Recording Bluegrass?

[tronus]

I am new to recording and i want to try to record my cousins bluegrass band. We both understand that we are new to this. We are just trying to learn. Im not sure of the technique at all. I've had experience with recording more rock oriented music, using the "tracking technique." I would like to do it using this way. We also want to consider using only one mic also, and stepping in and out for solos. The bands setup is an electric bass, acoustic guitar, banjo (preamp available), Mandolin (preamp available). What should we use? What is the most painless, and possible, way for us to record?

Equipment available:

Delta 1010lt PCI soundcard (8 ins)

1x Audio Technica AT4040 "soda can" condenser
3x Sure dynamic stick instrument mics (non condenser)
2x MXL 990's "soda can" condenser
4x Sure dynamic mics

So if anyone has any advice at all, feel free to respond.

 

[IainDearg]

I would try setting up the MXLs in a quasi ORTF configuration (google). Positition the musicians in an arc. Try the mic capsules about 6" apart with the capsules angled from each other so they kind of point inside the arc of the musicians. Try the mics about 6ft away. If the balance isn't right, adjust the distance from the mics and the relative positions of the players. If it still isn't right, try "spot" micing the quieter instruments with your other mics and adjust their balance in the mix.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[cusebassman]

Based on the card you have, you can use two mics as it stands with your current gear list. To use any of the mics you have listed, you need preamps. For the condenser mics, you will also need phantom power. It looks like you have two XLR mic inputs both of which have phantom power supply. So, you can pull off the two-mic setup, where you use, say, the At4040 for the overall group mic, and set up an MXL 990 or (better yet), a Shure dynamic for soloists. I don't use PCI card interfaces, so I'm not entirely sure of the setup, but for the RCA inputs, the signal going in needs to be line-level, so you would need an external preamp to run anymore mics into it. Feel free to correct me, as I've never used that interface before

 

[mrface2112]

typical bluegrass bands are good at balancing themselves in terms of volume--hence the stepping forward for a solo, etc. and if you watch a bluegrass band live (especially those old Opry recordings), they'll perform and record around one mic.

so assuming you want that sort of sound, i would put up the 4040 and have everyone gather around it and position the players so they're self-balanced.

but that's me.


cheers,
wade

 

[Zetajazz44]

99% of all the music I record is Bluegrass. It's taken a lot of experimenting and time to get as far along as I have with it... Anything acoustic is harder to record, at least for me.

Right or wrong, here's how I record Bluegrass bands:

You're using an electric bass, so you might want to ask some else for advice on that, but if you ever use an upright bass, here's what I do: I use a Rode NT5 positioned just above the treble sound hole, away from the bass about 1 foot. I try not to directly record the "F holes", the sound gets way too "boomy" like that.

For acoustic guitar, I either use an X-Y configuration of Rode NT5's positioned at the 12th fret, at a distance of about 1 foot, or put one NT5 at the 12th fret, and another aimed behind the bridge. Be sure to follow the 3:1 rule if you do it this way.

For mandolin, I use the X-Y configuration of Rode NT5's aimed just below the treble "F Hole" at a distance of about 1 foot. I have also used an AT4033 on mandolin, aimed at the same location as the X-Y pair, with good results as well.

For banjo, I've used many different types/brands of mics. On banjo, ribbon mics will typically always sound better..at least to me they do. Ribbons seems to naturally loose "that ugly 12Khz" that banjos make. I have also used an AT4033, Neumann TLM-103, Rode K2, Rode NT5, AT Pro37R, SM57, SM58...etc., and the list goes on. My advice for banjo, is if you are on a budget, go buy yourself a cheap Nady RSM2 ribbon mic, take it apart and remove the 'inner' wind screen, made up of one piece of wire screen and another piece of fabric material. This is very easy to remove and can also be replaced later if you like. I also removed the "interior grille" from my RSM2. Doing this will open the top end up a bit. For my needs, this mic does the job. Of course, if you are not on a budget, I'd spring for the Royer R121 ribbon mics... If you buy the RSM2, remember, ribbon mics are very sensitive and if you do the mods I've mentioned they become even more fragile...be careful with them.

I'm currently experimenting with using two "Chinese" ribbon mics that I bought from a group buy off this board back earlier in the year. I've not gotten to do enough experimenting with them to give an opinion yet though. They are the same models as the Nady RSM-3, although the ones that several members of this board purchased were "unbranded". I have 2 of them.

 

[guitar junkie]

I think you could get away with using the AT4040 I have one, have done Blue Grass recordings with it just fine....

I would say though that your bass will be the hardest to get right with an electric bass there...

You might want to just take a trip over to CMT.com and watch some of the Studio330 sessions where they bring in some bands record them live unplugged... most times those recordings sound pretty good and the footage shown will give you an idea how they do it in Nashville!

I would say get a really nice sounding room!

put the AT4040 in the middle of the room, get some nice gain, from there place each member in a distance fitting their volume....

vocals up front in the mix (close to the mic) guitar and mando chops should be right in the pocket banjo needs to be there too but is loud enough that it can back away from the mic a bit. any fiddle and that sort of thing can float in and out a great deal....

Do some looking around on myspace at Chris Thile he just recorded his new CD live to 2inch tape, I think they used four mics in stereo patterns to do it.... he has pictures in his profile.

His live show seems to be about the same as in studio... My boss just saw his show and said the sound was amazing!

Good luck with it man, have fun.