Cloudlifter with Shure Beta 57A?

[imsharris]

Quick question about using a Cloudlifter with a Shure Beta 57A. Is it okay to do it??? I am using a Yamaha MG10XUF mixer with phantom power, an AKG c214 condenser mic, and a Shure Beta 57A to add an extra microphone for an acoustic guitar. I am getting a really good sound with this setup but I am having to really crank the gain up on the Beta 57A for the acoustic. I was wondering if it would be beneficial to use something like the Cloudlifter on the Beta 57A or do I really even need to worry about it?

 

[RRuskin]

You certainly won't harm anything so try it.

 

[Deleted member 196982]

That mic is at least 3dB more sensitive than the SM57, so I'd think any mixer gain would be adequate for it. Of course, usually those mics end up on louder instruments or live vocals, so maybe the acoustic guitar is not putting out that much. (I had 2 of those mics, and liked them, but found I didn't use them once I stopped doing loud live recording, so they found another home. Preferred them over the Beta58a even for vocals, actually.)

If you have the CL, sure you can try it, but if the signal is not overly noisy, and that mixer has 24-bit output (per the manual), it's may not be necessary, i.e., you can boost the digital signal in the mix w/o adding noise.

 

[notCardio]

Just out of curiosity, why are you using the 57A on the acoustic instead of the AKG? Conventional wisdom would have it the other way around.

And I don't really know anything about the 57A, but I too prefer a regular 57 on vocals to a regular 58.

 

[imsharris]

I really only use the 57A as a secondary or support sound source for the guitar. The majority of the sound is picked up by the AKG. It really just makes the acoustic, which is a nylon string, fuller and bigger sounding. I am trying not to use a "vocal mic" and more of a just "sit down and play" setup where I don't have to plug the guitar or anything in. So far it is working really well and I am really liking the sound I am getting. I just really have to crank the gain for the 57A since I am honestly not sitting right on top of it. The guitar is probably further away than would normally be if you were recording. I am going for a more portable live stream setup. I would like to be able to quickly set up anywhere and be able to record or stream. The Yamaha into an iPad or Macbook Pro works really well so far. Just trying to tweak the setup a bit and get the best I can.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as well!

Current microphones in the stable:
Shure SM86, SM57, SM58, Beta 57A, Beta 58A, Miktek PM9, AKG c214, , Shure SM7b, and Sennheiser e609. Would LOVE to get an Ear Trumpet Labs mic. Any other instrument mics that may be better in this situation?

 

[CoolCat]

For $150 Cloudlifter, or half that, a Cathederal Pipes Durham $65. Both are well made.
Amplifiers : Cathedral Pipes Microphones

the best acoustic guitars tracks from my closet were the SDC's.
How about a AKG...P170? go all out for the classic 451.... about all of them work well and wont require a booster.

 

[notCardio]

Well, in your case, I guess I really don't know. I've never tried to record a classical and it's a different beast than a steel string.

And I thought you were trying to record at home. Unfortunately, I think the easiest thing to do a 'quickie' setup in different locations is going to be with a pickup, and like I said, I don't know jack about classicals. I've got one in the basement collecting dust. That's the extent of my knowledge.

And I also took from your question that you already HAD a Cloudlifter.

Just wondering if this is something that could be helped by some serious EQ tweaking. A parametric perhaps?

 

[imsharris]

I have never heard of the Cathedral Pipes Durham, I will have to check that out! Is the 451 the c451 B? Have you had any experience comparing the 451 and the SM81?

 

[imsharris]

I really don't use it as a "classical". It is a Taylor NS32-ce and I use a pick. Really love the sound though. I am mostly recording and streaming at home but would like to easily take it with me if needed. I need to post a few examples to YouTube to give you a quick idea.

 

[imsharris]

Here are two quick videos shot just running the Yamaha straight into my iPhone. Only effects used are the ones built into the board. Guitar is not plugged in. Vocals and guitar are both coming from only the microphones. AKG c214 (you can see in video) is pointed more towards my face picking up mostly vocals but quit a bit of the guitar. The Beta 57a is pointed at the 12th fret and is really just supplying some fullness to the guitar sound. The first video is with a pick and the second is fingerpicked.

It's the Night Time

Quiet Town

 

[Deleted member 196982]

Here are two quick videos shot just running the Yamaha straight into my iPhone. Only effects used are the ones built into the board. Guitar is not plugged in. Vocals and guitar are both coming from only the microphones. AKG c214 (you can see in video) is pointed more towards my face picking up mostly vocals but quit a bit of the guitar. The Beta 57a is pointed at the 12th fret and is really just supplying some fullness to the guitar sound. The first video is with a pick and the second is fingerpicked.
...

Have you tried it with the Beta on your voice, a little closer to your face, angled up, and the AKG on the guitar, angled down slightly, i.e., trying to get the "nulls" of the mics' pickup patterns aimed more in the direction of what you don't want picked up?

I did some recordings using a dynamic mic on my vocals and my C214 on guitar and thought it worked well in that situation.

And, I know it can be hot in those little home recording spaces, but TURN OFF THE CEILING FAN! Practice with it on, but when you get ready to record, turn it off.

 

[imsharris]

Hahaha! That fan!! Yeah, that was just a quick recording testing sound.

Funny thing is I hear the fan when I have the headphones on, but I hear it so much I really don't "hear" it! Hahaha! Even funnier is I had the headphones on and was in the middle of something and my son came busting through the door and scared the crap out of me because it was loud in the headphones. Hahaha!

 

[arcaxis]

If you decide to still get an inline mic booster the Triton FetHead is also worth considering and a bit more budget friendly than the Cloudlifter. I use a FetHead with an SM7b, RE20, and a couple other low output dynamic mics as well a cheap MXL ribbon mic. It works well and gives a clean quiet boost. It can be attached directly to most mics and eliminates the need for an extra cable.

 

[imsharris]

I have a Shure SM7b that I was needing to get a booster for anyway. I had been looking at the FetHead and wondering how it stacked up against the Cloudlifter. Read some reviews and found most all of them favorable. The price difference is definitely enough to justify it.

 

[CoolCat]

its a good sound, I think its working... the guitar and whatever your doing has improved over your earlier takes.
like Keith said on the vocals...but its sounding more polished and pleasent to my ears vs the older SM7b videos..

 

[StudioMicZone]

C451 vs. SM81

I have never heard of the Cathedral Pipes Durham, I will have to check that out! Is the 451 the c451 B? Have you had any experience comparing the 451 and the SM81?

I did a test on acoustic guitar a couple of months ago with a variety of SDCs. I used the C451 EB with a CK1 capsule and an SM81. The 451 is a bit brighter than the SM81. If you look at the curves from the manufacturers, the frequency response of the SM81 is ruler flat, while the 451 with the CK1 capsule has about a 4db boost about 4 kHz. Listening tests confirmed that. Both microphones sounded extremely nice. I've used SM81s on acoustic guitars since I bought my first pair, over 35 years ago. But I often found myself giving the high end a little boost.