Getting rid of fret noise

[jonetsu]

Hi,

I get more than sufficient fret noise from acoustic bass guitar playing. Do you have approaches in recording using mics and further processing to minimize those noises ? The current mics are AT2020 and AT2021, with a possibly of also using an AT2050. The recording is done using both the AT2020 and AT2021. The mics are fed into an ART MPA II preamp then into an ART VLA II compressor and finally into a Lexicon MX200 which, for the bass, is bypassed most of the time. The mics are positioned one on top of the other, with none pointing at the bass guitar sound hole but rather slightly on each side.

One last resort is to edit the wave forms and meticulously lower down where it happens although it would be practical to have a way to minimize them during the work on a piece.

Suggestions appreciated.

Cheers.

[Dingo]

Hi,

I get more than sufficient fret noise from acoustic bass guitar playing. Do you have approaches in recording using mics and further processing to minimize those noises ?
Cheers.

Some people volume graph them out or cut and fade. Others use RX or a De-Esser etc.
I tend to leave them, I feel that fret noise is part of the sound you get with a stringed instrument.

[stepaan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqt087D1054
There are many spectral cleaning tools available. The process is quite time demanding, but results are great. You can also remove a breath from voice track for example.

[jonetsu]

Some people volume graph them out or cut and fade. Others use RX or a De-Esser etc. I tend to leave them, I feel that fret noise is part of the sound you get with a stringed instrument.

Graphing them out would be on a final take, in which it would make sense to give time and attention. What I'm concerned with is day-to-day sketching and development in which the noises takes attention away. So a quick way to minize them would be nice.

Fret noise on an acoustic bass guitar is akin to slurpy percussion. It adds to the drum track and not in a nice way. I'm remotely considering changing the pickup which I do not use because it is quite crappy, or getting an electric bass guitar. Although I'd like to attack the fret noise problem fully.

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqt087D1054
There are many spectral cleaning tools available. The process is quite time demanding, but results are great. You can also remove a breath from voice track for example.

Sectral Cleaner part of Sequoia is $3000, and that's not for the Linux version

And it's also on a per-event thing. I'm looking more for a daily approach. It does not make sense to spend that time on a track in development. I'm also considering cleaning the bass strings, using Finger Ease and yes, play more attentively.

On the audio side I will try XT-DS more accurately. I tried it quickly before with not much results, I will give it more attention now.

[stepaan]

Sectral Cleaner part of Sequoia is $3000, and that's not for the Linux version

And it's also on a per-event thing. I'm looking more for a daily approach. It does not make sense to spend that time on a track in development. I'm also considering cleaning the bass strings, using Finger Ease and yes, play more attentively.

Oh I see.

Nevertheless. For people interested in this approach. http://www.stillwellaudio.com/plugins/spectro/ is very cheap but handy spectral editor. The site was down at the moment I wrote the previous post so I didn't include the link.
Also it's not available for Linux. ;-)

[Matt]

I've used a multiband compressor before. Or metric halo's precision de-esser could work. With it's spectrafoo analyzer you kind find the exact frequency spread and lessen it.