Studio Tech Tips - Recording Acoustic Guitar

Grammy-award winner and multi-platinum tracking and mixing engineer Dylan "3-D" Dresdow started his professional career at world-renowned Enterprise Studios. As assistant to the legendary mix engineer, Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado, Dylan worked on projects for Sisqó, Destiny's Child, and Brian McKnight. Dylan's nickname "3-D" was originally based on the fact that Dylan had 3 d's in his name. This nickname took on additional meaning when his mixes began gaining renown for their width and dimension.

Dylan has racked up platinum credits working artists such as Ice Cube, Coolio, Redman, Method Man, TLC, and The Wu Tang Clan. He contributed to the cover of "Lady Marmalade," performed by Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya, Lil Kim, and Missy Elliot, winning won one Grammy out of three nominations and a nomination for a TEC award. He also worked on Elephunk by Black Eyed Peas, nominated in the Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Dance Record, and the highly coveted Best Engineered Non-Classical categories.

Tracking Acoustic And Electric Guitar
Though Dylan Dresdow primarily mixes these days, when tracking acoustic guitars he uses a Pearlman TM-LE mic into the A Designs Audio 500-Blue preamp (http://ow.ly/1QN6v ) into the A Designs Hammer EQ (http://ow.ly/1QNae ), which is also his favorite EQ on the main mix bus. For electric guitar, Dylan uses the Pearlman TM-LE into the A Designs Audio Pacifica preamp (http://ow.ly/1QNbw ) into the Hammer EQ (http://ow.ly/1QNcY ). To record George Pajon's Marshall JCM800 amp (http://ow.ly/1QQ44 ) and THD 2x12 cabinet (http://ow.ly/1QQ4X ), Dylan uses the Pearlman TM-LE tube condenser into the A Designs MP-2A tube preamp (http://ow.ly/1QQ6z ) to a Hammer EQ (http://ow.ly/1QNcY ). (You can check out the TM-LE at pearlmanmicrophones.com)

On the Black Eyed Peas album The End, Dylan also used the HAMMER (http://ow.ly/1QNcY) extensively on background vocals. According to Dylan, "The HAMMER is a magic EQ. In fact, I struggle to find things that it doesn't sound good on. I basically engaged the low cut switches on the unit, then boosted three frequency areas: 300Hz for extra body, 1.2kHz to add some presence and separation from the guitars, and 15kHz for top end sparkle." And for the album's keyboards, which figure prominently on the album: "The Pacifica mic pre (http://ow.ly/1QNgD ) was one of the tools that really helped us craft our synth sounds. We frequently ran will.i.am and Keith Harris' synth outputs through the direct injects on the front panel." For synth bass, Dylan teamed the Moog Little Phatty (http://ow.ly/1QNhC ), with an A Designs REDDI tube DI (http://ow.ly/1QNiQ ). Says Dylan, "The REDDI (http://ow.ly/1QNiQ ) really lends an extra dimension to bass instruments. I also find that I don't have to EQ or compress things as often whenever I'm using the REDDI (http://ow.ly/1QNiQ )."

Other A Designs Audio gear pressed into service in the making of The End included the EM Series P1 (http://ow.ly/1QNkV ) on synth bass, and EM-PEQ (http://ow.ly/1QNmt ) on kick drum.

Thanks to Dylan for sharing his signal chains and techniques with us. Find out more about Dylan at www.papervustudio.com.

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[yrrepyesac]

"Squint your ears", I'm gonna use that.

[ellollio]

Thanks!

[theinck]

For proper recording guitarists: don't move around like this when recording acoustic guitar. It will mess with your recording.

[coffeejar1]

i just realized this is freaking shot at the late sound city!

[hto1971]

ty for letting the truth out you eq the same time as you record now i know it a lie to be clean 1st

[GoodFortuneOfficial]

@Michael55443 His technique is really bad too, lol.. Awful dynamics. Didn't really like this tip.. nothing new what so ever.

[Michael55443]

This guitarist only knows one set of chord progressions I think.

[darrylportelli]

@rygrystaldrigrist I guess he's that good lool

[jammmon]

Nice!

[Matto3431]

That must be why I hate the black eyed peas....

[rygrystaldrigrist]

how does he know if he is in tempo without headphones?

[BryanBowser1]

Thanks for the tips!

How do you make upfront and background tracks 'out of focus' so the center track is clear?

Also, how would you arrange two acoustic guitars? One guitar is more rhythm and the other would be more lead.