From the course: Audio Recording Techniques

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Recording acoustic instruments with a pickup

Recording acoustic instruments with a pickup

From the course: Audio Recording Techniques

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Recording acoustic instruments with a pickup

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One of the by-products of using a built-in pickup with an acoustic instrument is that it allows the player to record with the headphones. That means that the player can record near the monitor speakers or in the control room, since the transfer feedback will be diminished. (music playing) After you've plugged the instrument into the direct box in the output of the box into a console, like preamp or DAW, flip the ground switch to find the quietest setting. (music playing) The real secret to getting a great sounding direct recording is compression and plenty of it. Depending upon the type of pick up that's being used, the output can be less than that of a microphone and not as tonally balanced. That's why it's important to always use some compression to keep the sound at relatively same level. Plug a hardware compressor either into the output of the mic preamp or an insert on the console. If you use the compressor plug-in, it might cause a delay in the sound to make it difficult for the…

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