Members Ashmil Posted January 13, 2004 Members Share Posted January 13, 2004 Hi all I have a crap mic currently for recording acoustic guitar, but I want to upgrade. Inevitably, questions arise! What is a good budget mic for acoustic guitar?Do I definately need a preamp? I shall be plugging into my soundcard, the Terratec DMX 6Fire.Can I sort myself out for under Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 54merk Posted January 13, 2004 Members Share Posted January 13, 2004 First of all, you should get a good condenser mike. Oktava MK012 is a very good one which has been recently discounted at Xmas for $99 in the states at the large chain Guitar Center. I am sure that others will chime in with recommendations for even less money. Secondly, a condenser mike needs a pre-amp and phantom power. You can buy a USB interface like a Tascam USB-122 (a great price in the US is $200) which has a preamp and phantom power and will plug into a USB port. Alternatively, you can plug directly into the line input of your soundcard. DO NOT USE THE MIKE INPUT since these are invariable extremely poor quality circuits. The cheapest way to get a mike preamp and phantam power is a Behringer mixing board. You need to plug the mike(s) into the board, and then the output goes into the line input of your soundcard. If you are only miking acoustic guitar, or acoustic guitar and one vocal, you can get by with a board with two XLR mike preamps. Personally, I prefer the versatility of 4 mike preamps. A cheap Behringer goes for about $80 in the US. Mackie boards are considered a step up in quality but will run a bit more $$. The other thing you need to worry about is fan noice. Hopefully you can get far enough away from your computer or put it in another room. You will also need recording software. So, with a mixer, software and a decent condenser mike, you probably can get by around 200 pounds. Search the posts on this forum for much more detailed information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rduke Posted January 13, 2004 Members Share Posted January 13, 2004 If you're just going to get a single mic, you'll have to decide between small and large diaphram. Large is typically more sensitive, which means it can also pick up unwanted sounds. For stereo recording (two mics), you could try matched or unmatched pair. To name a few others in the $100 to $200+ range: AKG c1000s Rode NT1, NT3, NT1000 Studio Projects C1 Behringer B1 Marshall MXL series You can get a good budget dual channel preamp with phantom power in the M-Audio Audio Buddy...around $75. I have the c1000s and NT1 (small and large), and the AB preamp. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JasonA Posted January 13, 2004 Members Share Posted January 13, 2004 A small diaphragm condensor is your best bet. I don't how much stuff runs in the UK, but I did pretty much what 54merk describes. I bought an Oktava MK012 for $50 (they were 2 for $99 at Guitar Center around Labor Day!), added a $50 Behringer UB802 Mixer and a good sound card. That's a cheap setup! The two audio clips on this page were recorded in my living room using this setup:http://www.kinnairdguitars.com/audio.htm Could sound better with Eq'ing and stuff, but it's really not that bad I don't think considering. The Marshall MXL603 is another inexpensive mic that's very well regarded for guitar recording. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members S~R~O Posted January 13, 2004 Members Share Posted January 13, 2004 JasonA~ Very Nice , I just gave a Listen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ashmil Posted January 13, 2004 Author Members Share Posted January 13, 2004 Hey folks thanks for your input Right I went into Sound Control in Bristol today there and the chap was quite helpful. He suggested I could go for the SE Electronics SE2200 condenser mic for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 6and8stringer Posted January 13, 2004 Members Share Posted January 13, 2004 GC's still doing the 2 Oktava's for $99; I just picked up a pair over the weekend and they sound spectacular for acoustic guitar. Keep in mind that I'm talking relative to cost - I'm sure I'd still prefer a Neumann through a Neve console - but it's an excellent cheap way to get "the sound." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members confuseitall Posted January 14, 2004 Members Share Posted January 14, 2004 get the NT3 or a Studio Projects B1($75), either one can work well for acoustic or voice. I have both and they sound great together on my acoustic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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