Recording a Paraguayan harp-->live!

[DaNmAn]

Any body have an idea on recording a Paraguayan harp???? I'm recording one live in a couple of days, and I'm not sure about how to approach it. I'm split between ambient micing with a AKG 414, or using some kind of contact pickup/mic combo. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[The Green Hornet]

DaNMan:

You might try a rehersal recording test with a contact mic connected to a part of the harp, like the base, [if it has a base] or somewhere.

Strings are usually brilliant, [if this type has strings?] and you can reherse a couple of takes and move the mic hither thither or yon to see what comes through best. Also, if you listen through a headset, that may help you determine the best mic placement too.

Happy Harping,

Green Hornet

 

[Dragon]

Nah, you have to buy a special Paraguayan harp mic for $4000, twice as much if it's digital

 

[jnorman]

i record a harp player regularly, and also set her up for sound reinforcement. for sound reinforcement, i usually use two small-diaphragm condensers, one toward the upper end of the right topside of the soundboard, and one toward the lower part of the soundboard, each about 1.5-2 feet away. in the studio, however, i use a single large-diaphragm condenser, about 3 feet off the ground, right front side of the harp, about 3-4 feet away. i have tried a vertical x-y setup with the two small condensers in the studio to record the harp in stereo (this resulted in a left-right pan of the low-to-high strings across the acoustic image like a stereo piano, but, as it turned out, sounded quite unnatural.) if you must record in an outdoor or auditorium situation, i would go with a two mic mono setup (watch for phase problems)- process to stereo later. my harpist will not use a contact mic arangement, because of a very bad first studio experience trying them. i think they would work okay for sound reinforcement though.