I'm on a Budget And I Need Better Facilities

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panoramical

New member
Hi All.
I wasn't sure where this was meant to go. I'm not really a Newbie, but I'm quite inexperienced, since all I have in terms of recording now is a Shure PG48, an M-Audio Fast Track USB and a Mini Mac with Logic Pro. I'm not happy with the results. I'm recording my guitar (Gibson Chet Atkins SST) using a direct line-in into the Fast Track, and then applying inserts with Logic. It sounds like an Acoustic Guitar (which is what I want)...sort of. But I don't feel I'm really getting anything good coming through. First Question: Is this a valid way to record a guitar, if I am looking for an Acoustic Sound? Or is this guitar simply not a guitar used for recording, and do I need to Mic a True acoustic?

This leads to my second question. I need some better gear, clearly. Can somebody tell me what sort of gear to get, considering I need a totally new interface, and perhaps some condenser/dynamic mics to record an acoustic guitar/vocals. I'm on a budget of about £250-300.

Third question. If I do need another guitar, what should I get? I'm totally in love with my guitar - it sounds beautiful live, but people tell me that if I want to record acoustically, then I should be looking for a true acoustic such as a Taylor or a Martin. I haven't got the money for a top-end Taylor, but since I am so in love with guitars, I suppose I'd be willing to spend £800-900 on a Guitar for recording. Or do I even need to get a new guitar? I do mainly light-medium strumming with a bit of fingerpicking. Is it possible to even mic a Guitar amp, using my current guitar?

I would appreciate all help I can get here regarding some new equipment!
Thanks
 
Take it one step at a time. Start by trying the mic you have --- it's a dynamic mic which does not require phantom power --- to mic a guitar amp. Try it for a week or two. Try moving the mic all around to various both right on the grill cloth as well as across the room. You may be surprised at the results you can get.

Your Fast Track interface has an input for a dynamic mic on the back. See if you can get a sound you like out of what you have available before planning how to spend money.
 
Have you tried miking the strings of the guitar? Clearly, that axe was designed for live/amplified playing, and not recording, so the results may not be what you are looking for. IMO, miking a decent sounding acoustic guitar in a decent sounding room will always yield more desireable (natural sounding) results than recording direct.

As for what guitar to buy if you decide to go that route, I would say get down to your local shop and play every single guitar in your pricerange (and a few hundred dollars above your pricerange for comparison). I think Seagull makes some nice sounding guitars that won't break the wallet. The top of the line Fender acoustics also sound good to my ears and are usually only about $500-600. Don't forget Epiphone, either.

The PG48 is not a good mic for acoustic guitar, either. It may work for certain sounds, but a full, natural acoustic tone would not be one of them. You can often pick up a used Shure SM81 for under $150, and that is a pretty standard acoustic mic. For less money, the MXL 603s and Oktava MC012 are quite popular. If you're doing alot of solo fingerstyle acoustic, you might want to get a pair or mics for stereo or spaced-pair recording.
 
scrubs, thanks. How does the SM57 compare to the SM81?
Does the actual interface affect the quality of the sound? If I were to go and get a usb mixer, or a Firebox or something, would the sound quality be any better?
 
panoramical said:
scrubs, thanks. How does the SM57 compare to the SM81?
Does the actual interface affect the quality of the sound? If I were to go and get a usb mixer, or a Firebox or something, would the sound quality be any better?
Click to expand...

They are totally different beasts. The SM57 is a dynamic mic that is good for live use and recording sources like snare drums and guitar amps. It does not have the detail to really capture an acoustic guitar performance, imo. It's better than your PG48, but still not what you're looking for.

What you really want is a condenser mic. Condensers tend to give a much more detailed and accurate picture of acoustic instruments. Small diaphragm condensers, such as the SM81, MXL 603s, Oktava MC012, etc. are my preference for most acoustic guitar recoding. However, you'll need a preamp with phantom power to run a condenser. Unfortunately, the fast track does not have phantom power.

Yes, the interface can dramatically impact your recordings. The quality of the preamps and A/D (analog-to-digital) converters are important. I have not used the fast track, so I cannot speak for the quality. M-Audio generally has decent products at competitive prices. I would guess, however, that the Firebox preamps are superior to the one in the fast track.

I'm a big believer in "front-loading" your recording chain. That is, focus on first things first. First you need a good sounding guitar for recording. Then you need a room that sounds decent to record in. Then good mics, followed by good preamps, followed by good converters. In that order. From the sound of things, none of your stuff is ideal for getting a good acoustic guitar tone recorded, so I would start with the guitar and go from there.
 
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