Nasty resonance - acoustic guitar

[Generic Moniker]

I've got a terrible whistling resonance from my Larivee acoustic guitar at around 1kHz and another at about 1.3kHz. Pretty sure it's the guitar, not the room or mic, having tried various rooms and mics. My main home studio room is adequately treated (I think). I also tried an old vintage Ibanez guitar and it had same issue! I'm at a loss here. Only commonality between the guitars is the strings - Elixer Nanoweb. Now that I'm tuned into this resonance, I hear it clearly whenever I strum my Larivee, regardless of the room acoustics. I'll notch it out if playing live.

When tracking, I can attenuate this somewhat with mic placement and notch filters but not all of it. I must admit, I don't have much experience tracking acoustic guitars. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Sam Spoons]

If it's identical in two different guitars it almost certainly isn't the guitars that are causing it (what are the odds?). What are you using to record?

[Generic Moniker]

I hear ya. But I can't figure it out. Tried various small diaphragm and large diaphragm mics, going straight into Steinberg interface and Reaper. No external pre in the chain. I've tried various rooms and the offending frequencies don't shift, which should be the case if it was the room, right? It's very prominent on my Larivee.

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[Sam Spoons]

So the only common items are interface laptop and Reaper? What about monitoring, speakers or headphones?

[Drew Stephenson]

Hmmm. If you're getting it with just laptop, interface and headphones, it might be that (depending on the power supplies for the first two) you've actually got no earth in the system? That can cause odd noises. What model is the interface and do you have anything that uses an IEC (not-a-kettle-lead-but-looks-almost-like-one) that you can patch into the system to make sure you've got a ground?

[Watchmaker]

I'm with Sam on this one. If it happens on two guitars, that's where I'd start investigating. Take 'em both on a short tour beginning in the live room, then another room, say the kitchen, then outside. If it's the guitars, you'll know. If not, you'll have to be rigorous in isolating the variables until you suss it out.

*edit: After re-reading, the thread, I see that I am with Sam in the sense that I agree the guitars should be eliminated as a possibility.

[Generic Moniker]

I have tried both laptop (battery and plugged in) and dedicated desktop rig. I should mention that the same resonant freq is not there in vocals, drums etc with same recording equipment. I really think it's the guitar(s). Monitoring through 2 different sets of monitors and headphones. Always there. I will have to do more investigation. Will report back.

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[Generic Moniker]

Thanks for the helpful responses!

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[Sam Spoons]

Any chance of a recording? Do both guitars have under saddle pickups, and are they active or passive?

[Watchmaker]

Good point Sam.

GM, are you using the same hole mounted pickup in both guitars, or a specific mic?

[Generic Moniker]

Not going direct although the guitars do have KK pure mini. Using various condenser mics. I did have a light bulb moment though. I've been using the same preamp. Doh! Will try a different one tonight. Not sure why I didnt think of that earlier. That said, I think it's the guitar but perhaps wonky pre is making it worse

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[Tim Gillett]

Any chance of a recording? ...

Seconded. We need to hear what the OP is hearing...

[joelonsdale]

Most acoustic guitars have a couple of pitched resonances in my experience. They can be exaggerated by your equipment and recording position, but I can normally pinch the rogue frequencies out with a little precision EQ'ing. I have one at about 315Hz and one at about 3750Hz - always there whatever preamp or microphone I use, not noticeable acoustically.

[Sam Spoons]

If you're recording with mics I can't see how it can be the guitars causing the issue. My bet is either feedback, acoustic if you are monitoring on speakers when recording (though you'd hear it if you were listening for it), electronic if you have a routing issue in the DAW/AI controller or a dodgy plug-in.

A detailed description of the recording/monitoring chain needed I think.

Do you use exactly the same recording chain when recording monitors?

[Sam Spoons]

Most acoustic guitars have a couple of pitched resonances in my experience. They can be exaggerated by your equipment and recording position, but I can normally pinch the rogue frequencies out with a little precision EQ'ing. I have one at about 315Hz and one at about 3750Hz - always there whatever preamp or microphone I use, not noticeable acoustically.

But two different guitars producing exactly the same noise is extremely unlikely and that is the case here

[joelonsdale]

That's very true - then it has to be equipment related and you should exclude one piece of equipment at a time from the recording until the noise disappears.

[Sam Spoons]

Yup,

[Generic Moniker]

Just sat down in studio (I use that term loosely...lol). Will report back after some investigation. I bet it's a bad pre.

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[Generic Moniker]

...or phantom circuit. Can't be the guitars...but I swear I hear the resonance in my Larivee but maybe I'm trying too hard to hear it if you know what I mean.

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[Generic Moniker]

Nope, wasn't preamp or phantom circuit.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/q4rfkj8ro3p50 ... t.wav?dl=0

12" on axis off 14th fret. Exaggerated picking attack to bring out the ringing resonance. Seems to really like C. No EQing.

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[Generic Moniker]

Well I stripped down recording chain to Sennheiser MK4 > Steinberg UR44 > Reaper with no input plugins or track plugins > Laptop and Desktop. Monitoring through Paradigm Monitor 3 and Shure SRH840 headphones. I tried various rooms, mics, preamps, computers, cables and the resonance has not changed. I even tried changing guitars! Lol.

As odd as it seems, I've concluded that the resonance is coming from the guitars. Even when strummed acoustically (not recording), I can hear it. I can hear it especially well in the treated room but I can hear it in any room now that I know what to listen for. The open C chord makes it pop. Am I crazy? The offending frequencies are close but not identical in the two guitars. 1kHz plus or minus and other harmonics.

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[Tim Gillett]

Thanks for the sample. The open G string sound after the strum is quite prominent.

There's also a beating sound. In the open C chord, there might be two G's, one from the open G string, plus a G harmonic from the C note on the A string. Maybe they are beating due to be slightly out of tune.

[Generic Moniker]

Thanks for listening! Yes, tuning is a bit duff. Do you hear the lasting resonance in 1 kHz range after fundamental G dissipates?

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[Generic Moniker]

I suppose that's the G harmonic from C fretted on A string? Thanks for this, Tim.

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[Generic Moniker]

Google tells me that 1046.6 Hz is C6. That roughly corresponds with the offending frequency I am hearing.

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