Basic Mic Questions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jakester
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Jakester

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Hello-
I have a TASCAM 424 Mk-II. I am recording acoustic guitar right now, and I need to know if a pre-amp purchase is a necessary one...I keep hearing about how vital it is. Also, I keep seeing the SHURE SM-57 and 58 mentioned on here for the standard mic. I have a SHURT BG 3.0...is this a bad mic? I am in the dark on that one. Can I just plug the mic straight in to the XLR input on the 4track? AS far as compresstion is concerned...I have this guitar footpedal board that you can step on to turn on/off effects...it has a bunch you can use at once...It also has compressor, but Im not sure if this is the sort of thing I am looking for for compression...please help me out...thanks
-Jake
 
Your 424 has built in preamps that you control with the trim dial on the top of your eq strip. Yeah just plug into the xlr and go. I've never heard of your mic, but I don't know too much about them. I have a 57 & 58 and I like them. Don't think you need to compress an acoustic guitar, at least I don't. A friend of mine used his footboard as an fx loop and it worked but its a good bit noisier than the good stuff. Work with what you have and if its not satisfying, you'll be able to figure out where you need to spend your money.
 
"Work with what you
have and if its not satisfying, you'll be able to figure out where you need to spend your
money."

Yup, exactly right. But to know what this here dude means by 'satisfying', you're going to have to listen to yourself closely and ask yourself how satisfied you are. Are you getting the sound you want? Do you know what sound you want? I like this line from Joe Jackson:

"You can't get what you want till you know what you want."

What do you want? Do you like the sound you're coming up with using the gear you've got? Lazyboy's got it.
 
Thanks for the help guys...it was a typo though...the mic is a SHURE BG3.0. I feel as if the mic I am using may not be worthy. I have to turn the trim up almost 100 percent to get the desired levels, and when i have that, it has that boom on the low end, and it the dynamics are very jumpy...one second it will be low and as I strum a chord with a little enthusiasm, the level jumps. I dont wanna sound dumb, but would using a popper stopper have any effect on this? any tips here? And, yes, that guitar FX footboard is pretty loud.
Thanks.
 
oh ya...Im not using the XLR inputs on the 4-track. Im just using the 1/8" input. Does this change things? I cant fine the XLR cables.
 
Use XLR cabling. It will make all the difference in the world.
 
Yes, it has XLR connections as well as the 1/8" connection. Is the sound really that noticable? What else does the XLR do for performance.
 
Just to let you know, those are 1/4" not 1/8" ports. Yeah, the xlr inputs have lower impedance, that means a higher signal to noise ratio.

I have the exact same recorder and I have had the same problem with micing my acoustic guitar. I am still working on my technique but here is what I do:

Get the mic as close to the strings as you can.

Turn the trim knob all the way until just before it reaches the point where the signal gets really strong all of a sudden.

Turn down the lower part of the mid-range eq.

Don't play quietly and try to play at a reasonably level volume.

Hope this helps a little.

Tucci
 
Ya, I realized it was the 1/4"...The funny thing is...I am using my friends mic that he let me borrow. That was giving me a not so good sound...then I looked in the case the mic came in, and in there was an old SHURE sm57. So i plugged that thing in and recorded a litle bit with it, and I think it sounds much better. I still need the XLR, and I imagine that will make it sound even better...
thanks for the help
 
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