Recent content by Richard Monroe

A couple of suggestions- Hard- Pick up your fingers and put them down on the next chord or position. No slide, no noise. Easy- soak the tips of very your fretting fingers in hot water for about 5 minutes before recording. You'll be surprised how much less noise you'll get. Sliding into a...

I use B.L.U.E. Kiwi or Rode NTK for the main vocal mic, C414B-ULS or Neumann KM184 for most acoustic instruments, usually going into an Avalon AD2022 or a Joe Meek twinQ. The one surprising outstanding relatively cheap mic I've found is AKG C2000B. It was part of a series of mics intended for...

Orson- I'm well aware of the quirks of wood. I build wooden arrows for world-class archery competition, an almost lost art. A few traditional divisions still require them. Humidity has a huge effect, just like on guitars. I'm also aware of the inherent increased stability of laminates. Yes...

All I'm saying is that plywood isn't usually cited as a tonewood, and in the day, wasn't expected to improve with age. And of course, many hollowbodies and thin bodied electric-acoustics have laminated tops, but I don't think of that as a feature of classic arched-top acoustics. Once magnetic...

When I was recording my first CD, I needed a classical guitar for a session guy who was flying in with 2 electrics. I bought an Epiphone Selena signature guitar, used, which was adequate for the one cut we needed it on. I ended up trading it to my brother, who had an old Yamaha G65A, which had...

I'm baaack! I was a frequent poster for several years, and fell off the bandwagon. I recently rebuilt and cleaned up the studio. I previously recorded a full length CD with liner notes, overdub sessions, a release party, pro mixing/mastering etc. Now I'm working on the demo I never did...

Here's a blast from the past! I am an old-timer who hasn't posted in several years, but I'm looking for some advice. I have a pretty respectable mic cabinet, but my knowledge of PC's and social media applications is pretty poor. I have a buddy who wants to upgrade his audio quality for...

I mean compared to say, SM57. It wasn't a major mic for cover bands or recording in the U.S., but was very popular in Europe. All I meant was- when you post up and ask-"What's a good cheap dynamic?", it's not usually at the top of the list of answers. I agree with you John- it was, and still is...

It started in the olden days of PVC diaphragms and vacuum tubes (OK- we still use tubes). The heat rising from the vacuum tube could warp the PVC diaphragm, so they hung it upside down. It does also make it easier to see something else that was used in olden times- written music.

Try putting a good old 100 watt incandescent bulb (if you still have one) about a foot over the mic for a day or so. If the problem is condensation on the diaphragm, that should fix it. Then put the mic in its pouch or box with a couple of silica packets to keep it dry. Don't leave mics on a mic...

Can't do it, Mixsit. Not, at least, in one short paragraph. Sorry, if that stresses the limits of your ADHD, go to Twitter and enjoy the meaningless one-liners. Empty space just promotes phase distortion.

This is a standard noob question. Will a $1000 setup sound like Abbey Road, which has $750,000 in mics alone? No. Is it "professional"? That's a meaningless word. But- understand this. If I gave you a $1.5 million dollar studio, and I gave your entry-level setup to a *real* professional...

I've been away, so I'm sorry I didn't see this. It's easy. Just use a 3/8" stereo to mono adapter and a mono 3/8" to 1/4" adapter. For instance- this: Livewire Stereo 3.5mm(F)-2 RCA(M) Y Cable 6 in. | Guitar Center and two of these: Livewire RCA(F)-1/4"(M) Adapter 2-Pack | Guitar Center and...

Another plus for C414B-ULS. They are also useful for a boatload of other stuff.

Not too pricey, as they go. I own 2, and they have never let me down: On-Stage Stands SB96+ Studio Boom Microphone Stand | GuitarCenter