Electrical Audio How-To: Recording Acoustic Stringed Instruments

Electrical Audio engineer and diagram-in-miniature afficionado Steve Albini demonstrates techniques for recording various acoustic stringed instruments with an emphasis on sound quality, including in situations where bleed from other instruments may be a problem.
Video by Jeff Perlman (jeffperlmancreative.com)
Chapters:
Intro (0:00)
Recording Acoustic Guitar and Vocal Performed Simultaneously (6:08)
Recording Cello (13:27)
Recording Violin (21:02)
Recording Banjo (30:37)
Results In An Ensemble (38:57)
Parting Words (40:59)
Performers:
Rob Bochnik: Guitar/ voice (robbochnik.com)
Alison Chesley/ Helen Money: Cello (helenmoney.com)
Susan Voelz: Violin (susanvoelz.com)
Taylor Hales: 5-string Banjo (Instagram: @taylorhales / electricalaudio.com/taylor)

[@edwardrivera7690]

If you would have told me in the 90s or 2000s that Steve Albini and Electrical Audio would be showing you how to record FOR FREE...this is beyond incredible

[@ledheavy26]

Before I opened the comments I was just thinking about this exact thought. I wish I had had this when I started learning (still learning now!).

[@GimmeJimmy23]

You would have "flipped your lid?" Same. I mean, how lucky are we? Free masterclasses abound!

[@Tomversal]

As a beginner in engineering this channel is just perfection

[@bernieburnalot]

👍 No… shit. Two decades ago, everything was a closely guarded secret.

[@celam1244]

Agreed! This is fucking great!

[@liminal6823]

You don't know what you've got until it's gone.

[@dgerch]

We are so lucky that Steve was so generous with his time and knowledge. The guy truly loved to teach and his motivation was egoless. He just seemed to truly find purpose in teaching us how to fish. There are hours and hours of interviews with the guy going into precise detail, demystifying, never gatekeeping. He's gone but he's left us a lifetime's worth of information.

[@stevedoesnt]

This is like going into dads garage and asking “what’s that do” then he explains it. I need more like this.

[@amylynne3784]

And dad is Steve Albini..

[@robf1557]

:(

[@seasonaldepression840]

And you don't have to hold the flashlight 😂😂😂

[@jond63]

Thank you Steve. You will be missed by countless listeners and fans of music alike. RIP

[@studiokosmische]

Rest in peace Mr Albini. Eternal thanks for sharing all your knowledge with the world. Legend.

[@unwavery]

lol Steve's glance to the camera after asking "So, an airplane broke your cello? Okay." really kind of is an encapsulation in one second of all I love about this guy's contribution to modern music and recording. RIP. Also fitting that, at time of my comment, it is the "lowest replayed" valley on the scroller.

[@MartijnFrazer]

When a Steve Albini video drops, you stop what you're doing and you pay attention. It's that simple.

[@morbidmanmusic]

Speaking for yourself is a great idea.

[@Virdae]

Before they started to play together I thought how funny it would be if they all played their own thing on top of each other. Did not disappoint.

[@hessex1899]

One of the best things is to listen to an old, competent, engineer talk about applied engineering. I could literally watch this stuff all day long and never get bored.

[@TheEnderBand]

Lmao the shot of steve grinning and nodding maniacally at the cacophony of the instruments all playing different things at once with the slow zoom- I love steve's sense of humor and his personality really comes across in these

[@elliotcrane]

Love how the particular sense of irony and humor comes off so naturally in these. A very welcome added value indeed.

[@composerdorianbell]

It really made the video that much better. And it was amazing to begin with.

[@fedesartorio]

Did Electrical Audio hire someone just to make the videos? Because the quality is stellar. Big love to all the people involved in the making of those videos! So crazy to see Steve Albini being all educational with drawings made for ants

[@ElectricalAudioOfficial]

We did. Bartered for studio time.

[@HalcyonGuitars]

@@ElectricalAudioOfficial That’s the way to do it!

[@N8oRMusic]

The Steve Albini Center for Kids Who Can't Record Good and Who Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too.

[@YTPartyTonight]

Even the little touch in the way they incorporated a well-manicured index finger, shifting ever so slightly to give it life, was endearing.

[@sevenlines2238]

Thank you guys for maintaining the same DIY ethos and artist-centric code. Offering this information to artists is invaluable and will help to ensure the continuation of this underappreciated art.

[@seankent1807]

It amazes me that one of the greatest engineering / production / recording talents of our era took the time to teach & share his knowledge in videos like this…he passed away too soon. What a loss…thank you for enriching our lives, Mr. Albini!

[@User-jk8wq]

The idea of using two figure-8 mics to isolate the guitar and vocals from each other is nothing short of genius. Thanks Steve!

[@morbidmanmusic]

...or obvious...

[@distortiontruthBOS-RP]

​@@morbidmanmusic

[@distortiontruthBOS-RP]

Doesn't a figure 8 microphone have the null at the side, with the front and back both being active, while a super cardioid mic has the rejection to the rear - meaning whatever the mic is not facing? I think of figure 8 as synonymous with bipolar.

[@DavidHartwig]

@@distortiontruthBOS-RP The nulls on the sides of a figure of 8 are well defined. A supercardioid pattern has small spikes on the sides, as well as a narrow spike coming straight out the back. In essence the figure of 8 has nice smooth round pickup patterns, and the supercardioid has spikes coming off it, with the front being largest long and narrow.

[@teddybullard941]

It can work beautifully. Others that I favor are Blumlein, ortf and my *personal favorite", Jecklin Disc.

[@bdmax17]

I would love to see a video on recording brass and woodwind instruments like sax, trumpet, trombone etc!

[@ElectricalAudioOfficial]

Cool idea!

[@andriealinsangao613]

Yes, please!

[@bennysuts814]

Yes please!

[@god0]

Yes!

[@bobbymehta1006]

Yes, I need flute recording techniques and mics suggestions!. Lately, I've settled on my SM7B for decent smooth capture in my crappy bedroom, out of my limited collection of mics. I really thought my Coles 4038 ribbon would win but it was too dark... MD421, SM57, RE-20 just didn't do it either & unfortunately I don't have a condenser mic. I used to own a Neumann TLM 103 but it just picked up wayyy too much surrounding noise & I sold it. YMMV.

[@LordofDiamondsMetal]

It's so cool to see clawhammer banjo playing featured in this video. Such a neat style of banjo playing and it's always overshadowed by three finger bluegrass playing

[@Havreflan]

I love the style of humor. Feels like late '80s Letterman. Oh and the recording info was good too.

[@chrismerrill6060]

Wow, this janitor sure knows a lot about recording acoustic instruments.

[@rjlong89]

Hes seen alot of sessions while cleanin up. Lolz

[@dgerch]

It's a Goodwill Hunting situation

[@user-wp4cs6eg8q]

This is such gold. This man was a treasure trove of knowledge. Rest in power Steve Albini.

[@6dbthreshold]

Even though I don’t speak French, I understood those little microphones perfectly. Sounded great! Excellent video. I was thoroughly entertained and educated.

[@SergioFilho]

This is one of the best videos on KZbin of all time

[@timstevens3183]

The king has returned and graced us with another lesson!

[@johncollins5552]

Steve was too good for this World, God wants his best audio engineer back. ❤

[@arthurperez4884]

Wow i have to say I did not expect the isolation between the acoustic guitar and vocal mics to be that drastic. I will always remember this. Thank you.

[@chiefindisguise]

The comedic aspect really livens up Albini’s personality

[@gregorycampagna8138]

So glad you guys are back - great vid

[@kevinalanmattson]

Exactly what I've been waiting for. The ensemble at the end brought many tears...

[@gabrielhill9058]

This video was great from beginning to end, thank you Steve!

[@edgarcortes]

Excellent lesson Steve and a brilliant way to teach! Please keep the lessons, the invited talent and the gags coming. The quality of these videos is better and better each time. Thanks for keeping this content open for everyone.

[@nelesound]

First video I've watched, such fantastic content, feeling grateful for the technical advice, and also for the production ~ video editing team is hilarious with so many wonderful additions, great job team!

[@douglasromayne]

Best sounding banjo I've ever heard. Best sounding everything, for that matter. Thanks!

[@mitekillem]

Man, I can't tell you enough how much I love and appreciate the extra detail you go into on these videos. It's just enough not to drag on, but also it fills in a lot of holes in my current understanding. You're a scientist.

[@fredericdb4079]

Hey I've seen plenty of videos, and this format and formula is so agreeable and instructive. I find it cool that you take a moment to talk with the musician. Thanks so much.

[@marks6051]

So glad this video was posted. I had it on my mind to ask about acoustic instruments next time Steve popped up on some Q&A/reddit AMA or whatever, particularly after hearing the most recent Nina Nastasia record, which sounds beautiful both in performance and production. Thanks EA for addressing this topic!

[@Twongo]

I absolutely adore "the process". What a wonderful life to live.

[@mrmooch2163]

Always had a respect for steve albinis realism and straight forward communication. Very cool to see him dig into a subject

[@panchoburboa]

Steve you're the best. I'll be showing this to my students.

[@snarfusmaximus]

Wonderfully useful information. So many videos on how to mic a guitar cab out there but this micing acoustic instruments is an art. I love the fact that you focus on what it is that the musician themselves finds unsatisfactory and showing how to avoid that.

[@lucaslutzerler5429]

Thank you Electrical Audio Team! Second video I've seen from you and you've made my day. Thanks for all the info, tips and your humour! I still have tears in my eyes. A thousand thanks 🌺

[@ryanstauffer6785]

Awesome video, glad to see you're back at it. I'd love something like this with a drumset, showing how different mics in different places affect the sound.

[@carrott0pgaming844]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZ6zaq1jrbmFsJI

[@allancrow134]

People that are really good at what they do can explain things in such detailed and succinct terms it makes it very easy to take a lot in. Thanks Steve. :)

[@brainwasher3742]

Just.. priceless stuff here.. what a time to be alive

[@bdmax17]

Fantastic video as always

[@DavidMorley]

Such a well made, educational video. Fantastic!

[@simccaffrey]

This is so great! Thanks Steve, EA, et al!

[@ThomC]

Awesome video! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge with us :) I also loved seeing Rob playing as I've seen him perform a few times live with The Frames / Glen Hansard.

[@FoxUncleCharlieKing]

These are so informative, funny, and enjoyable.

[@scottgreiner1740]

I have not seen a finer demonstration of microphone technique and choice. The recording community owes you a debt of gratitude, Steve. Youngsters, pay attention.

[@tonynemec1598]

This is a master class on acoustic isolation recording. What a gift Steve left for us.

[@Calleisak]

Amazing as always!

[@xfreedwillx]

Yes!!! Please keep making these videos! Thank you

[@ljosdreki]

I love this and appreciate the generosity of Albini and friends. He might be the most experienced engineer in recording acoustic instruments alive today. His acoustic records are amazing. Thank you🙏🏼

[@manhattanmixing2700]

This video is great and he is great. But there are a lot of engineers who record acoustic instruments...including the entire classical music genre, to say nothing of the city of Nashville.

[@ljosdreki]

​@@manhattanmixing2700 I´m aware. And it's true I phrased this a little bit wrong. It would have been better to praise his experience of any played instrument, electrified and acoustic. I know he's known for his punk rock albums but his aesthetics really lend them selves well to acoustic music as well. I love the Singing Ax by J.Tillman and the Nina Nastasia albums.

[@pursharthchawla8306]

the best and the most useful video I've seen online on recording acoustic instruments. We'll miss you Mr. Albini for the many talents you had but moreover for the person you were and the ideals you stood for.

[@hermano8160]

My kind of humor, guys. Thanks for the informative yet entertaining videos!

[@CamiloVelandia]

Amazing. Thank you Steve and friends!

[@weaktearecords]

Another incredible video! Thank you for so clearly telling us how to succeed. I have never dreamt of using a lavalier for recording, but it sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing your secrets

[@tecschooldropout]

thank you so much for sharing this, y'all are really supporting the creative class.

[@mark_fox_music]

Eloquence in simplicity that comes from years of learning and experience. True master of sound! To gift these lessons to with some humour is pure joy. First thing Im going to do now is get a microphone from the drawer and really learn it's patterns so I'm thinking way more visual shapes. Thank you so much!

[@HukkitukkiUK]

Thank you Steve you helped us so much & with these videos continue to help us forever… rest in peace eternally. ❤

[@adee2569]

Steve is the best!!! My wife recorded an album with him in 2006 and has the best stories of working with him. Long Live EA!

[@Jordannofun]

Fantastic video. Thank you!

[@Andyisdead81]

That ensemble was EPIC! :D

[@OficialDanielSolares]

Appreciate the hard work put in this video to learn each little tip in a practical setup. ❤ Thanks!

[@peterpicker850]

Great video. Brilliant engineer, as always.

[@ForTheLoveOfAudio]

This video is a gift. Thank you.

[@amphlett7]

Kinda blown away by how good that crown mic sounded in all the examples. BRB, buying a dozen of em.

[@anstaffer8482]

Unfortunately it seems like they are out of production...

[@amphlett7]

@@anstaffer8482 that’s always the way

[@ElectricalAudioOfficial]

The glm-200 is in production, I believe, and sounds similar but has lower max spl handling. The countryman isomax line is also quite good.

[@UdiKoomran]

So much inspiration So much to learn from Mr. Albini Thank you Sir

[@Daniel-ec8fj]

te amo steve albini, gracias por estos videos!

[@glade_maker]

Brilliant video, so thorough and insightful, thanks a lot!

[@chrisknight3734]

This was the best demonstration yet.....thank you

[@cheesejr9321]

always a good day when you guys upload

[@mikeythemaestro]

S-Tier educational content Steve. Your diagrams, analysis, and humour provide more education than most schools. At a more affordable rate. The lavier microphone trick is genius! I know a lot of people might be seeing this and think, well shit, I can't afford these microphones. And well, you're most likely right. But I also do think there are comparable ribbon and condenser microphones that are available to rent from your local music store. Happy recording friends!

[@Mr_A_Mia]

Love these videos. Thank you guys

[@jpm9628]

The pro-tip about using painter's tape as a prophylactic made me incredibly happy. The same concept can be applied in a lot of different situations. Always keep a roll handy!

[@fgoindarkg]

Prophylactic? Where are you putting the stuff?

[@jpm9628]

@@fgoindarkg 😐

[@BataraKado]

these videos are both hilarious and very informative i really hope Steve Albini and the team at electrical audio keep doing these types of videos, very very helpful to us sound engineers over the other side of the planet get the job done correctly.. thank you Steve Albini \M/

[@yegamosho1993]

okay this is pure gold. thank you so much

[@rickenbacker40011]

I was not ready or prepared to hear everyone playing something completely different at the end xD i love it!

[@nickproscia5865]

Thank you Steve

[@danthegeetarman]

How the heck did this channel not pop up on my feed earlier? So many amazing gems from the mic Maestro himself 🙌🙌🙏🙏

[@MrBinthestudio]

Fantastic video as always!

[@nickkraska810]

Gold as always

[@odomodometer]

Thanks Steve, you are a true inspiration!

[@deejaydubla]

Another video overflowing with helpful tips, even if many of them I'll never have the opportunity to use. The tips about using a boom stand safely, however, is one I certainly will use.

[@mrparkinson]

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing!

[@phillipjohngregory4845]

Wonderful stuff, thanks for making these videos.

[@boronoro]

You rock! Love you all, guys!

[@MixReady]

This was very interesting and extremely insightful! Thank you 🙌

[@juliettbravobravo]

Really fantastic and fascinating video, this one!

[@thearmanhanda]

Thank you so much for these videos! They really mean a lot 🙏

[@scottpsychodub6385]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. 🏆

[@cspace1974]

Those Crown mics sound great! I wasn’t expecting them to be so pleasing. Good to know!

[@johnpeters8060]

amazing. Thanks Steve!

[@Salantsoundstudios]

amazing as always!

[@LaterHolmes]

What a nice surprise! Thanks!

[@herbalfleece8821]

Thankyou so much, this is a fantastic service

[@maxludwig301]

That was fantastic. I have a next door neighbour who’s well into his eighties but was a professional cello player. I often hear him play in his house and he‘s still amazing. I always wanted to approach him to do some recordings in his house but since I don‘t want to bother him too much I don‘t want to spent too much time testing and comparing microphones. This video has encourage me to ring his doorbell. I was impressed how well the GLM 100 sounded. I obviously have neglected mine. I thought about using an AT4051, a 4038 or R88, but I might give the Crown a try as well.

[@mumbles215]

Get that geezer on tape! We need it. He’d love it. We would too as a society.

[@morbidmanmusic]

Just do your best with what you have. Don't wait. He may not be around long. His family would also love to have something like that.m

[@dooleyfan]

I’ve just started recording with my 80ish neighbour who plays harmonica. We’re having a blast introducing each other to tunes from each other’s generation.

[@rickhbrown]

Well done Mr. Albini!

[@tekis0]

Invaluable information.

[@brunocerous]

Just a wonderful, helpful and talented human being. I watched the whole thing and have no role in a recording studio ❤