How to record acoustic?

[Cldplytkmn]

yeah... most condensers will need 48V phantom power... but if you get there down the road, its easy enough to buy a power supply.

[markwayne]

 

OK, dumb question one - do these become the two stereo channels assuming I want nothing else on the tape or do they somehow get mastered together and then the two tracks are created in the mix (I sort of understand what Neil is saying),

 

 

Yes, you will use one mic for the left channel and one for the right. This translates the stereo field the mics "saw" into something your speakers will attempt to recreate. When it works, the stereo image created can be breathtaking. It is certainly possible to use the UST in one channel and a mic in the other or even some mix of the two mics and the UST panned somewhere in the middle. As several have said there is no hard and fast rule. Your ears will tell you when you get there and they'll tell you when you are wrong. I have never used a UST for recording myself but, then, I have a rather nice mic collection here.

 

 

Dumb question two - I assume these should be indentical mics (altho learn'r's question about mixing a mic and an UST is interesting). My little recorder only has one low impediance mic input (both TRS and XLS jacks), and one high impediance "guitar/bass" input. What do I have to do to balance impediances and otherwise make the mics sound the same?

 

 

The purists will tell you that you should use a matched pair of small-element condensers with consecutive serial numbers etc.. I think that's only true if you are recording for Sony's classical label or such. I will often mix a large element condenser on the body (for low end warmth) and a small element condenser on the neck (for more delicate detail).

 

Hmmm . . . I'm not familiar with that recorder. Just a single mic input? Are there no stereo inputs anywhere on that device. It's hard to imagine anyone producing a recorder in this day and age without stereo inputs. I'll have to do a little research on that puppy and get back to you.

 

Wayne

[Freeman Keller]

 

Hmmm . . . I'm not familiar with that recorder. Just a single mic input? Are there no stereo inputs anywhere on that device. It's hard to imagine anyone producing a recorder in this day and age without stereo inputs. I'll have to do a little research on that puppy and get back to you. Wayne

 

 

 

Wayne, thanks again. It does have a regular "line in" pair of RCA jacks as the 3rd and 4th tracks, but I assumed that was from a MIDI or something like that. I am in no hurry to get another mic but the thread got me thinking.

[recordingtrack1]

I have a Nady 48 volt Phantom power supply. Works great and I got it for 24 bucks from MF. It's one of those live and learn things though, because in retrospect, I realized that I should have gone ahead and bought a multiple power supply so I could get phantom power on more than one mic at a time.

 

On the recording the guitar thing, if you are having a problem with reflective sounds, a great way to correct that is to use a couple of microphone stands and hang blankets around you in a kind of a tent. Sounds weird, but they will absorb the transient sounds a great deal and you will get a much quieter recording. Try it and you will be astonished at how much better your recording will sound.

 

Always record dry and add in effects through your mix. That way you always have your original tracks that are undiluted in case you find that your choice of effects is not working.

 

RT

[recordingtrack1]

 

originally posted by Freeman Kellar: Anyway, it is pretty thrilling to actually hear myself play. But oh my gawd I play bad!

 

 

Don't allow yourself to fall into that trap. It is so easy to criticize yourself to the point of negativity. I'd bet you sound just as good or better than the rest of us!!

 

RT

[denvertrakker]

Said it once, I'll say it again:

 

If you want a decent pair of mics that will give you a realistic sound from a home recording, pretty much nothing beats a pair of AKG C1000s. I've used them for everything from solo guitar in a living room to small combo in a club, and they sound GREAT. Used in a crossed X/Y (Blumlein) configuration, they'll give you a sound to die for. For less than 500 bucks.

 

Bear in mind, this comes from a guy who's more sound guy than guitar player.

 

Obligatory sound guy bashing joke:

 

Q: How many sound guys does it take to change a light bulb?

 

A: Sorry, man, I don't do lights...

[markwayne]

 

It does have a regular "line in" pair of RCA jacks as the 3rd and 4th tracks, but I assumed that was from a MIDI or something like that. I am in no hurry to get another mic but the thread got me thinking.

 

 

Alright, I found a little bit out about your recorder. Sure enough. The only stereo inputs are the RCA/line inputs. This means if you want to do some true stereo recording you will need, at minimum, a stereo mic pre plus another mic. Of course, you could try running a UST, mag PU or a cheap, hiZ mic into the hiZ guitar input along with your 57 in the mic input.

 

I'll also second the advice to take it easy on yourself. Hearing a recording of yourself playing is a lot like hearing a recording of your voice for the first time. It's never quite what you expect and that inner critic will take all the fun out of the recording process if you let the little bugger.

 

Wayne

[0rbitz9]

I find having a good pair of closed ear headphones makes mic positioning a

lot easier, since you can hear how the sound changes as you move your

mics around.

[kwakatak]

Damn, I just got a new laptop and am in the process of downloading Audacity again because my old PC's CD-RW is on the fritz. It's gonna take a little while to get everything set up the way I like it, but I'm looking forward to being able to record from downstairs at the kitchen table or on the couch.

[riknofx]

Hey y'all,

Just thought I'd pitch in my ghetto home set-up. I use a circa 80's Tascam porta07 tape 4-track and a Radio-Shack(ouch) uni 12"-24" on boom stand in 1 track(mic/line)) and my alvy pre into another(mic/line). I come out the line out to my cpu Line/In with a 1/8th to RCA to line outof the recorder and then right now just opening Musicmatch Jukebox and then the recorder(to save tape I guess)?? and it a good way to save ideas and somehow that portas gotta some magic in its old analog make-up cuz it sounds great. When I record with my band we use a 12 track (cant remember model) but it is a little complicated with the bouncing of tracks and all so Iam pretty much useless for advice but thought I'd share the lo-fi method.

Rick:thu:

[kwakatak]

OK, I got the software up and running on my laptop. Now I have to get my Behringer mixer connected to the laptop somehow. That 1/8" adaptor is jammed into the socket of my old PC tower.

 

You wouldn't believe the junk I've got laying around though. I've got one of those USB to A/V or S-video adaptors and it's almost enough to work. I just need one of those red/white dual plug A/V cables.

[Hudman]

OK, I got the software up and running on my laptop. Now I have to get my Behringer mixer connected to the laptop somehow. That 1/8" adaptor is jammed into the socket of my old PC tower. You wouldn't believe the junk I've got laying around though. I've got one of those USB to A/V or S-video adaptors and it's almost enough to work. I just need one of those red/white dual plug A/V cables.

 

What kind of laptop did you buy?

[kwakatak]

What kind of laptop did you buy?

 

You'd think I'd have learned my lesson, but dude I bought another Dell!

 

It's an Inspiron 6400 to be exact. It cost $800 after tax and shipping, which is about $150 cheaper than the E1505 which I found out is basically the same computer.

 

It beats me why a business machine would need to read and write DVDs but hey, what the hell? I could use that feature. With the baby coming along soon to claim the "office" we also needed something a little more portable that can double as a DVD player on trips. I've just scratched the surface on weeding off the bloatware though.

[Hudman]

You'd think I'd have learned my lesson, but dude I bought another Dell! It's an Inspiron 6400 to be exact. It cost $800 after tax and shipping, which is about $150 cheaper than the E1505 which I found out is basically the same computer. It beats me why a business machine would need to read and write DVDs but hey, what the hell? I could use that feature. With the baby coming along soon to claim the "office" we also needed something a little more portable that can double as a DVD player on trips. I've just scratched the surface on weeding off the bloatware though.

 

My laptop is a perk for running our union website in my spare time. It's 3 years old and going strong. It's a HP Pavillion AMD Athlon XP-M 3000+ (I'm a big AMD fan). It cost $1500 when we bought it. It will probably die before it becomes obsolete.

 

We also have a family computer. Our old one died a few months back after 5 years. The new one is a Compaq AMD Athlon 64 3500+ . We are very happy with it.

[Echoes]

I use an AKG C4000 B mic for vocals and acoustic guitar...I almost always double track the acoustic and pan it at least 30% left and 30% right. I sit in front of the mic about one foot away and somewhere in the vacinity of the 12th fret. I have recorded using the guitars onboard electronics and am very dissappointed EVERY TIME:mad: so, I mic and record in this way with very real and warm results!

[Jon Hiller]

I usually put up my Stedman N90 (large-diaphragm dynamic) and a condenser mic in a stereo pattern and adjust placement to account for the room until it sounds good. Having a good mic or two helps a LOT, but you'd be surprised what you can get from even a medium priced mic if you are just patient with placement adjustments. Having a decent mic preamp is good too, even if it's just something similar to the above mentioned ART tube MP ones, it just gets you a hotter signal with lower noise. Play around and have fun with it, that's the most important part, and take notes so you remember what works (and what doesn't) along the way!

[sdelsolray]

 

Said it once, I'll say it again: If you want a decent pair of mics that will give you a realistic sound from a home recording, pretty much nothing beats a pair of AKG C1000s. I've used them for everything from solo guitar in a living room to small combo in a club, and they sound GREAT. Used in a crossed X/Y (Blumlein) configuration, they'll give you a sound to die for. For less than 500 bucks.

 

 

 

To my ears the AKG C1000s is one of the worst condenser mics for recording ever made.

[Mad Jack Cash]

Well, how do you do it?

 

 

From the look of it you aren't a seasoned recording artist? Neither am I. This is my first post actually.

 

If you are as poor as me, you want to go cheap as you can I assume. I have one of 2 ways I go depending on the sound I want. I have a Hohner HW300G guitar... (Hey I heard that snicker! At $140 I'll put it up against any Gibson, any day hehe!) with a self installed Markley undersaddle pickup for the lower richer tones and a Fishman Neo-D in-hole pickup I use for brighter sounding songs. (won that puppy in a Fishman sponsored contest!

 

Everything after the jack/plugin I leave to other more knowledgeable people. The one song I did burn to cd was done on an old 4 track mixer into a computer and it sounds good.

 

ahem now on to the introduction thread

Peace

Mad Jack Cash

Pirate at Large

"The newest of newbies"

[Terry Allan Hall]

does anyone here still use a transducer? I've been monkeying around with one and using a SM57 at the bridge. makes an interesting stereo combo.

 

 

Among other things, yes.

 

I have a small home studio, so I put the "final product" into the computer...some of the options I use are:

 

Guitar (or other acoustic instrument)-only tracks

 

(A) Two mics, as previously mentioned, one aimed at or around the 12th fret and the other, just behind the bridge.

 

(B) One mic (aimed at the 12th fret) and UST, mixed w/ R @ 9 o'clock and L @ 3 o'clock. Never cared for the sound on a mic behind the bridge coupled w/ a UST, but that may well work w/ other guitars.

 

© One mic (aimed at the 12th fret) and UST, run into an amp w/ amp mic'd

 

(D) One mic (aimed at the 12th fret) and UST, run into an amp w/ amp mic'd as well as a direct feed from P/U via DI (3 tracks, mixed to taste)

 

(E) One mic (aimed at the 12th fret) and UST, run into an amp w/ amp mic'd as well as a line-out from amp itself (a different sound than "D", but again, 3 tracks, mixed to taste)

 

 

C, D and E are generally for when I'm using FX on the guitar or just want a little bit of "amp grunge" from a tube amp (Crate "Tube Driven 30" or Fender Champ).

 

Guitar, voice (and sometimes rack harmonica) tracks:

 

Two E-V RE-10s on a two-way stand adapter w/ 12" goose-necks,and pointed back in towards my face (the RE-10 is an odd little mic that senses from both the "ball" and a strip of the shaft, so I orient the shaft sensor towards the guitar, i.e. straight down...every home recordist need a pair of these!), mixed hard R - hard L. Done right, it gives the perfect balance of rhythm guitar to vocals.

 

When recording w/ my trio and/or others, I'll use some or all of these, as well as 2 PZMs, mounted up high on the S and E walls of my studio, which contributes "room sound"...these two tracks can be very handy at mix-down!

 

Most important rule of recording: "There are no rules!"

[denvertrakker]

 

To my ears the AKG C1000s is one of the worst condenser mics for recording ever made.

 

 

Because? I'm genuinely curious.

[0rbitz9]

 

I usually put up my Stedman N90 (large-diaphragm dynamic) and a condenser mic in a stereo pattern and adjust placement to account for the room until it sounds good.

 

 

It's rare to meet other people that appreciate Stedman mics. The N90 is a

fun mic to use on the body of an acoustic for picking up rich woody tones

that blend nicely with a detailed condenser up at the neck/body joint. For

true stereo microphone arrays, the Stedman C15 condensers are excellent.

Their extra wide cardiod pickup pattern, and nearly perfect flat response

on and off axis make them hard to beat.

[sdelsolray]

 

Because? I'm genuinely curious.

 

 

Because for recording solo acoustic guitar they sound horrible, particularly in the high frequencies. Now, I haven't tried every low cost SD or LD condenser mic, so maybe there are some that are even worse - there probably are.

[0rbitz9]

I have to admit that I cringed a bit when I saw the AKG C1000s mentioned.

To my ears, the top end on these mics are just harsh and brittle.

[Jon Hiller]

 

It's rare to meet other people that appreciate Stedman mics. The N90 is a fun mic to use on the body of an acoustic for picking up rich woody tones that blend nicely with a detailed condenser up at the neck/body joint. For true stereo microphone arrays, the Stedman C15 condensers are excellent. Their extra wide cardiod pickup pattern, and nearly perfect flat response on and off axis make them hard to beat.

 

 

 

My n90 is my favorite microphone. I use it for all sorts of stuff. I've found very little I can't make it do pretty well. I've never used the C15's although I'm thinking about trying to find one. I used to have a second n90 and in a stupid move I sold it to a friend of mine who was blown away by the sound. Wish I had it back, but I'm free to borrow it if I need it for something, so it's all good, I guess.

 

I also have a Stedman handheld vocal mic (forget the model number) and an LD23 (I think) which is an instrument dynamic similar to an SM57. Great mics as well.

[daklander]

Something lots of folks miss is the "over the shoulder" method for miking an acoustic guitar.

Place a mic on a boom over your shoulder, pointing down toward the guitar. You'll get a recording that is very close to what you are hearing as a player, depending on the mic, not what the guitar sounds like from out front.

You can take that feed and blend it with out-front mics as well.