Instrument mic for acoustic guitar

[spantini]

Do these types of mics work well in a studio environment?

This one is directional. There are also omni-directionals.


I just ran across this site and thought it looked like a nice setup for recording an acoustic guitar in a small home bedroom studio. Around $500 though...

How to mic an acoustic guitar

 

[Paj]

DPA---high $$$ stuff. The setup you picture would not be MY first choice because more things on my body move than my arm from elbow to fingertip when I'm playing guitar, and I prefer to use a strap. I think that anybody that uses a mic attached to their instrument will relate tales of fret noise, key noise, bumps, thumps, etc., so it might even require alterations in your playing. It might be my first choice if I were recording a prepared guitar variant. Ultimately, though, whatever works. I try to never fault a good mic but I don't think you currently have to spend $500 on a single mic, or even two or three mics, to get a good acoustic guitar recording. It's not ALL about the mic. You have to consider the entire recording chain. I'm sure that the setup you pictured is not seeing that mike go into a Harbinger mixer (although, if any mic would sound good in that scenario, a DPA would qualify).

I do love the fact that DPA shares experiences with mic recording in their instructional videos.

Paj
8^)

 

[spantini]

I've seen such mics on double basses, saxaphones and other winds, but those don't get jostled as much. An acoustic guitar does generate more handling noise and I was wondering if the directional version of this type mic might at least eliminate a good bit of the fret noise - down the neck with open chords anyway. And perhaps this would mainly be useful for fingerpicking styles.

 

[Deleted member 196982]

That's a lot of money for a single purpose mic. Not saying it couldn't sound good but I've heard plenty of great recordings with more typical condenser setups, i.e., mics that would be useful in more than one situation.

If you're getting too much fret noise, change the angle of the mic, and play with distance from the guitar. (You did get that boom mic stand, didn't you?)

Or, try an XY configuration of SDCs and then balance their signal to get what you want. There are lots of popular matched pairs out there starting below $100 and even ones from RØDE, sE and AKG below $500.

 

[rob aylestone]

Those mics are great for live PA work, but too limiting in the studio because they still pick up mechanical sound, ALWAYS get in the way, and if the player moves and there is reflections, or just more people, then the off-axis pickup changes as the player moves - which with even just one other mics, is quite obvious in headphones, a little less so on speakers. Almost any mic on a proper stand, carefully placed will sonically be better. You don't even need identical mics if you wish to use two, because the sound is so different near the sound hole, to the fretboard, that perfect stereo is the last thing you want - it doesn't sound realistic. Two mics, each with a nicely eq'd sound, simply balanced with a small amount of L/R separation works better. A guitar isn't really an instrument with real width. A harp, or concert grand piano are big beasts, but a guitar, from more than a few feet away is a virtually mono point source - which is why recording them with width sounds very odd.

 

[Deleted member 196982]

... You don't even need identical mics if you wish to use two, because the sound is so different near the sound hole, to the fretboard, that perfect stereo is the last thing you want - it doesn't sound realistic. Two mics, each with a nicely eq'd sound, simply balanced with a small amount of L/R separation works better. A guitar isn't really an instrument with real width. A harp, or concert grand piano are big beasts, but a guitar, from more than a few feet away is a virtually mono point source - which is why recording them with width sounds very odd.

Right. Just to clarify - I use XY configuration if I set up a pair of SDCs on acoustic, but I don't pan them apart in the mix. It just gives an easy way to be able to balance soundhole/top and neck/string sound without much fussing with angle of a single mic and reduces the chance of phase issues when placing two mics (experimentally).

And, no they don't have to be matched when you're going to place both tracks at the same place or very closely panned. I'm only suggesting that it's pretty cheap to get a couple of mics that are the same, and those can work better if you do mic something that requires wide panning. (Otherwise you may find instruments moving around in the stereo image when they really shouldn't be, at least IME!)

 

[mixsit]

Here's a rig I put together. H-Clamp and the M44 from Audix's mini mic line.
InstruMounts (H-clamp) - ExplorAudio
Audix M44 - Miniature Condenser Mic (note roll off vs their other minis for close up apps
..Plus their little shock mount, some fittings' and small dia goose neck (instead of the H-Clamp's rod. Transmitted mechanical' noise worked out to be pretty low.

It was a lot of finaglin' to get there, but way less $$$ than the DPA.

Now the up side' and reason was once set up, it does accomplish pretty good tone, and isolation, but the main attribution -and this is 'in studio' here with my acoustic band, not 'live, but you can actually move around without loosing your mic placement!

Down sides, are as mentioned :>) fairly high 'bump-oops-be careful' factors. And won't beat a well placed mic further out -if you can stick to one spot.

Here's the M44 spec, and the '1250' - the other available caps' can be had seperately.
http://audixusa.com/docs_12/specs_pdf/M44_v3_0516.pdf
http://audixusa.com/docs_12/specs_pdf/M1250B_v3_0516.pdf

 

[spantini]

...

If you're getting too much fret noise, change the angle of the mic, and play with distance from the guitar. (You did get that boom mic stand, didn't you?)

...

Yes! I finally did.

 

[Gtoboy]

Gotta agree with Rob-looks to me like it would be good for live playing , especially if it's hyper-cardioid. But for recording I don't really see it-though if it were a money is no object deal I might pick one up just to have a different sound to play with ! I could definitely see it used for an acoustic set especially in a small venue. When recording though, I use a large diaphragm paired with a small diaphragm on one stand. Large on fretboard side, small body side. Tweak position for best tone, mix to taste.

 

[rob aylestone]

It gets more extreme when you stick them on saxes - some, especially the tenors kick up so much mechanical noise, even the soft rubber mounts let far, far too much through to use in the studio.

A bit off topic, but if you're interested in orchestral stuff on stage - have a youtube search for any of the Night of the Proms stuff from europe - some ingenious miking techniques on things like flutes, and other tricky instruments.

 

[Deleted member 196982]

In case you haven't bought one of those yet, here's a snippet of a song that was quickly recorded when a friend stopped over. (Sadly have to be redone because I forgot to turn off the iPad downstairs and had my door open - text message "ding" intrudes ). The recording was done with my not-so-popular Studio Projects C4 pair (SDCs), and because it was there from having done a vocal just before, I tipped over the Miktek MK300 (LDC). The latter is too close to the soundhole so boomy to use as is. The SDCs were placed in an X-Y configuration out a foot maybe from around the neck joint without a lot of thought about exactly where they pointed, since I typically balance things out in the mix. But, here they are both set to the same gain and panned center.

No EQ or compression on either clip. Links below are to 47sec MP3s on a One Drive folder. You can listen there or download.

Studio Projects C4 (SDC X-Y pair)

Miktek MK300 (LDC with non-optimal placement)

P.S. Either of these options can be done for a lot less than $500!

 

[snow lizard]

Both files seem to be labeled MK300?

 

[Deleted member 196982]

Both files seem to be labeled MK300?

Ooops. I just updated the link but I've done something wrong because I have to click Open or Download instead of going directly to the streaming page. But, it's the right file now. Thanks!

 

[spantini]

In case you haven't bought one of those yet, here's a snippet of a song that was quickly recorded when a friend stopped over....No EQ or compression on either clip...

Those both sound good to me. I'm not going to buy into that clip-on $500 mic setup - too rich for me.

 

[ecc83]

Just found the attached files and I would be interested in any comments from the cognoscenti?

I can say at this point that the recordings were made (summer 17) in not ideal conditions and with very low cost gear.

Details AFTER the mauling!

Dave.

 

[Deleted member 196982]

Just found the attached files and I would be interested in any comments from the cognoscenti?

I can say at this point that the recordings were made (summer 17) in not ideal conditions and with very low cost gear.

Details AFTER the mauling!

Dave.

There's a lot of background noise there and the room is pretty present (not in a helping way IMO), so I'd guess the mic is more distant than I'd probably use. The playing is very nice!

P.S. When I "look up" [in the browser] cognoscenti I get this :

The Cognoscenti are fictional monster characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters first appeared in Secret Defenders#19.​

 

[Paj]

I've always thought that the C-4 mics had a more rounded, bell-like tone than many other SDC mics. Maybe not fat and thick but certainly more dimensional than maybe everything else in their price range, save Oktava and RODE.

Paj,
8^)

 

[Deleted member 196982]

I've always thought that the C-4 mics had a more rounded, bell-like tone than many other SDC mics. Maybe not fat and thick but certainly more dimensional than maybe everything else in their price range, save Oktava and RODE.

I've always been pleased with them whenever I pull them out. I should probably use them more, but I have a couple other SDCs, so have only been getting them out when I want to use them as a pair.

 

[ecc83]

There's a lot of background noise there and the room is pretty present (not in a helping way IMO), so I'd guess the mic is more distant than I'd probably use. The playing is very nice!

P.S. When I "look up" [in the browser] cognoscenti I get this :

The Cognoscenti are fictional monster characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters first appeared in Secret Defenders#19.​

Oh! ^ This cognoscenti


/ˌkɒɡnəˈʃɛnti,ˌkɒnjəˈʃɛnti/


noun

plural noun: cognoscenti; noun: cognoscente




people who are especially well informed about a particular subject.

Is what I meant!

I actually like the reverb, especially for the Bach but, ok, maybe not for a mix. I shall leave you all in the dark for now. I would be interested in a guess at the microphone?

Dave.

 

[Deleted member 196982]

...

/ˌkɒɡnəˈʃɛnti,ˌkɒnjəˈʃɛnti/
noun
plural noun: cognoscenti; noun: cognoscente
...
I actually like the reverb, especially for the Bach but, ok, maybe not for a mix. I shall leave you all in the dark for now. I would be interested in a guess at the microphone?

Yeah, well, I had a crossword puzzler grasp on the word - just was surprised at the (I guess, now, "preferred") definition chosen by Google/Chrome!

Those recordings are noisy, and cheating a bit with Audacity's spectrum plotter, drop off rapidly below 200 and are chopped off completely at 16kHz. I dunno, but the extra noise suggests a condenser, so, what, a phone mic? I'm leaning more that direction than Neumann, is all I can venture...