Micing/recording alto & tenor sax + flute into computer ... on a budget :(

[JohnDaniel]

Hey new friends. I'm not sure if this goes in recording techniques, but it seems like a n00bish question so I thought I'd ask here. I'm a musician and I play saxophone (alto/tenor) and flute. I saw some great threads about sax micing, but none that covered flute, too. I don't have much to work with, probably ~ $300. I'd like to record onto my computer. I'm looking at getting the Lexicon Omega Desktop Recording Studio. It seems quite well-reviewed, and would leave me about $120 for a mic.

Now, on to the mics. I found the Naiant X-S through some extensive browsing of this site. Seems like a great mic at a great price! However, is it well-suited for all three instruments? The AT2020 seems like a good, all-around useful mic for the instruments in question, too. Also, I could look into USB mics. The above mentioned AT2020 has a USB version, and there's also the Samson G-Track and C03U. I like the idea of the Omega system better as I could "grow" with it. I've always had a very heavy interest in recording and that seems like a better start. However, if I would get greater versatility and sound for the budget getting a USB mic, I'm open to that.

Any input would be greatly appreciated! I love this forum ... I think I found my new haunt

 

[bouldersoundguy]

Don't get a USB mic.

 

[JohnDaniel]

Don't get a USB mic.

What's wrong with 'em?

 

[bouldersoundguy]

What's wrong with 'em?

If you ever need to monitor the output of the recording software while tracking you will want an interface with hardware monitoring. Using a USB mic you are stuck with software monitoring of the input, which means significantly more latency.

Monitoring latency is the time it takes for the sound to get from the mic to the performer's ears. Too much and it's hard to play/sing properly.

 

[grimtraveller]

Probably of little help, but whenever I've recorded flute, I've just used whatever dynamic mic was to hand. It came as a surprize to discover the sound was at the mouthpiece end rather than the end end !

 

[JohnDaniel]

Probably of little help, but whenever I've recorded flute, I've just used whatever dynamic mic was to hand. It came as a surprize to discover the sound was at the mouthpiece end rather than the end end !

haha, may help someone else Yeah it's surprising if you're not expecting it. But think of a beer bottle: you can sound it in the exact same way you sound a flute, and it only has the one opening.

I've played flute professionally for quite some time, and I find this to be how I set the mic up:

 

[moresound]

think of a beer bottle

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM


Thank you Mr. Daniel, and welcome to the forums.

 

[JohnDaniel]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM


Thank you Mr. Daniel, and welcome to the forums.

 

[moresound]

Ahhhh .... After that it time for some recording ..... I kinda like using a Shure Beta 57 while capturing the flute in a recording.

 

[grimtraveller]

But think of a beer bottle: you can sound it in the exact same way you sound a flute, and it only has the one opening.

But the flute has more than one.

 

[moresound]

That's why they don't put beer in them Grim.