Members Majoria Posted January 24, 2007 Members Share Posted January 24, 2007 I have a project that I have to have done by January 31 for a contest and I can't get the accoustic guitar to sound even functional. Thie guitar being used isn't the greatest, it's not the worst. My only condensor mics are the two pack of MXL 990/991 which I've been using thus far. The recordings are much worse than the actual sound which to me indicates the fabulous MXL 991 isn't cutting it (big surprise). I don't record a lot of accoustic guitar so I'm not exactly sure which mic to go with. I've seen several at the local GC and others Daddy's (local chain), I thought there was a thread about this but can't find it. Keep in mind my setup is below the realm of an entry level home studio (Pro Tools LE w/mBox2, etc.) What sort of decent instrument mic's exist at quick access and affordable, say $200 or less? I'm not rigid on the price, just want to give an idea. Also, what about a vocal mic? The singer has a great voice but I'd like something better than the 990 or S11 can offer. But mainly I need to improve the guitar. Luckily the song is short and only involves one accoustic guitar and one lead vocal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cirrus Posted January 24, 2007 Members Share Posted January 24, 2007 Hi, I've gotten quite a useable acoustic sound using an oktava 319 in conjunction with an SE elecronics SE-1a. Both mics are what I would consider a budget price, and between them cover a wide tonal range. I think both would come in together at round about $200 or slightly more if you found a good deal. The thing with acoustic guitars as I"m sure you're learning is that the sound eminating from different parts and at different angles is so great that even very small movements in the mic positioning can have a massive influence in the sound being picked up. I find whatever mic is being used, the best way to go is to put on some decent headphones and move the mic around the guitar while someone plays it, listening for some sweet spots and putting the mic where you find the best sound. Finally, playing over a wooden floor can sweeten the tone nicely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Majoria Posted January 24, 2007 Author Members Share Posted January 24, 2007 I did experiment yesterday with holding the mic and moving around, using different angles and different distances, so far the best is angled slightly up at the neck about 3-4" up from the hole on a 45 degree angle towards the hold - that may make no sense but it's working for me. I've tried two mics and liked some of the results but I don't have the right two mics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GZsound Posted January 24, 2007 Members Share Posted January 24, 2007 On a budget, you might try an AT 2020 LD mic in conjunction with your MXL, that would only set you back a hundred bucks. I have recently been experimenting on a couple of different Martin guitars with my new CAD M179 ($200) with good results and placement really changes things drastically. An AT 4050 sounds really full and a 4047 adds warmth, but those are both above your budget. Normally I use a small condenser and an LD together, depending on what I'm trying to accomplish and which guitar the player is using. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 I really like the AT 4041 on acoustics... it might be a bit over your budget (maybe not if you shop REALLY carefully ), but it's a excellent performer on acoustic guitars. Another option that you might want to check out is the Groove Tubes Convertible. http://www.eqmag.com/story.asp?storycode=12461 They list for around $149 each, but you can usually find a pair of them for not much over your stated budget... and I'm a bg fan of stereo acoustic guitars. They're supposedly very similar to the GT33 (of which I own a pair), and for a bit more rock 'n roll sounding acoustics (as opposed to the more neutral sounding 4041), they're my first choice. Great mics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted January 24, 2007 Members Share Posted January 24, 2007 I usually use this as a starting position if using one mic: perpendicular to where the neck meets the guitar body about 18" away. From there, I move it closer or pull it farther away as appropriate. Then again, if that mic position is working for you, whatever works. The AT4041 is an excellent mic for acoustic guitars (and overheads for drums). I use the AT4051 (a more expensive model) for these applications and am very happy with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Duardo Posted January 25, 2007 Members Share Posted January 25, 2007 I'd definitely look at something neutral...for $200 you could get an Audio Technica 3035, or a pair of the 2020's someone mentioned earlier...the 2020's seem to work especially well on acoustic instruments, probably in part because they're actually closer to a small-diaphragm microphone than a large-diapgragm (the diaphragm is about .6") despite the side-address body. -Duardo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Majoria Posted January 25, 2007 Author Members Share Posted January 25, 2007 I may check into the AT 4041. I primarily play drums and thus am picky when I record them as I do my own drum recording. Sounds like I may be able to upgrade my overhead and my accoustic guitar recordings. Since I need it very soon and can't wait for shipment, I may head to the local GC as they list it as $279 on their web site. Any ideas for a lead vocal mic? AT4040 goes for a little more ($299), is it worth spending that much or is there something very similar closer to $200? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 At the http://www.eqmag.com/story.asp?storycode=15948 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted January 25, 2007 Members Share Posted January 25, 2007 I keep hearing that the Marshall MXL V69 is really good, although I have never heard it, and am not sure about the price. May make a good vocal mic (and overheads and acoustic guitar, but if you're doing overheads, have a heavy mic stand!! ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Majoria Posted January 25, 2007 Author Members Share Posted January 25, 2007 No, the vocal mic would be only for vocals. I want to get something like an AT4041 for some instruments and something else for vocals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wztonz Posted January 25, 2007 Members Share Posted January 25, 2007 The Samson CO2 is incredible, don't let their tiny pricetag ($120/pr with shockmounts!!!) fool you. They sound absolutely amazing, and will do a great job on acoustic guitar, provided the guitar and room are good as well. Place both mics 18-24" from the guitar. One place at the butt, even with the bottom of the bridge, and aiming at the bridge. The other at the 12th fret, just below the neck, aiming where the neck meets the body. Pan them hard l/r. They will work wonderfully for OH mics as well. They have a very smooth high end response, excellent low end, and a nice pickup pattern. They are very similiar to Shure SM81's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Majoria Posted February 11, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 11, 2007 Thanks for the feedback. I bought the AT4041 and I'm very impressed. I've done a take with it on an accoustic guitar and another as a drum overhead - WAY better than the MXL991 (like that was hard to accomplish). For what I'm after, this will do very nicely. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GZsound Posted February 12, 2007 Members Share Posted February 12, 2007 No, the vocal mic would be only for vocals. I want to get something like an AT4041 for some instruments and something else for vocals. I have been using a CAD M179 on male and female vocals with great results recently. It's only $200 and just sounds good on everything I have tried it on so far. It compares nicely to an AT 4050. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted February 12, 2007 Members Share Posted February 12, 2007 Thanks for the feedback. I bought the AT4041 and I'm very impressed. I've done a take with it on an accoustic guitar and another as a drum overhead - WAY better than the MXL991 (like that was hard to accomplish). For what I'm after, this will do very nicely. Thanks again. Hey, that's great. So apparently a lot of the sound was the mic. That's a good mic that you can continue using forever. Extremely useful, and great for a lot of applications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members birdyyellow Posted February 12, 2007 Members Share Posted February 12, 2007 the mxl v69 is great. for vocals. not so much for acoustic guitar. to me its way to muddy. but then again i dont have the best of preamps. but it also sounds like you dont either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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