Noob mic choice Q (w/ specific instrmnts)

D

desiwrx02

New member
Hey guys,
Im new here (<-- posts: 1), hopefully I wont get blasted for posting (I did a search).

I need to record four things mainly:
- Acoustic Guitar
- Baby Grand Piano
- Vocals
- Indian percussion instruments called the Tabla and Dhole which are small drums (not very loud. sound produced by striking with hand, quieter than my acoustic guitar, if that makes any sense)

Im getting more and more confused with my mic options as I go along. In one thread it says that acoustic would be better miced with small diaphragm and in another it says that piano would be better miced with large diaphragm.

I think i am going to go with entry level condenser mics. I am setting the limit to spend at about 150-160. Should I go with a more expensive mic in mono? Or two lower quality mics in stereo? After reading for quite some time I found two good options to be the Studio Project B1 (In stereo, and the mxl603 in sterio, both putting me right around my budget. Is there any other options I should consider?

I need to record all of these things with a single mic setup, so your input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again,
Ajay
 
A pair of B-1's would be OK. I would suggest 1 B-1 and 1 Marshall MXL V67G or V67B. (same mic, different color) I prefer the B-1 on guitar, and the V67 on vocals. There are those who prefer the B-1 on their voices. You can use the pair on piano, probably with the V67 on the lower strings and the B-1 on the upper strings. At your budget point, you would profit from the options offerred by a pair of different mics. Stereo mic'ing can be done just fine with a pair of non-identical mics.-Richie
 
Richard's recommindation is probably a good choice, however you do not state what you are going to be connecting the mics into. You most likely will need to include in your budget the following:

preamp with phantom power.
mic stands.
cables and adapters.
 
A small diaphram condenser on the tablas. You don't have to worry about mic'ing them from both sides since the Indian percussion instruments don't have an open throat like a darbuhkah or a djembe and they have a mellower sound. A room mic to pick up any ambient reflections might be a nice touch. You have a whole lot of small diaphram condensers to choose from and they'll all work.
Try one with an omni pattern if you can (better if you can buy one with the option of changing from omni to cardioid, you never know which will work better in your room).
 
If you can swing it, a pair of Ocatva MC-012's with the cardiod and omni caps. This would give you a lot of options on mic'ing.
 
Richard:
Thanks for your suggestion. That seems to be my best option as of now...

Innovations:
I have a laptop so I have no choice other then to go through USB, since i cant afford the other options (PCIA/Firewire). Im either going with the DUO or the Tascam US122 ( I have a thread in the other forum). I also purchased some XLR cables from GC yesterday (2 for 20). Hopefully those will hold up.

Rimshot:
What are some good options for SD condensers that are omni or can be switched from one to the other?

Trackrat:
How much a pair of those with both caps run me?

Thanks to all for your responses.
Ajay
 
Yo desi. Although a pair of small diaphragm mics are a wicked useful thing, they would suck up your whole budget quite nicely. If you bust some balls at Guitar Center, you can get a pair of Oktava MC012's for about $150, and pick up the Omni capsules later from The Sound Room for $65 apiece.
Personally, I think that unless you have a very good room, you will not find the omni capsules particularly useful. Although small diaphragm mics can be very nice on guitar and piano, I'd rather record guitar and piano with large diaphragm mics than try and sing through small diaphragm mics. I have recorded some wonderful acoustic instrument tracks with large diaphragm condensers, but my experiences singing through small diaphragm mics have been fairly pathetic.
For small diaphragms with capsule options, I've had very good luck with Studio Projects C-4's, but the pair is about $380. For small diaphragms on a budget, a pair of Marshall MXL 603's is a good place to start, about $80 each (cardioid only), but I would consider them a secondary priority after a couple of good large diaphragm mics. YMMV-Richie
 
What aout micing in stereo with a SD and LD condenser?
Like say, the SP B1 and the MC 012? Otherwise im think Ill do the B1 and the V67, they seem to be versatile enough for my work.
Thanks,
Ajay
 
Stereo mic'ing with a LD and a SD can work, especially on acoustic guitar, but I suggest LD's for 2 reasons: 1. SD's work so well in pairs, it makes sense to wait until you can get 2 as closely matched as the future budget will allow. and... 2. Vocals are one of the quirkiest things in the world. Yeah, I know guitars differ widely, as do pianos, but not as widely as vocals. It just makes sense to have more than one option for a main vocal mic. I use SD's in pairs for drum overheads and classical guitar. On steel string, mandolin, violin/viola, I've had my best luck with a single LD mic around the 12th fret (finding that fret on the violin is a bitch, but you know what I mean). My current project CD is mostly based on acoustic guitar. I've got MC012's, a pair of C-4's, a pair of AKG C2000B's, a pair of B-1's, and I *had* a pair of MXL 603's. With all of those available options, most of the acoustic guitar ended up being tracked with a single AKG C414B-ULS. There are clearly 3 camps on recording acoustic guitar: one LD, 2 SD, and one of each. With proper placement, any of those can work, depending on the sound you're looking for. I find one LD simple and effective. For the record, the B-1's are LD mics, and the C2000B's are mid-sized between LD and SD, and are very versatile. For some reason, on classical, I've had better luck with a pair of SD's.-Richie
 
With the V67 and the B1, does it matter if they are matched, for recording in stereo? I dunno if that matters, Im a total noob.
Thanks,
Ajay

A little OT:
oh yeah, and who is G Scott Stambaugh?
 
People have been using different mics for stereo recording for years, with good results, and the world hasn't come to an end yet. A matched pair does create a balanced stereo image, but an unbalanced stereo image can sound great in the real world. It may not be as accurate a picture of the source in some ways, but that doesn't stop it from sounding good.-Richie
 
Thank you

Richard Monroe said:
A pair of B-1's would be OK... At your budget point, you would profit from the options offerred by a pair of different mics. Stereo mic'ing can be done just fine with a pair of non-identical mics.-Richie
Click to expand...

Now that's the kind of advise that makes this board so valuable. As it happens, I own two SPB1's, and couldn't be happier. But I got two because of those occassions when I'd want to record in stereo -- thinking one should have two of the same mics. So, I've learned something. Perhaps Richard, if you have the time/inclination, you could post up a thread on "things we thnk are true in recording, but aren't always..." I think you've got insight that goes deeper than the kind of pat, easy knowledge that isn't always absolutely true. It's an analogue warmth brought to bear on our stark digital facts. (Sorry, that's the best I could do at 7am!) Anyway thanks for your consistent, thoughtful insights.

Bill Keane
 
Thanks so much for you help Richard, this seems to be the way Im going to go.

Where to purchase these mics for the lowest prices? (MXL V67, Studio Projects B1)

Ajay
 
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