mr newhaven Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 hello everyone!!!!! i would normally post this in the recording section but lets be honest...it just doesnt get the same kind of traffic as this one does! here is my question i have a gorgeous L-00 ('01) and i love sitting around strumming it as much as possible... lately ive been wanting to record some of my practice sessions so that i can hear what it sounds like more objectively and thus improve my playing... i have audio interfaces that allow me to just plug my electrics directly into my computer but for acoustics i wanted to get a mic and then run the mic into my laptop (i have an apogee duet firewire interface) my question is this...what mic do you gentlemen...and gentle women recommend? by that i mean condensor or dynamic...or ball mic...etc... how do you guys record your acoustic?? i took up guitar again after an 8 year hiatus about 2-3 years ago and im new to recording in general...because you guys/gals are acoustic experts in my opinion and im sure alot of you record your stuff...HOW DO YOU DO IT???? what is your set-up??? thanks again so much! reason i ask is because i see some people mic'ing up their guitars thru input jack in the acoustic...but mine does not have electronics...i see others get a stand and mic it up close to strings...whereas other people mic up in the corner (better acoustics??) and sit a little further back im sure a lot of this is subjective and i will do some experimenting myself but i am curious as to how you guys do it because youve already done the experimenting and i feel as though you can give me a great starting point! currently i do not have a mic...but i have a studio room set up and acoustic foam being delivered as we speak to cut down on echos...now all i need is a mic and some beers and brown liquor!!!! any help would be much appreciated! thanks! mr newhaven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchabalk Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 There are a ton of options really. living in an area with an active craigslist community has been fruitful for my gear acquisition, ymmv in that area. I use Shure SM81 mics (pair) and/or an audio-technica AT4050 condenser (both types require phantom power, i'm pretty sure you've got that covered. If you're just recording the guitar (not vocals), a single (or two!) SM81s is hard to beat on sound quality. On the other hand a single large-diaphragm condenser like the AT4050 is super-useful in general and easier to setup and start recording with. If you just wanted to get something to get going i'd go with a large-diaphragm. I can definitely recommend the AT4050. I got mine for less than a third of the retail cost off of craigslist in mint condition, there are other excellent options too, but i won't recommend specifics as i've not used them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr newhaven Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 jchabalk... thanks for the suggestion on the AT4050...ill take a look at one later today... i like the idea of a single large diaphram condensor... my question is how do you set it up?? far away from your wood? right up close on the guitar...anything you can help me with in terms of positioning of the mic would be great too! once i get a mic i will try various positions...techniques...etc...but some sort of guidelines would be great! thanks again and lets keep them coming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLiveSoundGuy Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 It depends a lot on your resources and budget. I tend to like these on acoustics: Neumann KM-184 (I have a matched trio) However if budget is a concern, you can always rely on an SM-57, or 58. They won't let you down in any environment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stumps Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 jchabalk... thanks for the suggestion on the AT4050...ill take a look at one later today... i like the idea of a single large diaphram condensor... my question is how do you set it up?? far away from your wood? right up close on the guitar...anything you can help me with in terms of positioning of the mic would be great too! once i get a mic i will try various positions...techniques...etc...but some sort of guidelines would be great! thanks again and lets keep them coming! the gibson website actually has a good article on how to mic an acoustic guitar, where to place the mics, etc. I found it directly from the homepage, so I'd do a search for it. it was helpful as to showing the relationship between the mic position and the type of sounds you'll be getting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr newhaven Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 nice gentlemen!!!! keep them coming... heres my take on budgets...if i can get away with a 100-200 dollar mic...then cool...if its better that i wait a couple of weeks and spend 300-400 on something that i wont outgrow...than its worth it too...id rather buy something better once than trade it in later on. the sm57 was definitely my first choice because everything ive ever read has said that if you dont have a mic and need just one...the sm57 should be it... but i also read those are good for mic'ing up drums and electrics...amps...etc... i have my freaking $500 interface for that now! haha and i havent heard anything too promising on the sm57's acoustic recording prowess! thats why i was wondering if a condensor is a better bet and it seems like it could be...so budget wise...cables...stand...shockmount...and windscreen...im willing to spend under $400 total...shipped...etc... ive already spent way to much on amp mods and acoustic foam to justify another $900 for a neumann but they are such serious mics that if one came up for the right price i would consider it! thanks again everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Player Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 I don't do any recording but I am gassing for a Zoom H2 or H4 recorder. For my purposes, just having an easy recording option for my fingerstyle guitar playing and then to transfer to my ipod or burn to a cd for a family member or friend, I have heard they are a great option and can be had for less than a couple hundred bucks on Criagslist. For real mic's, I have heard that it is helpful to position the mic's so one is in front of your soundhole fairly close and the other is aimed at the 12th fret. Not sure why to do it that way, but I have heard that several times over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr newhaven Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 I don't do any recording but I am gassing for a Zoom H2 or H4 recorder. For my purposes' date=' just having an easy recording option for my fingerstyle guitar playing and then to transfer to my ipod or burn to a cd for a family member or friend, I have heard they are a great option and can be had for less than a couple hundred bucks on Criagslist. For real mic's, I have heard that it is helpful to position the mic's so one is in front of your soundhole fairly close and the other is aimed at the 12th fret. Not sure why to do it that way, but I have heard that several times over the years. [/quote'] yeah those recorders are and interesting option...i see them in mags all the time and i have a buddy that swears by them... i see them more though as "all in one units" capable of producing excellent sound and some minor editing abilities built into one...where i have an issue with them is how good is the actual mics in them? id rather get a better mic and just hook it up to my recording software then settle on an inferior mic in an all in one unit. *i dont have personal experience with these recorders so im trying not to be quick to judge them...i will do more research on them because their portability is also a huuuge plus! as for the mic positioning i get the soundhole...obviously and the only thing i can think about on the 12th fret is that because its the center of the guitar...from nut to bridge i believe that the sound coming from that center point would be pretty true compared to a more generic scan of the entire guitar! *does that make sense...like if you put a mic too far away you are interfering with the true sound because of all the space in between the mic and the guitar...the closer you bring it to the guitar the more un-tampered with the sound gets and to have a second mic placed on center would give you a truer tone...that is if your intonation is spot on! i better check that later today in fact...all you need is a tuner! thanks for the ideas everyone...keep them coming...im learning alot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballcorner Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 The way I do it depends on the end requirement - obviously, if it is going on a CD then my approach is different from what I use just for playback and learning. I have a BR-600 recorder which is a whole recording unit for the price of a decent condenser microphone. It has two built in condensers and if you can get them 7-12" from the guitar it sounds just fine. I also use aUSB interface that allows me to employ condenser mics. I have a pair of Audio Technica 2021s and a single 3035. Either of these set ups work well but both require a preamp or a mixer to provide phantom power. I have also used tube preamps, condenser mics and the BR-600 BOSS in conjunction - and while this method produces warm tonality it tends toward being a bit noisy. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr newhaven Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 The way I do it depends on the end requirement - obviously' date=' if it is going on a CD then my approach is different from what I use just for playback and learning. I have a BR-600 recorder which is a whole recording unit for the price of a decent condenser microphone. It has two built in condensers and if you can get them 7-12" from the guitar it sounds just fine. I also use aUSB interface that allows me to employ condenser mics. I have a pair of Audio Technica 2021s and a single 3035. Either of these set ups work well but both require a preamp or a mixer to provide phantom power. I have also used tube preamps, condenser mics and the BR-600 BOSS in conjunction - and while this method produces warm tonality it tends toward being a bit noisy. Hope that helps. [/quote'] wow ballcorner that does help! i am not good enough nor have enough material for a cd recording yet! haha hopefully soon...right now this is strictly academic...i wanna hear my timing...my rhythm, my consistency... the reason im so curious about the methods a lot more of you advanced players use is because i want to learn as i go! im not gonna be all thumbs forever! plus i like hearing how you guys rig up your gear because first of all it helps me by giving me a starting point to try and follow...also as i said before its giving me a good idea in terms of general equipment i should be looking into...i want to buy things once and use them forever...so im not afraid of price tags if the value is good! thanks again everyone and dont be shy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR GIBS Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 I use ZOOM H4. This is a pretty good machine for me, for this moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayville Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 As others have said, a lot depends on your budget and your ambition. But for decent amateur at-home recordings I like what I'm getting with an AT-2020/AT-2021 pair. For about $150 (there's a 'set' with both included called the AT2041 at about that price). You get the flexibility of having both an LDC and sdc for not a huge investment and the results are good enough for me. I tend to put the SDC near the 12th fret angled back toward the soundhole and the LDC near the bridge. usually the SDC is about a foot away and the LDC about 8 inches. I do usually a little bit of e.q.ing and/or adding compression depending on if the acoustic is to sit in a crowded mix. I like the captured results much better with these relatively inexpensive mics than what I get going direct with the under-saddle piezos on my Taylor, and a bit better than what I can get with an SM57 -- though it's surprising (to me) how good a good ol' 57 can sound on an acoustic in the right situation, having to mics gives you more flexibility to create a soundscape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 When I want to showcase the guitar more, I'll record with two condenser pencil mics (a matched pair of Behringer C2s). One is pointed at the sixth fret (at an angle) and the other points right at the 12th fret. Both are about 6 to 8" away. I feed them into my mixer split right and left and I record them on to two separate mono tracks in my Sonar program. When I just want a nice clear single track, I'll move my Aphex 435 large diaphragm condenser so it is over the 12th fret and record in to a mono track. The key for me is the condenser. Mine are cheapies (by comparison) but the sound I get is quite good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr newhaven Posted March 10, 2009 Author Share Posted March 10, 2009 update!!!!!! i just bought a mic/boom pole...and mogami cables yesterday... i went with the Sterling ST51...for the pricepoint i though it was too good to pass up! ill let you know how it works out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 update!!!!!! i just bought a mic/boom pole...and mogami cables yesterday... i went with the Sterling ST51...for the pricepoint i though it was too good to pass up! ill let you know how it works out! Of course you know now you're going to have to post some sound files hmm? =P~/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.