P
Phil Harmonic
New member
I am a classical violinist and have been recording myself for my own enjoyment and musical growth. I have a Mackie 1202-VLZ, Sony consumer level DAT recorder, an old ART digital reverb, Sony Professional headphones and an AKG CM1000 and a new Rode NT2 microphone. Using this setup in a home studio(close miking and adding some reverb), I have been able to record some rather convincing simulations of a concert hall sound.
The biggest problem is one that some others seem to have here also. I find that it takes a great deal of effort to get rid of the edgy, electronic sound when recording the high range of the instrument. I recently bought the NT2 and feel that it is a more sensitive and responsive mike, but the characteristic high end boost doesn't help the problem. I played through the mike in the store and listened through headphones as I played. Not the best way to do it, but I could still compare mikes anyway. I also tryed a basic AKG414 in the $800.00 range that was an obvious improvement over the NT2 - at least for my taste. However, I still noticed some of the "electronic" sound in the high end. Is this a common problem unless spending thousands of dollars on a mike? I have performed with national touring companies of New York broadway shows and found that there are still traces of this negative quality in their sound systems. What do you have to do to get an $80,000.00 violin to sound like that much on the other end of the reproduction chain? I can accomplish a lot by cutting off some high end on the board and EQing the return on the reverb (more high end cut)but feel like I must be loosing some valuable overtones by doing this. I also realize the headphones are not the best way to monitor. I bought the Sony cans because of the high frequency specs, but it seems like too much of a good thing - they are a little bit exaggerated and harsh in the high end. Any suggestions?
Okay, here is the second question. A colleague of mine from the symphony heard some of what I've done and was very impressed with the results. He wants to bring his string trio over and do some recording. (Violin, viola and cello) What should I do with the two mikes that I have? I know the best thing would probably be to have a matched stereo pair in a concert hall, but that isn't possible now. What is the best way to get a balanced sound using two unmatched mikes on three different sounding instruments? My friend, the violinist, wants me to use the NT2 on him and let the other two have the AKG. Very altruistic, don't you think?
Should I even attempt a stereo separation in this situation? What about miking the violin and viola on one mike, and the viola and cello on the other? These guys are aware of the limitations of the setup, but I don't want to make an ass of myself either. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Kevin
The biggest problem is one that some others seem to have here also. I find that it takes a great deal of effort to get rid of the edgy, electronic sound when recording the high range of the instrument. I recently bought the NT2 and feel that it is a more sensitive and responsive mike, but the characteristic high end boost doesn't help the problem. I played through the mike in the store and listened through headphones as I played. Not the best way to do it, but I could still compare mikes anyway. I also tryed a basic AKG414 in the $800.00 range that was an obvious improvement over the NT2 - at least for my taste. However, I still noticed some of the "electronic" sound in the high end. Is this a common problem unless spending thousands of dollars on a mike? I have performed with national touring companies of New York broadway shows and found that there are still traces of this negative quality in their sound systems. What do you have to do to get an $80,000.00 violin to sound like that much on the other end of the reproduction chain? I can accomplish a lot by cutting off some high end on the board and EQing the return on the reverb (more high end cut)but feel like I must be loosing some valuable overtones by doing this. I also realize the headphones are not the best way to monitor. I bought the Sony cans because of the high frequency specs, but it seems like too much of a good thing - they are a little bit exaggerated and harsh in the high end. Any suggestions?
Okay, here is the second question. A colleague of mine from the symphony heard some of what I've done and was very impressed with the results. He wants to bring his string trio over and do some recording. (Violin, viola and cello) What should I do with the two mikes that I have? I know the best thing would probably be to have a matched stereo pair in a concert hall, but that isn't possible now. What is the best way to get a balanced sound using two unmatched mikes on three different sounding instruments? My friend, the violinist, wants me to use the NT2 on him and let the other two have the AKG. Very altruistic, don't you think?
Should I even attempt a stereo separation in this situation? What about miking the violin and viola on one mike, and the viola and cello on the other? These guys are aware of the limitations of the setup, but I don't want to make an ass of myself either. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Kevin
for a matched pair if you pursue recording, because you won't likely get an attractive stereo image from two completely different mics. You might also scout out a nice, far-from-a-major-insection church in which to do the takes, so you have a nice, natural accoustic effect.