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Always trying to improve my sound for live-streaming (i.e. no processing in post), so this is what I have at this time straight out of the box. I've been working on "mastering" so I can achieve a healthy output for the audience. The source is a Carlos Juan VIP DM (going into an IR pedal) mixed in with a Carlos Juan CS Sensor (mostly for the golpes) which I am processing in real-time through an Antelope Audio Zen Quadro interface with DSP / FPGA effects to include EQ (to notch out some of this guitar's resonant frequencies), gate (to quiet everything down a bit), compression (to make some of the flamenco dynamics easier to work with), limiting (to prevent clipping), and finally some reverb for ambience. What do y'all think?
I am using an Elgato Facecam Pro webcam to record this video, and this camera has no built-in microphone. Also, there is no microphone connected to the audio interface or natively built-into the computer, so there was no external microphone whatsoever used in this recording. It is 100% from the pickup. In fact, I also had a VERY loud air conditioner running in the background, and there was no capture of that noise whatsoever, so this setup seems to be magical in its ability to reject noise. Honestly, even I was shocked. I don't know how this is possible, but literally, I can just plug and play, and this comes out straight from the box. I'm also using a Sennheiser wireless system (XSW-D Instrument Base Set), so I am in no way tethered to a single sitting/standing position (also using AIAIAI TMA-2 Studio Wireless+ low-latency headphones to monitor, so also no physical connection). So everything is connected wirelessly to my headphones, guitar, and interface, so zero limitation in physical movement. Pretty solid, y'all - I'm pleasantly surprised, honestly!
Here is the secret - https://payhip.com/FlamencoGuitarImpulseResponses - if you have not starting using impulse responses ("IRs") yet, you sincerely must, my friends. The Carlos system, on its own, does not sound like this recording does. The reason one may be thinking I was using a microphone is entirely because of the impulse response. Using an IR literally makes a night and day difference, folks. I am sure you wouldn't mind using an IR loader pedal in your signal chain. I am using this one, currently - https://www.mooeraudio.com/product/Cab-X2--245.html - both of these (the IR .wav file itself, and the IR loader pedal) combined are very affordable, but wow - they will do wonders on the sound of a pickup.
RE: Carlos Juan VIP DM pickup and Ca... (in reply to rombsix)
Sounds good, amazing considering that the signal is coming from a piezo. You are good at researching and demoing the pick up/audio equipment, it's helpful.
I have a question please. Do you think a KNA NG-1 would work going into an IR pedal?
Sometime live I use a Barlet mic straight into a Electro Voice AXZ1 powered PA speaker. Wondering if I could improve on it. I'm guessing that the IR needs a piezo input and the Bartlet mic into an IR pedal wouldn't work?
Posts: 15470
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Carlos Juan VIP DM pickup and Ca... (in reply to rombsix)
I know this is for internet audio, however, just wanted to suggest to people to try something that use piezo in live settings. On gigs that are solo guitar and tough load in, where I can’t make multiple trips, I will bring only the powered monitor from a PA. I plug the piezo guitar directly in to the monitor and get a surprisingly natural sound vs the processed sound through a mixer etc. YOu don’t get reverb is the only draw back, but in exchange the guitar sounds less quacky. The second trick was very surprising. I was on a gig and against a wall but outdoors. I had plugged in my monitor up on a stand, running through the PA my full rig, drum machine etc. I had to crank it pretty loud and thought it was not sounding as strong as normal, even I was close to the speaker. So after cranking it louder than usual I noticed the warmer natural tone of the piezo guitar, no quacking, and was surprised. Half way through the first set I realized the monitor was facing THE WALL, I had forgotten to turn it around. The highs were bouncing off the wall and the lows coming through the back of the speaker cabinet and it sounded better than ever!
RE: Carlos Juan VIP DM pickup and Ca... (in reply to orsonw)
quote:
Do you think a KNA NG-1 would work going into an IR pedal?
I'm guessing that the IR needs a piezo input and the Bartlet mic into an IR pedal wouldn't work?
I think the KNA NG-1 would work perfectly going into an IR pedal.
I think the Bartlett microphone won't sound good if connected to an IR pedal. The IR is an EQ curve that results from recording a guitar through an external microphone (like a Neumann KM 184), so if you connect a microphone as the source instead of a piezo-based device (under-the-saddle device, KNA-style device, soundboard transducer-style device such as K&K Pure Classic, etc.), it usually doesn't change the tone or worsens it. I can't say I've tried this with a million different microphones, but this has been my experience thus far with the ones I have tried.
What I've discovered is that it's best to have *two* sources: ideally one of them is a microphone to capture air / ambience, and the other is a piezo-based device. Each one will be better at representing certain frequencies / elements of the guitar's natural (complex) sound, and the magic happens in the process of blending those two signals (the way the frequencies are crossed over in the preamp). The way the Carlos Juan VIP DM blends the two still retains enough of the piezo character that applying an IR significantly impacts the tone. I've tried another system (Harmonik GT02-N) where the blending emphasizes the microphone signal more, and in this case, applying an IR either deteriorates the tone or minimally changes it.
(Side note: There are some systems that use three sources (for example, microphone + soundboard transducer + under-the-saddle, or, for steel strings, microphone + soundboard transducer + magnetic pickup). The microphone in any system is usually most likely to feedback. Some systems that only employ microphones have more feedback resistance, such as The2Mic / Bartlett / CloudVocal iSolo GT-10, and they sound natural since they are designed to function for the most part as purely microphone-based systems without blending in another source.)
RE: Carlos Juan VIP DM pickup and Ca... (in reply to rombsix)
Thanks for the helpful reply Ramzi. I'll follow your advice and stick with the bartlet mic. It already sounds good and is easy to set up- just straight into the powered PA speaker.
Ricardo, seems that something like a Nux optima air pedal could work for your piezo guitar live? It's not too expensive about $190. You could have reverb, no quack, speaker facing out, and you could get the IR of your favorite guitar.
RE: Carlos Juan VIP DM pickup and Ca... (in reply to orsonw)
quote:
Ricardo, seems that something like a Nux optima air pedal could work for your piezo guitar live? It's not too expensive about $190. You could have reverb, no quack, speaker facing out, and you could get the IR of your favorite guitar.
Yes, I agree with this. A fantastic pedal, and very high-value for the money.
RE: Carlos Juan VIP DM pickup and Ca... (in reply to rombsix)
Is there some kind of resource or youtube tutorial that you can recommend for a total noob at recording flamenco guitar?
Ideally I am looking at using my iphone 15 or laptop and hoping to find some budget reasonable solution (mics etc) that does not involve thousands in equipment.