Recording Shakers

  • Thread starter Thread starter Phyl
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Phyl

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I've had problems getting a good sound recording shakers. I've tried my Oktava MC12, Rode NT1, and Shure SM57. I've tried several different miking arrangements and still get this really brittle, rattle your teeth, fingernails on the chalkboard sound.

Eq helps somewhat but I feel like should be able to get a halfway decent sound before using it.

Any suggestions for mic choice, placement, eq, compression etc would be welcome.

BTW, I'm using the preamps in my Aardvark Q10. Here's the shaker:

http://www.musiciansbuddy.com/1/Dru.../Latin-Percussion-LP442-One-Shot-Shakers.html
 
I've recorded a shaker a couple of times. Once used a Studio Projects C1..... and the other used an ADk a51s. Thought both came out good, and was easy to do. But maybe I'm not particular enough about a good shaker sound. I put the mic on a stand all the way down. Sat in a chair in front of it so that the shaker was about a foot and a half away from the mic. I don't remember even adjusting the eq after I was done.

Have recorded tambourine the same way.
 
A small-dia such as the AKG451, Shure SM81, or even an AT4041 would work quite well...

Those type of high-transient signals are particularly tough for mics to reproduce well (as demonstrated by the "jangly keys test")....

When you mic it, make sure it's in a good sounding room and back-off a bit -- don't get in too closely.
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
A small-dia such as the AKG451, Shure SM81, or even an AT4041 would work quite well...

Those type of high-transient signals are particularly tough for mics to reproduce well (as demonstrated by the "jangly keys test")....

When you mic it, make sure it's in a good sounding room and back-off a bit -- don't get in too closely.
Click to expand...

Bingo. I've been "shakin" about 6-12 inches from the mike, guess I'll back up a bit. I'm recording in my basement and haven't done any acoustic treatment to the walls, ceilings etc..

I've also noticed that the recorded waveform has a lot of very strong transients, making the attack portion of the waveform very pronounced.
 
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