Marimba Miking

[Freya]

I actually own a 4 octave Marimba!

It's in terrible condition, it looks like it has been thrown down several flights of stairs, and I've spent quite some time fixing it up to get it into that condition.
Theres some minor issues but it's now playable and although it looks terrible, I love the way it sounds and I'm aware that I'm lucky to have such a magical instrument.

It's made from Rosewood except for two notes which have been replaced with black synthetic blocks.

Anyway enough background but I'm wondering if anyone has any experience recording such a thing? Probably one in better condition!

I'm thinking that a pair of omnis might be the way to go and I have a pair of beyer dynamic omnis that I was thinking might just do the job! However I'm wondering how I might position them, maybe overhead or maybe underneath at the ends of the resonators? Maybe omnis aren't the thing at all?

I welome any comments, informed as they may be or wild speculation, it's all good!

love

Freya

 

[mshilarious]

I'm thinking that a pair of omnis might be the way to go and I have a pair of beyer dynamic omnis that I was thinking might just do the job!

I've only done live marimba, and never an instrument that large, but my reaction is yes, use the Beyer omnis, spaced above the instrument, but not too wide--say 30cm to start with. You can angle them out a little bit too.

 

[8bus]

I have a old Decca vibe unit that I play, when I record I generaly go with a large condenser in the room,a small condenser on the bottom and a small overhead. Some time I go with the two condensers over top and a large condenser in the room. The room will have alot to do with sound that you will get while recording. try a pair of MXL 603, or some AT 4033 those are the one's that I use and now that I have a TNC 1200 I will try to use that as a room mic as well. My first recording of vibes was with a single CAD E-200 over the top and that was not bad at all.

 

[Chili]

I gotta say, just having a marimba is totally cool.

Does yours have the motorized vibrato thingy in the tubes? If so, maybe another two underneath. Hmmm.... and hardwood floors.

That would be fun to experiment with...

Peace,

 

[solaris1982]

I gotta say, just having a marimba is totally cool.

Does yours have the motorized vibrato thingy in the tubes? If so, maybe another two underneath. Hmmm.... and hardwood floors.

That would be fun to experiment with...

Peace,

I'm under the impression that only vibraphones have that (hence the term vibraphone).

I may very well be wrong. I was a "percussionist" in my high school band, but:

a) That was 10 years ago
b) Drummer is the more adequate term. The most chromatic percussion instrument I played more than scale exercises on was the Timpani

 

[Chili]

I'm under the impression that only vibraphones have that (hence the term vibraphone).

I may very well be wrong. I was a "percussionist" in my high school band, but:

a) That was 10 years ago
b) Drummer is the more adequate term. The most chromatic percussion instrument I played more than scale exercises on was the Timpani

Oh, you could be right. The last time for me was high school, too. Egads!! 30 years ago. you can't expect me to remember small details like that.

 

[Seafroggys]

Yeah it was vibraphones that (sometimes) had the motor. My high school had two of everything (used to have an amazing band budget in the 90s) they were fun to play on.

 

[8bus]

Marimba do also come with motorized vibrato, 1,2, and three speeds, my vibes have three speeds, but a manual motor that you have to change by hand not a control knob type. But Frye try all of the different mic set-ups until you find one that you like. A lot of walking back and forth until you find what you want to hear. For me it can be that way because I have a seprerated wall between the control room and sound floor, so back and forth I go. I home your recorder machine or computer is in the same area. Same with my Mapex drum kit.

 

[Freya]

I have a old Decca vibe unit that I play, when I record I generaly go with a large condenser in the room,a small condenser on the bottom

When I saw the word decca, I was worried at first that that was going to be your microphone suggestion!

love

Freya

 

[Freya]

Marimba do also come with motorized vibrato, 1,2, and three speeds, my vibes have three speeds, but a manual motor that you have to change by hand not a control knob type. But Frye try all of the different mic set-ups until you find one that you like. A lot of walking back and forth until you find what you want to hear. For me it can be that way because I have a seprerated wall between the control room and sound floor, so back and forth I go. I home your recorder machine or computer is in the same area. Same with my Mapex drum kit.

It's going to be a lot of walking back and forth still I'm afraid, as although there is no wall (yet) there is a control room area and the Marimba is far away from it.
Being about 6ft long the marimba only fits in near one wall, so I've not been able to try recording with it yet! (headphones not long enough!)

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Freya:

If you can borrow one, you can use a pair of wireless cans; thus, no long cord; you just need to keep the power unit near by.

I just took out my "old" wireless cords and use them to hear input stuff. Very cool to walk around and not trip over the cords.

Also, when you ever record this wonderful set of "clanggers," you might try running your mic or mics into a "good" mic pre-amp; then output the sound to a recorder. I think you will really RING a bell trying this.

No doubt, you will have a lot of fun.

Green Hornet

 

[Freya]

Yo Freya:

If you can borrow one, you can use a pair of wireless cans; thus, no long cord; you just need to keep the power unit near by.

I just took out my "old" wireless cords and use them to hear input stuff. Very cool to walk around and not trip over the cords.

Also, when you ever record this wonderful set of "clanggers," you might try running your mic or mics into a "good" mic pre-amp; then output the sound to a recorder. I think you will really RING a bell trying this.
Green Hornet

Hmmm Thats an intresting idea Hornet!

I should point out before it gets more confused that the Marimba is a wooden instrument, in the xylophone family whereas it is the Vibraphone that is a metalophone (metallic) instrument. The Marimba and Vibraphone seem to have a close relationship however, which is why we have been talking about both here.

It's the Marimba I have but vibes are also very beautiful. It's probably just as well I have a Marimba tho as I think that people are still recovering from when I was going to write a childrens album but then got let loose on a full set of orchestral tubular bells!

(Tubular bells = theme tune to the exorcist)

love

Freya

 

[Freya]

Big thanks for the suggestions everyone!
I think my big concern is likely to be the use of omnis in my acoustically untreated environment but I don't see how I'm going to be able to really close mic such an instrument! I guess I will see how it works out!

Thanks again!

love

Freya

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Freya:

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I was installing a ADT burgler alarm. I was working in the Deegan Factory. [ I think that was the name.] I watched both Marimbas and Vibes be cut and assembled into both of these fine instruments. I should have bought one then just for the heck of it.
Good luck with your venture.

Green Hornet

 

[Freya]

Yo Freya:

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I was installing a ADT burgler alarm. I was working in the Deegan Factory. [ I think that was the name.] I watched both Marimbas and Vibes be cut and assembled into both of these fine instruments. I should have bought one then just for the heck of it.
Good luck with your venture.

Green Hornet

DEFINITELY! I think these instruments are easier to get hold of stateside but even so...

Did they actually make the Marimbas and Vibes on the same frames or were they totally different production lines or did you not see far enough into the process to know!??

Maybe they could just switch notes and even use the same resonators?
Not sure how far the relationship goes!???

love

Freya

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Freya:

As I recall, I watched the "wooden" Marimbas cutting on the saw type. In the same building, there was the metals cut. What was really cool was watching a couple of craftmen saw the Marimbas with such great speed. The worker would saw a note, set it down, tap on the sound, check the pitch, recut if needed and, Voila, in a few days a great set was put in place.

The metals worked the same way but with different types of cutting machines.

I'd guess that these great machines are still working but probably most are
not in the states very much. I really don't know. Probably most are now made in Europe or the Orient.

Send some Spring back to the midwest.

Cheers,
Green Hornet