Recording Set Up Help

[mobodcubism]

Hey guys.. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the potential mics and different techniques I can use for home recording. I'm fairly new to the subject of recording so bear with me..

Simply, what I want to do is record different instruments such as pianos, guitars and percussion, as well as other random things I can find around the house, and use them in my own music. I've also been thinking of doing some outdoor recordings to use in my music, however, I feel as though that might be slightly far fetched for just one mic.

There are so many different techniques and types of mics to get that I have no idea what to look at anymore

I've been looking at different mics and have come up with the Oktava MS12's as an option...however even there they have 3 different versions of them, which are priced differently leaving me with no idea of which one to get. What I will be doing will not be overly complicated but I want it to sound as good as possible.

Then, once I have purchased a mic, can I just place it into my audio interface and then into my computer? What if I wish to record outside?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for taking the time to read and help me

 

[BroKen_H]

What kind of budget? Do you have a laptop to use outside? Or, how about a Tascam DR07 (or similar)?
You are absolutely correct. There are a thousand microphones out there and a lot of different styles of recording.
Just to record a piano, you can use as few as one, and 9 or more is not unheard of.
If you can get the budget, a pair of SDCs + a good LDC and maybe a couple of SM57s for dynamic would give you a decent set. (I'm working on that myself, still need the SDCs for my first locker to be complete).

Got to say, in this world of VST/VSTi I'm glad to see someone who's still interested in recording source. I'd love to, but time and space don't always allow for what we'd like

 

[mobodcubism]

What kind of budget? Do you have a laptop to use outside? Or, how about a Tascam DR07 (or similar)?
You are absolutely correct. There are a thousand microphones out there and a lot of different styles of recording.
Just to record a piano, you can use as few as one, and 9 or more is not unheard of.
If you can get the budget, a pair of SDCs + a good LDC and maybe a couple of SM57s for dynamic would give you a decent set. (I'm working on that myself, still need the SDCs for my first locker to be complete).

Got to say, in this world of VST/VSTi I'm glad to see someone who's still interested in recording source. I'd love to, but time and space don't always allow for what we'd like

Thanks for the reply!

I just have a 13 inch Macbook which would work for outside use to a certain extent. I'm not too worried about budget, I would be willing to spend some $$ for some good quality gear, which I could use for a long period of time, rather than buying something cheap and having to upgrade, if that makes sense.

I was looking at "Zoom's" earlier, but I'm not too keen on these portable recording things as i'm worried about the quality and the versatility of them.

 

[BroKen_H]

Get you a good portable audio interface that'll plug into your Macbook and you can use whatever microphones you'd like.
As a good place to start (on microphones) SM57s are highly recommended by just about everybody. They are accurate, inexpensive dynamics.
Then look at Harvey Gerst's stickies in the Microphones section (very insightful).
AFA good, quality gear that you can use for a long time, remember that condensers are moisture sensitive, so proper storage and protection are a must.
Mikes are really hard to recommend. If you've read Harvey's threads, you know why. Different voices, pitches and timbers sound completely different on different mikes. If you sing in G into a great LDC and get great sound from it, it may not sound as good when you sing in E...just the nature of LDCs. If you are looking at extreme budget (not home recording budget) you can look at Telefunken, Neumann, Manley, etc. and probably get a mike that will sound great anytime.
I love the way my MXL 2001 picks up my voice. Sounds clear and good to me. $89 at B&H. But others will absolutely hate the way it sounds on their voice.
AT2020 or 2035, AKG 220, Shure PG27, all about the same story.
My advice would be to pick a price, get the best reviews you can on the mikes in question and make your best choice. Then get to know the mike and how it works best with what you're recording. Works for SDC's as well.