Recording Harps

[11210]

I would like to do a recording of three harpists and would like to tap into all of the knowledge out there. I've mainly done sound reinforcement - not much studio work. What kind of mics should I be looking for? Has anyone out there every recorded three harpists? People have suggested the Neumann KM183 but they run around $800 each and that's a little steep for me. Is there something in the $200 range that would be good? Thanks!

 

[AGCurry]

Any good small-diaphragm condensor should do the trick...

 

[11210]

Thanks for the reply. Someone suggested the Shure KSM141. Any thoughts on this mic?

 

[busyboy]

Will you be recording them as an ensemble or one at a time. Is it a concert recording? How many tracks will you be dealing with? These are important questions when it comes to mic choice.

For most ensemble recordings, I'm a big fan of PZM mics- especially for acoustic instruments. If you have the tracks, you can use a pair of PZM's to capture the ensemble and room. Then you can have a spot mic on each of the harps to blend in later.

Give us some more info and you'll get more advice.

 

[11210]

Thanks for all the help so far. Ok, here's the deal. I've mainly done sound reinforcement not studio recording. Also my main job is in the IT field but audio is sort of a hobby and part job. I have a Mackie 1604 Vlz Pro mixer but no recording mics. (For sound reinforcement I only need lapels so I have all Sennheiser Evolution wireless mics) I don't have a great sounding "studio" to record in so it's not going to be a great sounding room. I was hoping I could do some close proximity miking and make it work. We will be recording some solos, duets, and trios. I was hoping I could record straight to a computer but haven't total worked out that end too so any advice there would be great too. So given all of that do your mic recommendations change at all? As for cost I'm looking to stay in the $1000-1500 range for all of the mics.

 

[garf]

Harp is one of the most difficult instruments to record well. (Guitar is amazingly simple in comparison) My wife has 3 harps (all purchased new, and all in excellent condition) & I can only get good recordings on one of them. In general, smaller harps are easier to record than the larger harps. I started with the same preamp you are using, and it was not until I switched to a better preamp that I started getting good recordings. The real secret, even beyond the mics, is the mic positioning. Currently I am using 1 Blueberry mic just in front of the harpist shoulder, angled towards the body of the harp, and 1 Neuman in the back aimed towards the sound holes. Read Harvey's thread on mics, as that should help with the conceptual part of this. Whatever mic you use, be prepared to spend inordinate amounts of time with the mic positioning, as this will make more difference than the mic choice.

If I was trying to do this on the cheap, I think I would get several of the cheap Chinese tube mics that are discussed here, and then invest in a better preamp.

 

[11210]

Thanks for the advice! What preamp would you suggest? I'm not sure if that's a possibility but it doesn't hurt to check. Why did a different preamp make such a big difference?

 

[Noplasticrobots]

Here's some advice from a book I have:

"Harps produce a very low acoustic output so the distance you can work at is limited mainly by mic noise and spill considerations. A cardioid capicitor microphone perpendicular to, and about two feet from, the sounding board should give a fairly accurate result, and if the sound is bass heavy due to the close proximity of the microphone, then a little EQ cut may be necessary to compensate.

The mic should 'look' through the strings towards the soundboard and be positioned at the opposite side of the instrument player."

Hope that helps!

 

[garf]

For the preamp, I am using Grace Design 101, but at $500 a channel, I think there are better deals, such as the presonus mp20, especially if it has the upgraded transformers.

 

[11210]

Someone today suggested that I look at the Onyx 1640 what are people's thoughts on that mixer?