Microphone for pipe organ and children's choir

[alwayslearnin]

Looking to purchase a new microphone for recording classical pipe organ. Dont' want to spend much more than $500. Also would be nice if it would also be a good mic to record children's choirs. Any help will be apprediated. Any thoughts about the Roda NT2A.

 

[Innovations]

My gut reaction is that a pipe organ is so big that you would want to use a stereo pair on it rather than just one mic. Moreover since a pipe organ covers the whole sonic range I would look for something with a really wide and flat dynamic range. Possibilities include the MXL 603, Rode NT5, Studio Projects C4, and others.

Would that also work for children's choirs? Yes.

 

[AGCurry]

Yes, I agree with Innovations. You really don't record a pipe organ; you record the room while the organ is being played.

 

[franksquid]

How would an AT4050 do on these apps?

 

[krs]

pair of SM81's

 

[Sklathill]

I recorded a BIG pipe organ with some borrowed Earthworks TC30Ks boomed way up, about 4-5 feet away from the pipes. If I remember properly, I was somewhat influenced by an article a LONG time ago (mid-90s?), I think in EM, relating recording pipe organs with earthworks omnis.

Frigging brilliant. Best organ sound I ever got. Ever.

And while Earthworks is pretty up there in price, maybe you can try some other small omni condensers up on those pipes, say Audix, or maybe even Behringer on the lower end of the price spectrum.

 

[mshilarious]

There was a thread I think on R/E/P that talked about organ. Many used spaced omnis in the audience, but one specialist used cardioids in ORTF quite a bit closer. I don't recall they went as close as 4-5 feet though, that would give you a huge stereo image, but relatively little of the room.

Also you need to consider the instrument; the arrangement of pipes and number of registers varies greatly.

I love pipe organs, I'd love to record one. Someday.

Anyway, buy the best pair of SDCs you can afford, switchable patterns is a bonus.

 

[Harvey Gerst]

Wide spaced omnis back a good way would be my first choice. It depends on the balance between the choir and the organ.

 

[Sklathill]

OH yeah...I forgot that this was actually a sampling project more than a recording project. I'd definitely pull it way back.