Live mic for nylon-string guitar?

[rlindsey0]

Hi, any suggestions for a good mic to use for nylon-string guitar live? (Assuming you couldn't just go with a pickup.) This would be for a fairly quiet Brazilian-jazz kind of context. There will be drums, bass, and piano, but no one's going to be playing real loud. I could go for maybe $100-175.

 

I've tried a 57 live and wasn't that impressed. More or less functional, but not inspiring--a tad dull. I've got a Sennheiser 421 dynamic and an Oktava MK-012 small-diaphragm condenser but have not yet had the chance to use either on guitar in a performance situation. Would one of these work, or maybe something like a Shure SM81? I'm assuming a large-diaphragm condenser would probably pick up too much extraneous stuff.

 

All thoughts welcome. Thanks.

[Scodiddly]

I'd try whatever you've got, see how it sounds. The Oktava MK-012 is probably going to work the best, so try that first.

[rlindsey0]

I'd try whatever you've got, see how it sounds. The Oktava MK-012 is probably going to work the best, so try that first.

 

Thanks, my guess is that you're probably right.

 

Problem is, though, I'm not really going to get a chance to check this out in the actual situation before the gig, so if what I try doesn't work on the gig, then I'm kind of on the spot and strapped for alternatives. So my hope (possibly poorly worded) was that somebody who's miked one of these guitars in this situation could cite something that he or she knew had worked. That, if not a guarantee, would at least narrow things down a bit for me.

 

Response much appreciated nonetheless.

[The Real MC]

This brings up an interesting story.

 

My blues/R&B band was scheduled on First Night to share the stage with a classical guitarist playing a nylon string. He got rather snobbish and complained to management about being booked with a band like us. Our leader/singer was about to put a '58 on his guitar but I knew better. I pulled out my Sennheiser 441 - and his disposition took a complete change.

 

The gig went well, the mic worked great, and after the show he sent management a lot of praise for all the help we gave him. He must have had friends in the audience because he said it sounded great.

[agedhorse]

441 is a contender actually but awfully unwieldy, somewhat like it's lighter weight 421 brother.

 

Without knowing the PA, or any details of the PA/room/band, I would fall back on the 57 because it's a relatively safe choice. I could probably make pretty much anything (reasonable of course) work just fine, but that's because I have many years of experience learning how to make the best out of situations where I have limited control of the variables and the systems I own have plenty good control and excellent speakers, so I had the opportunity to develop good methods and solutions without being faced with the possibility of a true train wreck.

 

Is there a sound guy, monitor system with seperate engineer? What kind of system? What type of event?

[Rbts]

Just as a thought.... since you know the SM57 "will work" go ahead and use it like agedhorse said, but if you want to ALSO hook up a second mic you could, and if it didn't work, just turn it off, or move it out of the way.

[rlindsey0]

 

441 is a contender actually but awfully unwieldy, somewhat like it's lighter weight 421 brother. Without knowing the PA, or any details of the PA/room/band, I would fall back on the 57 because it's a relatively safe choice. I could probably make pretty much anything (reasonable of course) work just fine, but that's because I have many years of experience learning how to make the best out of situations where I have limited control of the variables and the systems I own have plenty good control and excellent speakers, so I had the opportunity to develop good methods and solutions without being faced with the possibility of a true train wreck. Is there a sound guy, monitor system with seperate engineer? What kind of system? What type of event?

 

 

Smallish event, in a small church/event room, maybe 100 seats max. There are monitors but they're meager, with no separate engineer and only one mix. The guy knows how to run it and is a musician (bassist) but not necessarily a very advanced soundperson. EQ and effects are limited, hardly above nonexistent. I wouldn't be able to assume there's much room for fixing things if they're not fairly close to right to start with. I guess I could go with a 57, but it was just so ... dull when I tried it, and dullness is the last thing I want to hear out of my nylon-string guitar. I've actually tried recording it with my 421, and even though it also lacked some sparkle, and I needed to crank the gain, it at least sounded better than the 57 I borrowed. So maybe the 421 is my best choice in these particular circumstances, clunky though it is.

 

I just can't help thinking the right condenser might really be what I want to hear, but I've never used one live in this setting before and don't know whether there would be feedback or bleedthrough problems in a live band performance (even a fairly quiet one).

[Scodiddly]

I'd go with the Oktava, but... the big operational difference is that a condensor will need phantom power, and a small rig may or may not have it. Or the operator may or may not want to switch it on for various reasons.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about feeback or bleed problems - these three mics are all fairly similar in pickup pattern and such.