plug ins for acoustic guitar

[henrod]

Hi, all. I just bought a gorgeous new Taylor T5 and it just doesn't sound like an acoustic guitar through my system. I was hoping to use it to replace my old Takamine and my Strat. It sounds awesome as an electric. My plug in settings are all just fine.

I've been running the Tak and the Strat into my UltraliteMk3 (FW) and using DP's plugins exclusive for f/x. The Tak sounds great with just a little reverb, nothing else. I perform a solo act and DP runs my show live.

Can anyone recommend either new plugins, or settings for the stock DP8 plugins to help brighten up and acoustify my T5? I downloaded demos for Waves stuff, but they require a stereo channel and 96K - neither of which are the settings for my 300+song file in DP.

Thanks.

Scott

[Phil O]

I'm not familiar with the T5, but if it has a good acoustic sound, mic it. IMO it's the only way to capture an acoustic guitar. I have yet to hear a pickup on an acoustic I've liked. If it doesn't have a good acoustic sound, no plugin is going to help. If you must use the pickup, get fussy with EQ. MOTU's MW EQ is quite versatile once you get to know it.

One of the best sounding guitars I've recorded was a Taylor dreadnought with phosphor bronze strings. When this guy first brought it into the studio he had plain steel strings and it sounded quite good, but the second time he came in he had the phosphor bronze on it and it really came alive. (but would that screw with your electric sound? )

Phil

[henrod]

Hi Phil, and thanks. I'm not recording. This is for live gigs. The T5 is a thin line, hollow body hybrid. Internal neck pickup, bridge humbucker and an internal body mic. All the demos I've heard sound great but I'm having trouble with it. It's probably going to boil down to EQ
Thanks.

Scott

[Phil O]

If that's the case I'd still point you to the MW EQ. It's got lots of setting options and sounds great. Melda has some good stuff too.

Phil

[henrod]

If that's the case I'd still point you to the MW EQ. It's got lots of setting options and sounds great. Melda has some good stuff too.

Phil

I loaded up the MW EQ and cut around 500 and boosted the table, and it's closer. I'm pretty sure it's not the right guitar for me. I'm going to check out a Godin MultiAc Spectrum tomorrow:

http://www.godinguitars.com/godinmultspectrump.htm

Great amplified acoustic sound from what I've heard online, and I'll mess around with the electric side to see if it cuts it for what I need.

[Gravity Jim]

Slate Virtual Mix Rack. Lots of options, sounds better on guitar than anything I've ever used.

[labman]

Slate Virtual Mix Rack. Lots of options, sounds better on guitar than anything I've ever used.

Yup. I concur. Outside of hardware, I haven't heard or used any better, or anything more fluid in the workflow.

[henrod]

Slate Virtual Mix Rack. Lots of options, sounds better on guitar than anything I've ever used.

Oh, I wish I had some more experience in recording and mixing. I'm a player who never records... all this EQ stuff is baffling to me. I checked out the demos and the results are stunning... I fear that I'd be fiddling with the knobs forever and not know where/when to stop.

I will keep trying to learn, and thanks for the suggestion.

[Phil O]

I'm going to check out a Godin MultiAc Spectrum tomorrow:

You can hear the Godin Multiac as an acoustic on these tracks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4FPpOxRYLI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLEDPlhhyKQ

and as a synth here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKF6b1mwDUA


These tracks were recorded back in the day on one of the early ADAT tape machines in my basement (before my current studio was built).

Phil

[bayswater]

Slate Virtual Mix Rack. Lots of options, sounds better on guitar than anything I've ever used.

Specifically on what? Are you talking about the original topic here? An acoustic with a pickup?

I have a Godin 5th Ave which comes with a P90. I would have bought it without the pickup if that had been available. I usually use mics. But if I can get a decent acoustic sound through the pickup using VMR, that's appealing. As it is, this guitar, through the pickup sound like the opening chords to Lola -- great if that's what you want, but that's not why I got it.

[billf]

Hi, all. I just bought a gorgeous new Taylor T5 and it just doesn't sound like an acoustic guitar through my system. I was hoping to use it to replace my old Takamine and my Strat. It sounds awesome as an electric. My plug in settings are all just fine.

I've been running the Tak and the Strat into my UltraliteMk3 (FW) and using DP's plugins exclusive for f/x. The Tak sounds great with just a little reverb, nothing else. I perform a solo act and DP runs my show live.

Can anyone recommend either new plugins, or settings for the stock DP8 plugins to help brighten up and acoustify my T5? I downloaded demos for Waves stuff, but they require a stereo channel and 96K - neither of which are the settings for my 300+song file in DP.

Waves should work in mono and at settings of 44.1 k or 48 k.

Let's see... there is also IK Multimedia Fender models for Amplitube that emulate the Fender cleans if you are looking for that strat type of vibe.

MainStage from Apple also has some acoustic guitar settings, and clean amp sounds. But I'm not sure how well it plays with DP.

[henrod]

Hi, all. I just bought a gorgeous new Taylor T5 and it just doesn't sound like an acoustic guitar through my system. I was hoping to use it to replace my old Takamine and my Strat. It sounds awesome as an electric. My plug in settings are all just fine.

I've been running the Tak and the Strat into my UltraliteMk3 (FW) and using DP's plugins exclusive for f/x. The Tak sounds great with just a little reverb, nothing else. I perform a solo act and DP runs my show live.

Can anyone recommend either new plugins, or settings for the stock DP8 plugins to help brighten up and acoustify my T5? I downloaded demos for Waves stuff, but they require a stereo channel and 96K - neither of which are the settings for my 300+song file in DP.

Waves should work in mono and at settings of 44.1 k or 48 k.

Let's see... there is also IK Multimedia Fender models for Amplitube that emulate the Fender cleans if you are looking for that strat type of vibe.

MainStage from Apple also has some acoustic guitar settings, and clean amp sounds. But I'm not sure how well it plays with DP.

So, in the meantime I went out and bought a used Godin MultiAc Spectrum to check out as a replacement for the T5. It sounds great through the PA, with a little EQ and compression. The electric side isn't going to cut it for me.

I think I'm going to return both and find a good Taylor acoustic, and continue to bring my Strat on the gigs. There isn't a perfect hybrid out there for me just yet.

[Gravity Jim]

Lord, PLEASE, don't burn your money bringing another damn tinny-sounding Taylor into the world.

Find a really good used acoustic on CL. A Guild or a Gibson or something. You can find 1980s Guild D-series guitars all the time for 1/3 the price of even a middle-range Taylor, and the Guild will blow the Taylor's doors off.

Friends don't let friends buy Taylors.

[henrod]

Lord, PLEASE, don't burn your money bringing another damn tinny-sounding Taylor into the world.

Find a really good used acoustic on CL. A Guild or a Gibson or something. You can find 1980s Guild D-series guitars all the time for 1/3 the price of even a middle-range Taylor, and the Guild will blow the Taylor's doors off.

Friends don't let friends buy Taylors.

But how do you REALLY feel, Jim? Haha... thanks for the input. I like what I've heard with Taylors - I'm used to my very bright Takamine, which has served me well since 1993. I will poke around and see what else is out there.

Thanks.