How do I mic a mandolin???

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T

tvolhein

Tom Volhein
I tried micing where the neck meets the body, but the sound was "tinny." What is the best position for a mic on a mandolin.

Thanks in advance,

Tom
 
Ya got two mics?
Maybe you can mic it like an acoustic guitar and put one down at the bridge along with the neck mic.
?
The bridge mic should give you some bottom to blend in with the "tinny".

I don't have a mandolin but this seems reasonable.




or not. :p

:drunk:
 
Tinny is just the nature of the beast with a mando.
Try being a little creative with some pre or post EQ on that track. That should make you happy!

Or you could just be using the wrong microphone to get the job done ..... if not, experiment with the different microphone placements.
 
Thanks moresound. I plan on micing the body next time and using a different mic. And you are right. Mandolins are thin sounding by nature.

So far, none of the mandolin players have complained about the sound, but I just don't like it. I will mess with some EQ too.

T
 
Sometimes a track like a mando will seem out of place by it's self, but once it's in the mix with the other instruments and it has it's own spot in the mix .... It will all work out.
 
Lower quarter of the sound board with a 57 (or RE20 or SM7b). Works like a charm.

If you're in a really nice room, a SDC from a few feet away (along with or without the 57).
 
Personally I'd use a stereo pair of SDC's at about 2-3 ft both pointing at the sound holes, if it still sounds thin, try a 57 closer to the body (6 inches) and an SDC about the same distance from the instrument, from the first fret pointing down the body.
 
I've used a 4033 on the lower bout close and it sounds good to me.
 
Alternatively, you could try an SM58 pretty close in. It does have a tinny sort of sound {the banjo and bouzouki carry a fatter sort of sound} but I've found the thin~ness only tends to be on the E and A strings as they're the thinner ones.
I record mandolin quite a bit but I don't use the instrument conventionally {for example, electric mandolin is like a super raw punky guitar in the wrong hands ~ mine}. I bought mine 2nd hand 20 years ago (I was in my 'Celtic folk and Horslips' phase) and it had a contact mic on it. I've found amplifying it very useful, not only for the raw sound, but also to add a slight edge and lift to it's natural sound.
 
Have the musician play while you listen carefully from various positions in the instrument's sound field, usually turning one ear toward it. Place the microphone where it sounds best to your ear. Alternatively, put isolating headphones on and listen as you move a mic around in the sound field. With the second method you could even do it while he plays along with the existing tracks to hear how the instrument sits with everything else.
 
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