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A little help
| Message Board > Music Chitchat - Heavy > A little help |
| Peter Gardner User Info... | I'm having trouble getting a good sound when I mic an acoustic for recording. I'm using a Shure SM57 so it's not like it's bad equipment. And I'm using an MBOX so the soundcard's good. Maybe my mic placement sucks? Any tips would be lovely. - Wed, 25 Jan 2006 10:53pm | ||
| lonemonk User Info... | If you want a full-bodied sound angle it toward the sound hole. Perhaps place the mic lower than your hand position and point the mic up into the general vicinity. The same can be done from slightly above your hand position pointed down. Approx 10-12 inches away. If that is too boomy, or you want more string noise move the whole mic down the fretboard a little and in some cases, move it away from the guitar to decrease boominess. The last time I had results I was happy with, I found that having the mic angled somehwhat toward the hole, but actually a few frets away from the hole lead to a balanced sound. I've also had someone else move the mic around slowly and slightly while playing in headphones, sometimes you'll hear the sweetspot happening realtime. Finally, try two mics on it. One more or less toward the hole and the other somewhere along the fretboard. Sometimes you can get some good sounds by mixing a little bit of each in whatever proportion sounds nice. There is one more, use a transducer in the hole (like a dean markley pickup), and a mic near the fretboard. This doesn't produce the best overall acoustic sound, but it sometimes ends up being the clearest. You can still mix to suit. As if all that weren't enough, try a large-diaphram condenser mic instead of the 57. Or play with some EQ on the 57 track to get a more realistic representation. Obviously, No matter what, you have to like the sound you're getting in the room. Mic'ing it wont improve it at all. - Thu, 26 Jan 2006 8:43am | ||
| Lucius User Info... | Try a Behringer B1 mic. It works very well for acoustic micing. I've got one you can try if you like. Cheers Lucius - Thu, 26 Jan 2006 10:23am | ||
| StarShip B.O.B. User Info... | See if L&M will rent you an Ovation electric/acoustic and plug straight in. - Thu, 26 Jan 2006 3:32pm | ||
| alain User Info... | Ignore the reproduction for now: how does the guitar sound to your ears? Is it a good sound to start with? The best way to go about this is starting with a good guitar sound, then trying to reproduce that with your mics. Trying to make a bad guitar sound good isn't so cool. If you do like the sound of the guitar, you can try a bunch of the tricks that have been mentioned. The last time I recorded acoustic guitar, it was one with a pickup already in it, so I took that direct signal and mixed it in with a 57 mic'ing the sound hole. It turned out very well. You just need to keep experimenting though. Luck - Thu, 26 Jan 2006 4:01pm | ||
| Peter Gardner User Info... | Yea its a good sounding guitar. I tried plugging straight in and it sounded much to "twangy" and high end. And when I miked it, it sounded kind of hollow and low end. Perhaps I will try doing both, but wont there be a bit of delay? - Sun, 29 Jan 2006 12:20am | ||
| YouEnjoyMyself User Info... | I don't know a great deal about recording, but I've always had good success with pointing the mike at the 12th fret. Gives a good even sound that isn't too twangy. - Sun, 29 Jan 2006 9:19am | ||
| nicola User Info... | "If you want a full-bodied sound angle it toward the sound hole." This actually doesn't work as well as you'd think for recording... although this works great for live playing, with recording it usually sounds really muddy and you get too much pick noise (unless you like that rockabilly, high gain sound). My first suggestion would be to get a large diaphragm condensor mic (you can rent them pretty cheap). The problem with using dynamic mics for recording is that they tend to be very focused in their direction (which is great for micing cabs on stage because you don't get sound bleeding in from other instruments) but it doesn't give you the full spectrum of color when recording a single instrument. plus the signal is usually very weak, and the only way to get a full bodied tone is if you're right on top of the mic. Think about when you're playing live... do you have to kiss the mic while singing to get a full bodied tone? What happens when you pull off the mic? (you usually lose the bassier frequencies) Back to condensors... You can buy yourself a "studio projects B1" mic from L&M... The best part about this mic is that it sounds amazing, you'll need something like this for vocals most likely anyway and the mic is under $150!. Also check out the Apex 460 tube condensor. It gives warmth to everything. Keep in mind though that if you use a condensor, you will need phantom power. (basically you need power to go to the mic). I'm not familiar with the M-box so you may need to get a phantom power supply (also rentable). Once you have the mic(s), try placing them in the following areas and see what works best for your guitar and your rig.: 1) mic it at the nut. (up by where you tune the strings)- yes that's right... I know it sounds crazy... angle the mic so that it's pointing down the neck of the guitar toward the body. 2) place the mic at the 12th fret. If you're playing a lot of open chords and don't like the string sound, this is a good alternative to micing the nut. remember to point the mic (45 degrees or so) toward the body of the instrument. 3) When a guitar is played, the top of the guitar resonates. This is why you hear people refer to the top of the guitar as the "sound board". If you mic the top of the guitar- say behind the saddle by 4-6 inches and down a bit (to prevent your arm from getting in the way), this will sound great. If you have a solid top guitar it will sound like butter. 4) lastly, check out the room you're recording in. You may want to place a mic a few feet away, if say you have hardwood floors. A natural room reverb can be very complimentary to guitars and vocals. (as long as it doesn't sound like you're playing in a toilet). Basically, get a good recording mic (you don't have to spend a lot of money) and then play with the mic placement (be experimental) and see what works best for your rig (and your ears). I usually try to place a mic in each place and see what combination works best. - Sun, 29 Jan 2006 12:34pm | ||
| slipintotheshade User Info... | i don't know where you're recording but it sounds like at home. i would rent the nicest condenser mic you can get from l & m, plus the phantom power of course and forget all that nonsense about where to point the mic. keep it a foot or two feet away so you can capture the real acoustic-ness of it all. after all, if you play guitar for your friends their heads arent pressed up to the strings, plus this postioning allows for freedom of movement for the player. nothing's worse than uninspired playing due to confined mic positioning. also, remember to turn the fridge and the phone off...it sucks when you're half way through a beauty take and one of your damn friends decides to give you a ring. hope this info helps, if you're still stuck email me and i'll come record you my self. - Sun, 29 Jan 2006 2:14pm | ||
| JasonLove User Info... | Peter, Listen to Nicola. She knows what she's talking about. I did a recording of myself in the auditorium at UVic. the engineer put a Beta57 about 8" away from the sound hole. that was it and it sounded great. I was playing one of Aidan's Martins. Aidan had preveously recorded in the same room and they put two of those AKG mics with the gold face on him. One at the nut and one on the soundboard about 6" behind the saddle. They also took a line from the pickups. It sounded so warm and unaffected. Pure tone! On the other hand, when Aidan records in his living room he just uses an apex condeser in front of the guitar. he just sticks it there and records. it sounds great too. just play with what you've got. you'll find a sound that will speak to you! -j - Sun, 29 Jan 2006 5:37pm | ||
| nicola User Info... | Thanks Jason... I just regurgitated everything I've ever heard from recording mags, sound engineers, and clinicians (roland, yamaha, protools etc). Distance away from the mic will get you a different response. You can check out the mic pickup patterns on most company websites. Generally the closer to the mic you get, the fuller the tone. (means less time working with the EQ trying to fill out the sound) I once used a clip on drum condensor mic - clipped onto the headstock right by the nut for a song that was in a dropped tuning, and the low D sounded huge! It's all about experimenting with what you've got. - Mon, 30 Jan 2006 8:05pm | ||
| aidan knight! User Info... | dear peter gardener, the secret is compression, and creating the right situation for recording. for your guitar, i'd make a blanket fortress in front of the sound hole, mostly because blanket fortresses are the best. also, it will create some reflection and isolation. as for your 57, try the fingerboard and try the saddle. much love. (ps. compression!) - Tue, 31 Jan 2006 4:58pm | ||
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