recording violin

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dan_studio_man

New member
has anybody here recorded violin? can i get some suggestions?



most of the time when i record i have the mic facing the right F-hole of the violin at about a 20 degree angle about 3 feet away from the violin...as for mics for now its a 57, but hopefully soon i can get a better one. suggestions anybody?
 
My fav setup for a single violin is a pair of MXL603S in X-Y config at 4 to 6 feet away 48 inches up with a LDC above that as close as possible to the SDC's. Make sure you listen to the violin from at least 4 feet away or where ever the violin blooms. Youll know when you hear it. Thats where you want to put the mics.

SoMm
 
^^yeah, i've gotten some good reviews about the 603's with acoustics...sorry if this is a bad question? but whats an LDC? also, i always get this weird extra noise when i record..it sounds like a bass drum...any advice with that? thanks
 
large noise = maybe your mic is too close to that sound hole, and it's getting boomy sounds. plus, it's a sm57.

sm57 = dynamic mic
LDC = large diagfram condensor
SDC = small (603s)
 
Every time I throw a mic at a violin, I try to get it's "purpose" - Is it a solo instrument? Will it be layered? Part of a rock / country / zydeco tune? ALSO - What kind of room - big, small, live, dead, etc.

All of these parameters are going to greatly influence the mic AND the mic technique / positioning.

Could you tell us more?

John Scrip - www.massivemastering.com
 
Dan,

If your recording yourself, one of the biggest tricks is just to have someone play the violin, while you walk around. Close one ear and walk around the room listening for places where notes really shine. There is no better microphone than your own ears(actually..a lot are..some condensors can hear way up past 30K! but thats not the point) . Good luck!

PS, yeah a small body condensor mic in X-Y would sound great. The room has a HUGE factor with acoustic instruments however.
 
If you are stuck with an SM57, then beg-borrow-or steal a small clip-on condenser mic. These are pretty cheap and don't need to be perfect. Attach the condenser to the bridge of the violin and mix it with the recorded signal from the SM57. As for placement of the 57, you will need to experiment because no two violinists play the same and none of them stand or sit still. That means that the advice above to find the sweet spot in the room is your best bet.

Again it depends on the type of music, but if you are doing some simple country fills, this should work well enough for a good demo recording.
 
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