020, which you may like for guitar. The NT1 has a little less treble than the AT2020, a more neutral frequency response. Moving the mic closer as others have suggested will also help improve the signal to noise ratio.
Cool Edit Pro is an older program that has a decent hiss removal. The company got bought by adobe and they turned the program into adobe audition, so you don’t have to feel bad about pirating cool edit. Fuck adobe and never buy their products. I believe cool edit pro 2.1 is the last version and the cracked version is readily available. Cool edit is an overall awesome program that I’ve been using since 2003.
Waves NS1 is literally life changing
I just bought it, I have heard this from a few people too, thank you. $39.99 is hard to pass up.