Mics for acoustic?

B

BassChase

New member
Yo!
I got protools and a mini mbox for christmas. I want to track acoustic guitar in stereo, but my mbox only has 2 inputs. One of the inputs is aux, the other is 1/4 inch. I was thinking about running matching Rode NT5s but I realized that I cannot provide the required phantom power to both of them at the same time (because of the quarter inch input).

So how should I record acoustic guitar? What do you guys recommend for mics?
 
Those are pretty good acoustic guitar mics. Certainly there are cheap two channel interfaces with phantom available.

Also,I'll add a small mixer. The Mini has two line ins so you need a simple little mixer with phantom as well as it gives you input control and monitoring. One of those little Mackies , VLZ3 I think, would be perfect. Right at 100 bucks new and less used I think.....
 
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Im pretty new to all this so excuse my ignorance...

So I would run both of the mics into the mackie? And then I would run the outputs to the mbox? That would provide the required power.

The mackie has too many inputs for my needs. What else would you recommend?
 
BassChase said:
Im pretty new to all this so excuse my ignorance...

So I would run both of the mics into the mackie? And then I would run the outputs to the mbox? That would provide the required power.

The mackie has too many inputs for my needs. What else would you recommend?
Click to expand...


Yes to the hook-up. The 402 VLZ3 has TWO mic inputs w/phantom power...and two line ins. It also has two lines OUT which would go to the two line ins on your interface. You can also use the Mackie to monitor the inputs with a pair of phones which would also have a volume control.

You need two mic ins with phantom and this is as basic as it gets. As I said...$99 bucks most everywhere. And they sound better than some other products of the same configuration.
 
Would I lose audio quality if I simply bought a mic that doesnt need phantom power and used an xlr to quarter inch cable to send the signal to the mbox?
Is it bad to convert from xlr to quarter inch?
 
BassChase said:
Would I lose audio quality if I simply bought a mic that doesnt need phantom power and used an xlr to quarter inch cable to send the signal to the mbox?
Is it bad to convert from xlr to quarter inch?
Click to expand...

There's no problem converting XLR to 1/4". The problem is that mic level and line level are not the same thing. Without a preamp, the signal from a mic is way too weak to plug into a line level input. Your problem can be more easily solved by a 2 channel preamp. Here's a cheap example:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=10658&Category=Audio_Processors

Here's a better example:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=10268&Category=Audio_Processors

and just to give you some sticker shock, here's an example of just how pricey it *could* be:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=9908&Category=Audio_Processors

Just kidding about the last one. Plugging that into an Mbox mini would be like mounting a Cummins turbo diesel on a moped.

Frankly, given the quality of the preamps in the Mbox, version #1 would work just fine. Then you configure channel 1 of the Mbox for line input, plug the Lt. and Rt. channels of the preamp into the line inputs on the Mbox, turn on the phantom power, and you're in business. Use any mics you like.-Richie
 
those devices only have quarter inch outputs. so i could run one of the channels to my mbox by just using a standard quarter inch cable. for the other input i would have to use a quarter inch to xlr cable. this wont result in loss of quality or tone?
 
I don't know what Mbox mini *you* are talking about, but there are (2) balanced 1/4" inputs, one for channel 1, and one for channel 2. Do *not* plug the line out of a mic preamp into an XLR mic input! That would be very, very, bad, and could fry your Mbox. Look at the back panel:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=41984&Category=Audio_Interfaces

There is a mic- line/DI switch on channel 1, which disables the mic input and enables the 1/4" input. Now- there's no reason you coudn't plug one mic into the mic input on channel one, and run the other mic into the preamp and then to the line input on channel 2. I would advise against that if you are doing stereo recording, where it is generally better to have more-or-less identical mics and preamps.

Also note- the cables you will need are 1/4" TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) patch cables. These have 3 conductors, like stereo cables. Don't use 1/4" TS (tip-sleeve) cables, like a guitar cable. This turns a balanced connection into an unbalanced connection, which will decrease output by about 6db for no good reason., and in some cases could increase noise. Both units will support balanced connections. The worst thing you can use is a 1/4" speaker cable, which is not shielded, and makes a great antenna. This is fine if you really want to hear the local AM station on your finished recording. -Richie
 
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