Thanks for the compliments! Teddie, here's my setup:
I run the signal (see below) into
a Mackie 1202VLZ Pro mixer, into a Darla24 soundcard, then into Cakewalk Pro Audio 9.
For acoustic guitars, I use either a 2-mic setup or a 1-mic setup. For the 2-mic setup, I place a Rode NT-1 large condenser mic about 18 inches away from the soundhole to my left and aim it at the soundhole at an angle of about 45 degrees. I use
an AT831b small condenser mic also 18 inches away, but aimed from the right at 45 degrees toward the soundhole. I record each mic on a separate track at the same time to give it a stereo effect and usually pan one signal hard left and the other hard right. For the 1-mic setup, I just use the Rode from the left.
For electric guitars and bass, I run them into
a Line 6 Pod with whatever settings suit the tone I am looking for. I run the bass into ‘Pod Clean’ with all of the EQ’s flat and compression at the 12 o’clock position.
For vocals, I use the Rode from a distance of about 6 inches and sing into it at about a 45 degree angle from the face of it.
Specifically, in “For Heather...”, I used my Martin J-40M with the 2-mic setup, my Goodall Aloha GC (for sale, by the way) for the embellishments with 2-mics, my Seagull S12+ (also for sale) with 1-mic for the rhythm in the right channel, my Backpacker thru 1-mic and the Pod’s Leslie simulator for the warbly phrases in the choruses, my old Yamaha FG-331 with nylon strings thru 1-mic for the little runs at the ends of the choruses,
my Fender Standard Telecaster thru the Pod with Leslie simulator for the solo in the middle,
my Danelectro 59-DC-12 (which I converted to a 12-string) for background during the solo, and my Fender
P-Bass Special run direct into the Mackie (before I decided to use the Pod for it). It was fun to use all my guitars in one song! (that was before I owned my Taylor 414).
“Legacy” was just my Martin with a 1-mic setup, a copy of that track made and delayed a bit and panned hard left and right.
“All My Life” was 2 separate takes of the Taylor 414 with 1-mic setup panned hard left and right, Goodall thru 1-mic for embellishments, the Yamaha strung with the high octave strings from a 12-string set into 1-mic to add sparkle in the right channel, and the bass into the Pod using a hard felt pick to give it more punch and a more even sound than I can get with my fingers.
“Song of the Seagull” was my Seagull into the 2-mic setup with no effects and done in one take. Most of what I do takes many, many takes, so it was nice to do something fast and simple for a change.
I'd love to hear any suggestions anyone has for improving my recording setup. One thing I am missing is a compressor for final mixing...can anyone recommend a good one for PC? Thanks! Rick M.
http://www.mp3.com/RickMarciniec
. I haven't used MM in a long time, so I haven't tested it myself.