Acoustic Guitar mics - Help me choose

  • Thread starter Thread starter Slowjett
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Slowjett

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Hey guys I know this has been beat to death.

I play a Cole Clark Fat Lady. I love this guitar, its got a rich full tone with earthy low end and nice mids and highs. Not boomy, just punchy in the low end and crisp where you want it.

I've been trying to find an inexpensive pair of SDC's.

I've been trying to decide between the mxl 603's/604, jm27's or something from the Niant x line. Not sure which one would be best for me. I'm leaning towards the Niants since they seem to be more of a home grown company and get a LOT of good feedback.

I'd love to get into some Oktava's but I just dont have the dough right now.

My current setup is a Firestudio -> Cubase sx3. Using the firestudio Pre's.

My mic locker only consists of LDC's and basic dynamics. Oktova MKL-2500 (i dont like it so much), SP B1, A Pair (not matched, but sound really close) of ADK Hamburg Mics, and some sm57/58's.

Should I just stick with using my hamburgs? Im trying to record an album soon and want the best sound I can get for a budget.

Here is some samples of my music to get an idea.

This was recorded with 1 ADK Hamburg (hard Left) and the line in off the preamp of the Fat Lady (hard right). Hamburg on vocals.


Same setup


Also Im considering an SM7b (if I can find a good deal) for vox as I feel like Im getting a bit to harsh sometimes. Maybe I should just stick with the ADK. ;)

Thanks million guys,
Josh
 
I'd go with the Naiant X series over the 603/604s. I don't have the X series (but will soon, I think), but I have some older MSH-1s that I prefer to the MXL 991 that I have (and that's essentially a 603). Stock, the 991 was smeary, noisy, and harsh. I've modded it quite a bit, and now it's better, but I think the Naiants still win out.
 
Slowjett - thanks for sharing the clips. I like your style. Out of the mics you listed, I agree with Antichef - go with the Naiants. When you get a little more scratch, check out the Pelusos.
 
happyguy said:
Shure PG81... try this one. :)
Click to expand...

IMHO, the Shure condensers are not even in the same league as the Naiant mics. If you're just doing rhythm guitar, then yeah, but otherwise, I'd go with the Naiants. You can always roll off the bottom end and get that Shure sound if you want it for some reason....
 
dgatwood said:
IMHO, the Shure condensers are not even in the same league as the Naiant mics. If you're just doing rhythm guitar, then yeah, but otherwise, I'd go with the Naiants. You can always roll off the bottom end and get that Shure sound if you want it for some reason....
Click to expand...

Hmmm. Are you talking about ALL the Shures, Like the SM81's Ksm141's etc.? Or just the PG81? I'm curious because I've never heard the Naiants, but I have heard all of the Shure mics mentioned.
 
omtayslick said:
Hmmm. Are you talking about ALL the Shures, Like the SM81's Ksm141's etc.? Or just the PG81? I'm curious because I've never heard the Naiants, but I have heard all of the Shure mics mentioned.
Click to expand...

I meant the 81s (SM81, PG81). They're the only Shure condensers I've ever used except the VP88, which I like for concert recording, decent on piano, but way too big and clumsy to use on guitar. :D

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the SM81 or PG81 suck. They just have a particular character to the sound that I would personally rather get by EQing a flatter mic rather than being stuck with it al the time because the mic does it for me. :) We use a bunch of PG81 and SM81 mics (or actually, I think it's the predecessor to the SM81---very similar looking and sounding, but the number has a 9 in it and no "SM") at church. From what I've heard of them, they would probably be my "go to" mic for backing vocals or other instruments that you want to sit back in the mix, not for something you want to be highlighted.

Of course, there's a switchable low cut on the SM81, IIRC. The PG81, it's basically permanently on, and same with the other mics we have, AFAIK. I don't know for certain if I've ever heard samples of the SM81 without the low pass filter disabled. So for sure my opinion applies to the PG81, and I believe it applies to the SM81, but I'm not quite as certain about that one.

The porcelain bell test a few months ago was a great set of samples of various mics that should give you an interesting perspective on the sound of various mics including the SM81.
 
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OK - I finally got in a situation where I could listen to your mp3s -- very nice!

First, allow me to recuse myself on the vocals -- they sound great to me, and you're so far out of my league on this that I can safely say I'm disqualified to comment :D

As far as the acoustic goes, I can sense a really good sounding guitar behind those tracks, but the detail and high end sparkle have been shorn off by your mic -- yes. I do think the Naiants would be good. My old MSH-1s (cardioids, probably intended for toms, not guitars) have some self noise that tends to stop me from using them for tracks like what's in your mp3s -- I've heard other recordings with the Naiants that were actually intended for acoustic instruments which don't have the issue. I'm going to try out the X-Qs.

I have never used the PG81, and if it has a hard low cut, I wouldn't bother with it (speaking hypothetically). I am an unabashed SM81 fan, however. I play a 38 year old Martin D-28, which has a big full sound, that I imagine being somewhat similar to what you're hearing in the room. I've always been happy with the SM81 on that guitar, as well as another dreadnought that I have (which is ostensibly a Gibson J-50, but I think is counterfeit, but still sounds good). I like to use the XY stereo micing technique with the pair pointed at the 14th fret, about a foot away.

Other acoustic guitars I have - particularly smaller ones - tend to do a disappearing act with the SM81s, so I use other mics for those.

In the DIY forum, I'm about to do a post about how I confirmed the stereo matching of the two unmodded SM81s that I have -- I got each of them off ebay, and they were clearly made at different times (probably a decade or more of age difference), but using the pink-noise-phase shift test, they very strikingly match (I'll post an mp3). So, if the sound of the SM81 works with your guitar, it can be cost effective to go that route, because you don't have to worry about stereo matching and can buy the mics used from two different places. They also have very low self noise. But you're still looking at a few hundred dollars for two.

I just ordered two Naiant X-Qs, and as we know, the price includes stereo matching. They're omni, so I'll use a different micing technique, but I'm stoked -- much more cost effective than the SM81s :)
 
I own both the Naiants and a pair of 603s.

You can't go wrong with the Naiant mic's. Yep, they're omni and pick up more of the room than a cardioid, or even a wide cardioid like the 603. For me though, even when I use the Naiants in an untreated and overly reflective room they sound much better than the 603s. Part of that is because even omni mic's are directional at high frequencies, and part of it is because of the Naiants' smooth transient response, which is big deal with avoiding harshness on acoustic gtr.
 
dgatwood said:
I meant the 81s (SM81, PG81). They're the only Shure condensers I've ever used except the VP88, which I like for concert recording, decent on piano, but way too big and clumsy to use on guitar. :D

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the SM81 or PG81 suck. They just have a particular character to the sound that I would personally rather get by EQing a flatter mic rather than being stuck with it al the time because the mic does it for me. :) We use a bunch of PG81 and SM81 mics (or actually, I think it's the predecessor to the SM81---very similar looking and sounding, but the number has a 9 in it and no "SM") at church. From what I've heard of them, they would probably be my "go to" mic for backing vocals or other instruments that you want to sit back in the mix, not for something you want to be highlighted.

Of course, there's a switchable low cut on the SM81, IIRC. The PG81, it's basically permanently on, and same with the other mics we have, AFAIK. I don't know for certain if I've ever heard samples of the SM81 without the low pass filter disabled. So for sure my opinion applies to the PG81, and I believe it applies to the SM81, but I'm not quite as certain about that one.

The porcelain bell test a few months ago was a great set of samples of various mics that should give you an interesting perspective on the sound of various mics including the SM81.
Click to expand...


There's are pretty significant difference between the PG81 and the SM81. And as Antichef does, I use an SM81 on an older Martin, (28 year old D-35) and I like the results.
 
Thanks for all the input guys. Thanks for the kind words as well. I think its safe to say that for the money I shouldnt pass up the naiant mics. I do I wish they made a cardiod patern mic as well. But ah well.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for a good deal on some oktocas or the sures as well.
 
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