Mic Pres for Classical/Folk

[cello john]

I'm looking to upgrade my mic pre (currently ART DPS) and will be recording classical strings (string quartet) as well as acoustic guitar, bouzouki and fiddle (folk, that is to say...)
The RNP sounds like a good purchase, and I'm very impressed with the quality of the RNC, but I wonder whether anyone else has experience with this type of recording. I'm currently using an AT 4045, and a pair of AT 3031's...
Unfortunately, there's only one store in my area that carries recording equipment and they don't carry much...so this is just a query to get me looking at what might worth the hassle of getting mail-order and returning what I don't like.


Thanks in advance, for any info...

[cello john]

I meant AT 4040, in case that matters...and I am interested in mic advice as well, for cello/violin and guitar/bouzouki...

[DigitMus]

I do a lot of classical & acoustic recording, but I doubt you want to spend what I did on gear (my main pair of mics being DPA 4041Ts at a mere $7500). Small diaphragm condensers are very popular for classical/acoustic ensembles - it would help to know your budget. RE: Microphones - Earthworks omni QTC-1s are very nice at about $1900 per matched pair, or the slightly noisier TC30Ks for a little over $1000 per matched pair. If you prefer cardioids to omnis (watch out for proximity effect) they sell a matched pair of SR77s for about $100 more than the TC30s. ADK A51TLs are pretty good (budget) large diaphragm multipatterns (3 micron diaphragms) that street for about $1000/pair. The RNP is probably the best you can do in that price range for preamps, but I personally would prefer something like a pair of Grace 101s for about twice the money.
If my assumptions about budget (this IS HomeRecording, after all) are wrong, and you have a serious equipment budget, there are a lot more suggestions/possibilities.

Scott

[SonicAlbert]

A Grace 201 would be wonderful for classical. I think some people use Benchmark Media pres for classical, they have a four preamp in a rack thing that would be worth looking into. Another biggy classical preamp is the Millenia HV-3B.

All relatively pricey stuff, with the Benchmark being the most affordable.

[cello john]

Thanks for the suggestions. I do imagine, after reading a few posts and seeing the recommendation for the Grace units, that somewhere down the road I will budget for such high-quality gear. For now, I think that the RNP is more in my price range, as it is a two channel unit. Does anyone think that it would be a "bad" piece for the application I mentioned in the original post? I'm not looking to cut an album for commercial release, but I do want to try to satisfy my fairly picky ear. I would want to retain as natural a timbre as possible for each instrument.
The CD's that I would make, would be mostly demo's for prospective concert series...and the occasional mother of the bride (gotta make a living...playing in an orchestra may sound prestigious, but the pay sucks...)
Also, which mics would people suggest I demo besides the AT's mentioned. I've heard a lot about Studio Projects and Rode on this forum. but I kind of get the feeling that most people are working in the rock genre...Again, budget sort of precludes such classics as Neumann and higher end pieces. Preferably under 400$ per mic or 500$ a pair...

[NathanEldred]

Re: Rode and SP, lots of high end frequencies from my experience, and a scooped midrange. If you like this kind of thing then that's perfect, I personally don't. You're in a hard range being in the low budget side of things. The RNP is the best there is out there for not a lot of money. You could A/B it against the Grace and see what happens. The key is to have a mic/pre combo that is balanced in their quality level, instead of having a really great preamp and then cheaper mics or vice versa. I agree with Digitmus' assessment of the ADK's and Earthworks, those are the best two choices in the not so expensive range. If what is in front of the microphone is really good, these choices will not detract from anything.

Nathan Eldred
atlasproaudio.com

[tdukex]

I don't have the experience of Nathan or DigitMus, but never having heard the 3031s or the 4040 I still think these are probably pretty decent mics. I believe you are on the right track looking at only a preamp upgrade, and the RNP seems to be the logical choice in the <$500 range.

I honestly believe that with the RNP and the mics you already have (and proper mic placement--and a decent room) you can make some serious good recordings.

[ozraves]

I wouldn't worry about new mics for now but instead take care of the preamp. I would lean toward the FMR RNP or possibly a Sytek MPX-4Aii given your pocketbook constraints. I'd get one or the other and get busy with those Audio-Technica mics.

Steve
www.mojopie.com

[SonicAlbert]

The Sytek is a good suggestion. It is a four channel unit, and I know that they are selling overstocks on eBay right now for the $600-700 range. More than your budget, but not much more. Otherwise, the RNP seems like a good choice.

Another clean uncolored preamp I've heard positive mention of (although I haven't heard one myself) is the Rane MS-1b. There are earlier models called the MS-1 and MS-1a. They are single channel no-frills preamps priced well below $200.

[cello john]

Thanks for the advice.
The Sytek seems like an interesting choice that I was not aware of. How would it likely compare to the RNP for my purposes? I understand that there are many variables involved, but I'm still interested in people's thoughts.
The RNP seems designed to interact well with RNC units (TRS inserts, same designer...) Could it be clean enough to give me a very good (as opposed to good...) string quartet sound, or would the Sytek likely be superior? Four channels for 800$ or less is actually less expensive than the RNP, if I ended up needing four inputs.
If I really liked the RNP I would eventually buy two to maintain consistancy in terms of "color" (or lack thereof).

[cello john]

Also...to get ahead of myself, is there a two unit rack mount for two RNP's? I have the Funk Logic unit for two RNC and like the look of it...just wondering...

[Richard Monroe]

Yo cello, I'm recording a lot of stuff here, including harp and violin/viola. The RNP I have no personal experience with, so I know what you know. I've had very good luck with Studio Projects C-4's and Oktava MC012's running through an Avalon AD2022 or a Joemeek twinQ, depending on the sound I want. Usually strings are mic'd at a bit of a distance to avoid picking up a lot of scratch from the bow. While the Grace 201 or Toft ATC-2 would be better tools, they are $500 a channel, give or take.
For strings, I would get a pair of C-4's and a a B.L.U.E Baby bottle in your price range. At the stated pricepoint, the RNP is a very good choice. Good luck.-Richie

[SonicAlbert]

Don't get too hung up on all the preamp channels sounding the same. It's actually nice to have different colors to play with, and for me seems to add a nice layering to the recording. I guarantee you'll want more than two channels fo preamps, probably sooner rather than later!

Please also look at that Benchmark Media four channel preamp, they are a company that has designed stuff with classical in mind for a long time.
It's more than you want to spend, but just for comparative purposes...

http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/micpre...20/default.asp

Or buy and RNP now and some other two channel preamp or several single channel preamps later. Wish I could tell you more about the Sytek, but I personally haven't used one. good luck.