check's in the mail

[robjh22]

Well, I did it. After hemming and hawing for 3 weeks re: improving the signal chain, I took Mus. Friend up on the MXL 2 mike (1 LD, 1 SD) package for $155.99 and ordered a presonus stereo preamp (want 2 mikes on guitar) for $149.99. I assume all this will sound better than my single sm57 going straight into the VF80, using the internal pres, but we'll only know when they get here. Man, there's a lot of hissing and crackling with my current "setup."

Saw a lot of back and forth on the "need" for preamps, and got little out of it except that they are usually less noisy than the
internal pres we get on the VF's. Prolly should have held out for a more expensive preamp, but hey, you got to start (and stop!)
somewhere. Billisa, if you're reading this, I can attest to the nice quiet quality you get with your preamp. We'll have to compare notes.


We shall see.

P.S. Anything to prevent you miking in stereo with 2 totally different (never mind matched) microphones? I don't mean that "X" pattern, I just mean put 1 at the bridge, the other at the 9th fret sort of thing.

Getting smarter but still pretty dumb,

Rob

 

[John L Rice]

I think you will really like your PreSonus Blue Tube and MXL 2001p and 603s. You should be able to get some really good recordings of your guitar.

Also try the 2001p 9 to 12 inches in front of the sound hole and then the 603s pointing down at your right shoulder ( or left shoulder if you strum/pick with your left ) with the capsule at ear level and about nine inches or so from your head.

Best of luck!

John L Rice
Drummer@ImJohn.com

 

[billisa]

Man, there's a lot of hissing and crackling with my current "setup."

Billisa, if you're reading this, I can attest to the nice quiet quality you get with your preamp. We'll have to compare notes. We shall see.

Rob

Hey Rob,

In all honesty, the results you heard (quietness) were due mostly to my SP B1 mikes, not the preamp. I actually like the VF80 preamps, though I now have a pair of SP VTB1's... I'm not sure what the self-noise of the MXL's you ordered is, but I'd be curious about what you think after doing an A/B comparison with and without the external preamps. My opinion is the differences are subtle, not dramatic. My son could not hear any difference between the VF80 pre's and the Behringer Ultragain 2200 pre's... Remember, when you go via the external pre's into the VF80, turn the VF80 gain all the way down (counter-clockwise). Use the pre's gain and output controls entirely to get a good signal into the VF80. My (limited) understanding is that condensors are much less noisy than dynamics (SM57). Plus I believe the SM57 requires A LOT of boost from the preamp, thus increasing the likelihood of some hiss (noise)...

Another thing, I find my condensors pick up EVERYTHING... So I had to build a little sound booth to help isolate the mikes even from the sound of the VF80 itself. (Mind you the VF80 is mechanically the quietest DAW I've heard) But the noise level on my mikes is so low, and the sensitivity so high, that you start hearing things other mikes would bury under their own self-noise!

Anyway, people seem to love the MXL's, so enjoy. Also, you hear some pretty extreme opinions on things like preamps where you'd think the differences must be blatantly dramatic. I don't think they are... It's nice to keep everything in perspective. Lastly, keep your condensors dry, out of the humidity when not in use. Don't just let 'em sit on a stand, out in the open. They don't like moisture or dust.

Bill Keane

 

[bdbdbuck]

The September issue of Guitar Player magazine comes with a free issue of Frets magazine (featuring my girl Kaki King) that has an article about different ways to record yer acoustic with 2 mic's. It's an article that's worth checking out IMHO.

bd