sonically seperating strings and keys?

[thebrownkey]

lately ive picked up playing piano and loving it, and its actually helped me understand theory seeing everything laid out like it is, and its a nice change of pace from playing guitar for so many years

 

 

 

 

anyway, since both instruments are mid-ranged in nature im having trouble seperating them when they are played/recorded together.

 

i try and divide up chords and play fragments of chords between the guitar and keyboard to keep things from getting too muddy. like playing 2 notes of a chord on the guitar and filling out the other few on keys and such.

 

 

 

 

anyway, my problem is the tone im digging for the keys kind of buries the guitar tone i use often for rhythms. should i just let the EQ do its thing with the keys to seperate them? maybe find a new tone to love/use with the keys?

 

 

 

anyway, id like to hear how some of you guys seperate the 2 in a band or recorded setting.

 

its not the end of the world but i really like both tones and unless im playing low register on 1 and high on the other they are hard to seperate, even though it sounds sweet sharing chords with a similar voiced tone.

 

 

 

anyway, thanks for any help and how the hell have you guys been? its been a while, ive been dealing with my dads recent death from cancer on top of my mothers death from cancer a few short years ago- ive missed this place and some of you crazy asses

 

 

(fishfartz here)

[thebrownkey]

bump for anyone-


theres gotta be some pickers who jam with keyboard players around here

[Verne Andru]

Originally posted by thebrownkey anyway, my problem is the tone im digging for the keys kind of buries the guitar tone i use often for rhythms. should i just let the EQ do its thing with the keys to seperate them? maybe find a new tone to love/use with the keys? (fishfartz here)

 

Yes. I use a multiband eq/compressor that let's me move the instruments around in the EQ space. Sometimes just a nudge up or down is enough to bring them out. I also find panning one slightly right and the other slightly left helps. When it comes to playing, you're on the right track - separating the harmonic parts between the instruments - but if you play them at the same time you'll get some frequency cancellation happening which muddies things up. Arpeggiate the chords so the instruments are playing at slightly different times also helps tremendously.

[mrbrown49]

Originally posted by Verne Andru Yes. I use a multiband eq/compressor that let's me move the instruments around in the EQ space. Sometimes just a nudge up or down is enough to bring them out. I also find panning one slightly right and the other slightly left helps. When it comes to playing, you're on the right track - separating the harmonic parts between the instruments - but if you play them at the same time you'll get some frequency cancellation happening which muddies things up. Arpeggiate the chords so the instruments are playing at slightly different times also helps tremendously.

 

 

Thats great advice. To embellish a little, I run a High pass filter on almost all the guitar tracks I do now adays to get the low end mudd out. You want to move the threshold up until you hear a difference in the overall tone of the guitar and then back it down slightly. It depends on the mix how much you take out, but this can really add space the instruments. I also find that slightly scooping around 300 hz really helps demudd a guitar and lets other instruments and vocals come through a bit more.

 

Even more importantly, you want a good sound going in. Don't recored with too much bass on the guitar sound, and find a mic position that already favours the parts of the sound you want to come through. When you are playing the instruments, keep in mind what you are planning to add, and remember that less is more. You want the instruments to compliment each other, not only sonically, but instrumentally as well.