Recording strings for pop/rock music

[SteveMcB]

Hi, I'm hoping to record some strings for a few songs on an upcoming album project, and have a few questions for anyone in the know about such things, because I am totally naive about it!

The setup is most likely to be with a quartet (2xviolin, 1xviola, 1x cello), available mics 2x marshall electronics mxl603, 1x Rode NT1, 1x Studio Projects C1 (and dynamics) (planning to use the mxl603's in coincident x-y setup), into mackie 1402vlz for pres and into roland vs840. I have a Behringer composer pro (I know, I said the B word).

My questions are:
1) where do you position the mics in relation to the players
2) Any special ways of picking said position
3) My processing options once recorded are really limited, and particularly, the vs 840's compressor is crap. Should I compress on the way in?
4) I have loads of options on rooms to record in. These strings will need to be heard in a pretty full mix - would you recommend a lively room, or a relatively dead space, given the processing constraints of only 1-2 reverbs available at mix time

Any other hints welcome!

Steve

 

[DeadPoet]

I don't know any of your mics personally, but these are the things people learned me (& which I've seen used with success)

Listen to the instrument and put the mic where it sounds best
In general they put a LD over the instrument, a few feet away over the player. I attached a picture of an example.

To his right there's a gobo and next to that there was a cello player. She had a C414 in front of her, 1-2 feet away, also pointing at the spot between f-hole and the point where the bow makes contact with the strings.
Pointing more at the strings gives a little harsher sound, more to the F-hole is rounder.

Acoustic instruments don't like to be processed. If the player is ok and the mic's placed right you won't need any processing other than ambience. Get the best room you can, meaning let them play and have it sound 'right' in the first place.

...maybe it also depends on what sound you want. This example is the most used method, but if you're after a Beatles kind of string sound... I wouldn't know how they did that (sounds like there's a mic inside the instrument, guess that's real close miking)


hope this helps,

Herwig

 

[littledog]

if it is a fairly big lively room (12'+ ceilings, 25'x15' or greater dimensions) i would be tempted to go with the lively room. Smaller than that you might want to try hearing the strings in the room for a few minutes to see if the early reflections are too obnoxious.

 

[Nilbog]

Yeah - the most important thing is your head an how you want the instrument to sound.

For the Violin/Viola:
If you're too close in, the sound will come out flat - so back off. Try a condensor mic 2 or 3 feet above the violin.

Cello:
try a large diaphragm mic. Again, put it a few feet away - start off about as high as the bridge. Move the mic down if you want mellow sound, move the mic up if you want a brighter sound.

What type of compressor would you be using on the way in? I would use it lightly....

I would also record in the dead space, and add reverb with your effects,

 

[maestro_dmc]

Like many high quality acoustic instruments, the violin's sound is created by the instruments resonance, as a whole. Therefore you don't want to close mic a violin, or even more so the larger bodied string instruments.

Don't use much if any compression going in, unless it is a VERY dynamic performance you won't need it.

Some prefer ribbon mics on violin, the Shure model 300 that I have didn't work for me, too noisy.

Depends on the sound you are after how you want to approach it.