(Possibly) looking for a new microphone to record ocarinas (flute instruments)

O

okarinist

New member
Hello,

I currently own a small membrane condenser microphone called the Samson Go Mic (which is a USB device), but I'm not entirely thrilled with the results. I find that it easily gets overwhelmed by the high notes on the ocarinas that I play.

It might have some to do with the recording environment and some to do with my (lack of) mixing skills, but anyway. Here is a sample of the Samson Go Mic: dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7364795/samson_gomic.m4a

It's attached to the lid of a late 2013 MBPR (USB 3.0). The gain is set to -5dB in Garageband and the pattern on the microphone is cardiod. The angle of the microphone is about 45 degrees downwards, with me sitting in front of the computer. The first recording is perhaps 40 cm (1.5 feet) away, whereas the second one is 5-10 cm away (above) (about 2-4 inches). The third and fourth recordings are the same but with a USB 2.0 hub between the microphone and the 3.0 port. Unfortunately a vacuum cleaner went on in the background during the fourth recording, but it's hard to tell a difference by using the hub anyway. The reverb is set to about 3/4 in all recordings. The room is approximately 15-20 square meters, and perhaps 2.5 meters high. The room does not have a lot of fabric (no curtains or carpets, for instance) but it is a bedroom so there is a bed and some other furniture to cancel out any echoes.

I want a less noisy, warmer and more present sound, and I'm not sure if it is the microphone or if it is me. I asked a large european retailer (Thomann in Germany) what they would recommend if I were to buy a new microphone, and they recommended either the Shure SM57LC (a dynamic microphone) or an AKG C1000s (another small membrane condenser) together with an M-audio M-track to connect the microphone to the computer.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.
 
I frequently use a Beyer M201 on acoustic guitar and flute (live) it has a bit less gain than many other mics but sounds incredible on those two sources.
 
Good ol sweet potato! Any LDC about 6-8 inches from the ocarina, just above (point it at your eyes) should give you a great, warm, natural sound. Even the cheap ones, like my MXL 2001.

Happy Recording :D
 
I'm a fan of SDC mics and own a pile of them but an Ocarina is one use I probably wouldn't make. SDCs are known to be crisp and bright, not warm and mellow (if you see what I mean).

An SM57 might be a bit TOO dark in my opinion and the AKG C1000S is downright harsh on EVERYTHING and better suited to use as a doorstop than as a microphone.

I'd personally be looking at an LDC for the Ocarina. I'd also want a bit of room treatment so you can put the mic a bit farther way from the instrument without objectionable room noise. As usual, I recommend that, if you can't actually treat the room, buy some cheap PVC pipe (and fittings) to build yourself a couple of L shaped frames then use spring clamps to hang movers blankets from these. Put them behind and beside you so the mic is partially aimed at them. If you don't glue the right angle, you can store them under the bed when not in use.

Mics? You don't mention a budget but I assume it's not unlimited.

For an LDC I'd be looking at an sE 2000 A or se X1. Or if the budget is really tight, the dreaded MXL990 is dirt cheap and actually sounds good on instruments with a bright sound.

If you can't even temporarily treat the room and want a dynamic, I'd suggest the Audix OM5--similar to the SM57 but a bit more natural and detailed.

For the USB Audio Interface, as luck would have it I bought an M Track yesterday. Apart from trying to listen to it on unplugged headphones, it seems pretty good though I haven't done anything more than test it so far. However, I can say it has sufficient clean gain for dynamics without noticeable noise and the controls (including direct hardware mixing) seem nicely set up. It also has an insert on both mic inputs which can be useful.

Finally, to contradict all the above, try your existing mic just a bit farther way and then use a bit of HF EQ cut to tame those high notes...might be enough without spending money.
 
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