Recording a cajon

  • Thread starter Thread starter guitar zero
  • Start date Start date
guitar zero

guitar zero

c = b#
I'm going to be recording some cajon tracks. I only have two input channels, so I can only record two mics simultaneously, and have the following mic choices.

Studio Projects B3
Shure Beta 58
AT 3035
Audix i5

Looking for guidance regarding mic choice and placement, compression vs. no compression, EQing etc.

Anyone with any experience in this area?

Thanks

Zero
 
I like to use one mic in front and one mic in back. Dynamic vs. condenser sorta depends on what type of song/how it's mixed.

I would play around with positioning to get what you want. But I found I liked 2 different configs if you want to try these to get started:

1) front dynamic mic right up against the striking surface, angled pretty much straight at the surface near an edge to pick up lots of slap. rear mic slightly in the sound hole. I like this for live, or more pop/busy mixes.

2) front condenser mic about a foot and a half to two feet out from the striking surface, rear mic positioned the same distance from the striking surface (that way you don't have to deal with phase issues). I like this when doing more sparse acoustic stuff.

both cases I normally don't EQ the front mic, and I EQ the rear mic to be bass heavy.
 
I went thru this about a year ago. It was hard to feel what the cajon contributes to the over-all picture. The one I did had snares in it and I used several mics/tracks (just to be sure). The track that I used was the one mic'd about 6" from the sound hole with a dynamic.
 
Cahonays

Thanks for your help. I'll give it a try and let you know how it turns out.

Zero
 
Just be careful when you clip microphones to your cojones. It hurts like hell. :D

Okay, that was officially my bad joke for the week. I now return to my regularly scheduled insightfulness.
 
I would go with the 58... although I would rather use a 57, but wtf, if what you have is a 58, use that on the striking surface of the cajon.
 
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