Acoustic Guitar Help!

Hey Mike,
have you tried lower frequency clicks, like those on Akai MPCs? Might solve your problem and are much better to work with than your average click.
And this one's quite obvious but...turn the preamp down and get the guitar as close as is possible to the mic.
Not sure about your AKGs but i've never had this problem with my Sennheiser HD25SPs. (quite cheap)

I tried lots of different clicks, but the only thing that really cuts through is the sidestick. I will pick up the HD25SPs and see if that makes a difference. It could be there is so much empty space between the ears I figured I say that before someone else does

Thanks, I'll give it a try

Even if it was on its own track, when it is played back into the headphones, it gets picked up when I am playing the acoustic guitar.

I think all you can do is turn it down as low as possible.
I have a Neumann as well and I can hear dog's and trucks blocks away when I have my headphones on...
If I solo my vocal tracks I always hear headphone bleed, but it's not a problem as it's covered up by all the other things in a mix.
Maybe get out of your iso booth and see if that helps.
Hopefully you'll have other things in the mix to hide the bleed.

RLD

ORIGINAL: Ognis

Why not use a silent needle

Put the neddle in the next room, and look at it.

Why don't anyone use these ?

I think all you can do is turn it down as low as possible. ...
If I solo my vocal tracks I always hear headphone bleed, but it's not a problem as it's covered up by all the other things in a mix.

Right, this is the usual case. So, you must be planning to do other tracks since you're keeping tight to the click, right? Use a softer lower tone click then the rest of the instrumentation will cover it up.

If you're doing a solo guitar piece, skip the click and let the piece breath a little, sounds better that way anyway.

Ognis, are you talking about watching a silent metronome needle? Can't see how that would work, he'd have to play without taking his eyes off it for a second.

I use the RME Fireface not soundblaster. I am playing an all acoustic piece with a ton of dynamics so there is a lot of air on the recording. It appears that the MIC is picking up the click in the headphones. I have tried 3 different types and all with the same result.
As RLD said, these Neumans pick everything up, including my breathing...and that I can do nothing about

I'd try the needle, but I think it would be more of a distraction than any help. I will fiddle around with some different types of clicks.

One more idea, do you have a small diaphragm mic?
The have a more focussed pickup range and can be great for guitars.

ORIGINAL: mgrande

... these Neumans pick everything up, including my breathing...and that I can do nothing about

Yeah, I was in a studio doing acoustic guitar with a Neuman in the booth, and I screwed up quite a few good takes by letting the headphone cord slap the guitar body or making the chair squeak or tapping my foot. You really have to be physically disiplined and be absolutely still and use perfect technique on the guitar, string sqeaks were a bugger too.

Another idea you might try is using in-the-ear buds and then covering those with unplugged headphones, or if necessary, cover them with construction-quality noise blockers, the "headphone" type that jackhammer users use. If that doesn't work, I don't know what will!

ORIGINAL: ed_mcg
If you're doing a solo guitar piece, skip the click and let the piece breath a little, sounds better that way anyway.

we have a winner! =) i'm with ed - forget the metronome. when i took classical guitar, i used a metronome for practice but definitely not on the performance. playing to a click track can lead to sterile tracks even in a big mix. that's why i lay down my songs in stages - first scratch tracks w/ guitar and vocals, then a straight (quantized) drum track but with a beat i can groove to, then more guitar + vocals and then back to the drums to do some manual "groove quantization" and i notice the next time i lay down guitar tracks it's easier and i can get more into the song. i'm still playing the same tempo but the new groove is much easier to lock into.

so for solo acoustic guitar put down the headphones, ignore the mic and play. you'll like it much better i think.

ORIGINAL: mgrande

How do these guys record un-accompanied acoustic guitars without the click in the background?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

-Mike

I might as well thow my 2 cents in
...............Welcome to The Planet Tele..X..............

Why don't you just turn the dang metronome up loud....
record the guide track using you acoustic with the bleed...on it
Listen to it
make a mental picture of where you want your dynamics
ex
rubato ....phrases...
soft playing...
playing with fire....
loud ....soft whatever.......

Now you have a visual......of Your musical phrases.......Right?
open a new audio track
turn down the head phones
uncover one ear
mute your guide track...
and just add guitar....

an other option ,if you have to use the metronome in real time , has been staring us all in the face....
that little cutie in Ognis's avatar holds the clue....
A Hooded Sweatshirt...to cover the bleed from the headphones...

Kenny

ORIGINAL: mwall

Another idea you might try is using in-the-ear buds and then covering those with unplugged headphones, or if necessary, cover them with construction-quality noise blockers, the "headphone" type that jackhammer users use. If that doesn't work, I don't know what will!

Yes, I use Sharp E2Cs for this purpose. No bleed. No need for a headphone cover. Use either the foam sleaves or soft translucent rubber, and NP. Solo guitar? I agree, no click.