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Don't kill me guys and gals for asking this question
Okay, I am having a little fun with my Yamaha CGX171SFC! It is a cutaway with condenser mic.
For those of you who might have pickups in your flamenco guitar (probably not many) and gig!!!
What is the best way to get a more natural sound...Yeah, I know DON'T PLUG IN, but as stated I am just having fun.
I was thinking of adding a little reverb and that is it.
Another thing I have seen is plug in and also mic as well...This way you have the best of both world..
Kalo
Internal mic plus piezo? To get more natural sound reduce Piezo almost to zero, the mic inside is a bit nasal as it doesn't get attack so nice. You can make up for it with treble boost. A very tiny bit of piezo will help with attack. Too much gets that plastic quacking mid rangey fake sound you don't want. Also you need to notch out the boom (internal mic), so any low cut thing or just reducing bass can help. External mic negates all this and you can just use that, but it needs to be close IMO because of bleed. Main problem with external mic is position...once you get it right you can't move around much and playing can get uncomfortable fast. reverb is nice but I try to keep it minimum as you have to make up for that with extra volume. Less reverb will have a more natural sound with more present attack. Perhaps totally dry doesn't sound so professional and romantic, but if you play well you can work with that. Try to be happy with guitar sound BEFORE adding any effects. And when eq ing your guitar, always start FLAT as the reference and don't exaggerate turning knobs at first...do very small adjustments and experiment.
I use about 90% piezo, 10% internal mic. I use the notch filter to take out some note, I think it's either A-ish or D-ish that just booms way too much. I use major amounts of amp EQ to boost bass and slash treble and midrange bass at 90%, mid and treble at about %25. I use generous reverb, about 40%.
I need to cut mid and treble because I'm using lots of piezo. The mic is just being used to add a little air. I add bass because the Cordoba doesn't have any and I want the bass notes distinct. I don't really like the sound of an internal mic.
1. So far, the best pickup option has been the LR Baggs Anthem Sl (combo mic/piezo). I have compared it to the fishman matrix and ellipse on the same guitar. Baggs wins for sounding the most natural. Both great items, however, The LR Baggs sounds most natural and works best when using lots of effects and playing in a band.
2. The fishman Aura pedal is a great tool. It has downloadable images of nylon string guitars and could be blended into your mix.
3. Bartlett mic works best if you are playing solo with minimal effects and in a quiet environment.
I read somewhere that Jason McGuire uses a Sennheiser mic velcro'd inside the soundhole (plugged into a Fishman solo amp). I copied this setup (with an old Marshall acoustic amp) and it produces a natural sound.
I read somewhere that Jason McGuire uses a Sennheiser mic velcro'd inside the soundhole (plugged into a Fishman solo amp). I copied this setup (with an old Marshall acoustic amp) and it produces a natural sound.