Mic(s) for recording acoustic cello?

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LadySapphira

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Hi everyone. New here, and to recording.


I want to record acoustic, mostly classical cello. Does anyone here have experience recording cello solo? My budget isn't for high end mics - but I would love any insight/thoughts from those of you who have experience recording.

The cellist is a low-level professional, cello is a low level-professional cello. Rooms will vary, but can include halls. I'd also eventually like to record string quartet/trio, and possibly piano-string combos. I realize piano sound is a very different ball-game, and would like to focus on cello first.



Searching these forums I found 2 threads but can't post them because Im new here.



thanks you everyone
 
The last time we had a cello player her I recommended that they buy a second hand Rode NT1000, they did and were very happy with it. Second hand price should be around $200 to $250. What budget are you working on?

Cheers

Alan.
 
I have a good deal of experience recording strings, including violin, viola, and cello. I wouldn't think twice about buying a pair of these- They are discontinued, and are being blown out by Sweetwater at an unheard-of price:

AKG C 2000 B | Sweetwater.com

2 is much better than one, especially for stereo recording applications, which is almost mandatory if you're going to do a quartet. I suspect this deal will not last long. They get along with strings very well. So what do you intend to plug the mic(s) into?
 
Off the wall idea but I've had really good results using a small omni lav mic like a Sennheiser MKE2 connected (blue tack will do) to the back of the neck with the mic dangling just below the end of the neck.

I first discovered this when miking cellos for live use and it worked so well I often (well, as often as I mic cellos) use it in the studio as well.
 
421 above right sound hole hi pass filter engaged. WHY? so the hand isn't in the way of the pickup pattern. Or two 57's One on neck other by bridge... To Explain for the older folks articulation and body...Wow, perfect job for 421 to make it sexay!
 
LDC, SDC... matters not, IMO. Cello is pretty tolerant—not a lot of the extremely high frequencies that make cheap mics sound cheap, and nothing so low that you're begging for an omni. I don't think I'd ever go so far as to use a dynamic, but you might be able to get away with it.

The one thing you don't want to do is mic it too close to the strings, unless you just want a lot of bowing noise.
 
I was once told by a cellist--a very attractive red-haired cellist named Debi--that the frequency range of the cello is, of all instruments, the closest to that of the human voice. Therefore, at least to some extent, a mic that does a good job on vocals should also do a decent job on cello.

However, at that point you have to decide what sort of cello sound you want. Dgatwood mentions that miking close to the strings can give a lot of bow noise and this is absolutely true. But, that said, the bow noise can sometimes be desirable to add some attack and "grunt" to what can, otherwise, be a fairly warm and woolly sound. My usual advice is to crawl around in front of the cellist playing listening critically for the sort of sound you want then put the mic there.

(At least that was my excuse when crawling around in front of the pretty Debi with her legs spread!)

No, seriously, it does work.
 
However u mic it, I'd sure want a good space and a delicious room mic.
 
<Stand by for a chorus of "You Can't Always Get What You Want".>

Only once have I managed to record a cello in a really good space (a proper theatre with really good acoustics) and the results were stunning. Most of the time it's close mic it and fake the room atmosphere later.
 
Bobbsy said:
<Stand by for a chorus of "You Can't Always Get What You Want".>

Only once have I managed to record a cello in a really good space (a proper theatre with really good acoustics) and the results were stunning. Most of the time it's close mic it and fake the room atmosphere later.
Click to expand...

Indeed.
 
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