In all these years, the one thing I understood about recording the acoustic guitar is that the matter is not so easy. There are so many theories about if and how to use of the direct line to be mixed with the microphone signal, and how to orient the microphone(s) (one or more) to get the best quality and fidelity… every sound engineer I met had his own convictions, and I find interesting to keep on collecting experiences.

On the occasion of the new album of Guitar Republic (aka Sergio Altamura, Stefano Barone e Pino Forastiere), I interviewed Beppe Massara, the sound engineer who recorded and mixed the work. Beppe had to face the fact that Sergio, Stefano and Pino play, in a very different style, the same model of acoustic guitar (a Martin D28). Which means: the same guitar, but with a lot of differences in tocco (touch), sound, tunings, parts and objects that Beppe had to respect. Quite a hard job in its essentialness.
Before this, Beppe Massara – who works since 2003 at the Gel Recording Studio in Trani, an amazing town close to Bari and very famous for its splendid white cathedral on the sea – had recorded several guitar albums (classical, acoustic and electric), including Sergio Altamura’s “Aria Meccanica” where – exactly as in Guitar Republic – Sergio used bow, computer fans, bolts, nuts, cds and many other objects to prepare his guitar.

Recording acoustic guitar: why is it so difficult?
Well… if the musician is good, actually it’s easy. A good musician has his own sound in his hands, he usually has a good instrument too, so at that point it’s quite simple to record him, I just must be careful not make mistakes!

How did you organized the set up for Guitar Republic?
They play the same instrument, a Martin D28, and they also have the same internal pickup, so they give me, more or less, the same source and sound transmission. So I decided to use the same microphones and preamps to maintain the same “natural” sound for all of them, also because they very often change their roles and parts (melody, bass parts, percussions), alternating themselves in the two recording rooms of the studio. In details, I used microphones AKG 414, preamplifiers AMEK 9098 designed by Rupert Neve, while the DIs are amplified with Sunrise, which is a very common system for acoustic guitars, preamplified by FOCUS RIGHT ISA 428, a new product that comes directly from ISA 110 (again, by Rupert Neve). Then, there are other little secrets that I prefer to keep as my own…

The three instruments are the same, but they’re played very different in styles…
That’s the point. Again, the three musicians here are good in maintaining the equilibrium, the importance of their personal sound even when they play delicate. Then, obviously, everything is finally balanced in the mixing.

About the sound balance, how do you record percussions?
This is the main reason why it’s good to record using both the external microphone and the internal pickup. In this way you have at least two different tracks for each guitar, and you can always find the best way to manage the sound.

How should a guitarist approach the recording?
First of all, he should take full possession of the guitar under a technical point of view. I’m convinced that when a guitarist plays well in acoustic, with a total control just by his hands, then there are very little problems while recording. By the way, it’s also good to listen to a lot of cds, both from the past and the present.

Any difference between steel and nylon string guitar?
For me, recording a classical guitar is much more difficult rather than an acoustic steel-string. Even a good, high value luthier classical instrument, can present more than a timbre problem, especially in resonances.

What do you think about the guitar and its world?
Like piano, guitar is an infinite, boundless instrument. There’s no limit in the guitar timbre possibilities. That’s why I think that Guitar Republic is the right project at the right time: this album is very innovative, where innovation is not meant as simple experimentation or experimentation on its own, but it’s meant as a true new way to conceive the guitar instrument. I believe that Guitar Republic will be a milestone in the acoustic guitar collections.

Stefania Benigni

1 comment

In short: I was born in Rome (Italy), have a degree in English and American Literature, I’m a journalist, a publicist and… I CAN’T play the guitar! To be honest, I can’t play any instrument, I’m the black sheep of the family: my father is a pianist, my brother is a violin player and my husband is a guitarist, Pino Forastiere, who made me fall in love with the guitar.

Pino and I founded the non-profit association Accordature Aperte (Open Tunings), through which I promote concerts and festivals: quite recently (June 2009) I organized the first edition of Guitarville, a guitar festival held in Tivoli (Rome), and I’m proud and happy for the great experience, both human and artistic.

In the last five years I had the chance to visit many guitar places in America, knowing extraordinary musicians and passionate guitar people. I often think about this – it’s a precious lucky chance, to travel around the world and see the differences.

I’m quite an internet maniac, still because of my curiosity. Links are just irresistible to me. I can’t help it, when I found a link I must click on it, I must know whom and what is hidden beyond that.

Audio, video, myspace, blogs, whatever it is is, I like it. Uh, maybe Facebook is not properly in my favourite list: it’s so crowded, and sometimes I get lost. But it’s just my opinion.

What I do hate about internet is the anonymous people, and their unrespectful, non-logical violence of the words. Criticize the best and the worst, if you can just explain it.

Here’s why I’m super-enthusiastic of the new website of Fingerpicking.net! I hope you will enjoy my stories!

5 comments