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In May, I'll be recording a quiet rock band in a living room. Not the most ideal situation, but I think we can work with it. I have already planned ways to control the room. But I'm a little short on mics, and have next to nothing in the budget. I was hoping some of you can give me some recommendations.
I use a Studiomaster 16x4x2 for all preamps. I have no other preamps at this time, although I have a couple Paia kits waiting to be put together.
The basic tracks will include drum set, acoustic guitar, electric guitar and electric bass. Here's what I have so far:
Drums:
Overheads/Kit mics are my prized Altec Lipstick M30s.
Kick Drum: I often put a 57 inside for the smack, blended with an AT4050 on the front head. I really like this sound, and will probably use it again on this project.
I may close mic the other drums... I have an Audix i5 for snare, Unidyne SM57s for toms.
Bass Cabinet:
I had good results with an Audix D6 and a Sansamp Bass Driver DI. We talked about getting a fatter bass tone... in which case I'd love to have an A-Designs Audio REDDI. But I don't think that's going to happen given our budget.
Electric Guitar:
I could go with a 57 here, but would like a LDC. The guitar has a spacey tone, lots of verb at times, some tremelo. Not distorted. Usually using a Gibson 335 through a Fender Blues Deluxe tweed amp (one 12" speaker) or a little Skylark (one 10" speaker, I believe). I was thinking about a B1 or AT2020 or AT3035.
Acoustic Guitar:
He uses a nice old Gibson (not sure which model). It's not a particularly bright guitar. It probably won't be too high in the mix. We don't want the ultra-bright "picky" sound. We want a natural sound (think Dylan, like the John Wesley Harding album). I've used an AT4050 in the past. I've borrowed an Audix SCX-25 in the past and liked it. I used a Rode NT5 once on this guitar, and didn't like it too much (I sold the pair anyway).
To sum up, this is what I was thinking:
I guess my problem is that I have one LDC (AT4050) but want to use three. Should I grab a couple B1s for the kick and electric guitar, and use the 4050 on the acoustic?
And yes, the acoustic will be in the same room as the rest of the band, with a little isolation. We did this last time, and since the acoustic was low in the mix, it also served as a room mic. This was not ideal, but I think I can control it better this time.
Finally, I could also try making a couple Rickshaw ribbon mics. I have two months before recording commences.
Budget for more gear: $400 if I can stretch it.
Thoughts?
I use a Studiomaster 16x4x2 for all preamps. I have no other preamps at this time, although I have a couple Paia kits waiting to be put together.
The basic tracks will include drum set, acoustic guitar, electric guitar and electric bass. Here's what I have so far:
Drums:
Overheads/Kit mics are my prized Altec Lipstick M30s.
Kick Drum: I often put a 57 inside for the smack, blended with an AT4050 on the front head. I really like this sound, and will probably use it again on this project.
I may close mic the other drums... I have an Audix i5 for snare, Unidyne SM57s for toms.
Bass Cabinet:
I had good results with an Audix D6 and a Sansamp Bass Driver DI. We talked about getting a fatter bass tone... in which case I'd love to have an A-Designs Audio REDDI. But I don't think that's going to happen given our budget.
Electric Guitar:
I could go with a 57 here, but would like a LDC. The guitar has a spacey tone, lots of verb at times, some tremelo. Not distorted. Usually using a Gibson 335 through a Fender Blues Deluxe tweed amp (one 12" speaker) or a little Skylark (one 10" speaker, I believe). I was thinking about a B1 or AT2020 or AT3035.
Acoustic Guitar:
He uses a nice old Gibson (not sure which model). It's not a particularly bright guitar. It probably won't be too high in the mix. We don't want the ultra-bright "picky" sound. We want a natural sound (think Dylan, like the John Wesley Harding album). I've used an AT4050 in the past. I've borrowed an Audix SCX-25 in the past and liked it. I used a Rode NT5 once on this guitar, and didn't like it too much (I sold the pair anyway).
To sum up, this is what I was thinking:
I guess my problem is that I have one LDC (AT4050) but want to use three. Should I grab a couple B1s for the kick and electric guitar, and use the 4050 on the acoustic?
And yes, the acoustic will be in the same room as the rest of the band, with a little isolation. We did this last time, and since the acoustic was low in the mix, it also served as a room mic. This was not ideal, but I think I can control it better this time.
Finally, I could also try making a couple Rickshaw ribbon mics. I have two months before recording commences.
Budget for more gear: $400 if I can stretch it.
Thoughts?
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