recording xinjiang music

[buster04]

Hi,

I'm planning on recording some xinjiang music, which is similar to Iranian and Iraqi music. The instrument set up is a dutar, dantur (both stringed instruments -- like lutes), and vocals. The recording set up I have (shitty Mbox) only has two inputs. The only mic I have is an SM57. I'm planning to get another mic, probably an AKG 451. Would this work? Any suggestions on mic placements?

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

I'd hazard taht for that kind of music/recording, you might be best served in a big way by three mics, though you might be able to get away with two. You don't have to buy the mics, they can be rented for just a few bucks a day.

As far as recording, I'd be tempted to try a wide stereo pair (X/Y or ORTF, ~110 degress) with two cardioid mics to record the strings and have the vocals recorded to a third track that will ride down the middle. Use distance and padding between the vocalist and the instrument players to isolate the vocalist acoustically in the room as much as possible.

As far as mic placement beyond or instead of the stereo pair suggestion, the best thing to do with an unknown instrument is to literally move your head around and see where the sound us "best" for your designs and put the mic there.

HTH,

G.

 

[buster04]

thanks

thanks for the reply, but I forgot to mention a couple of things:
1) I am in China. I don't know how the hell I'll be able to rent good mics here. Maybe I'll just rent a studio for the day.
2) The vocalist is also the dantur player. So I won't be able to get much space between him and the instrument.

I'm actually thinking about just setting up ONE mic...or maybe two, as in one overhead and the other about 5 feet in front.

 

[Santiagoacr]

Hi, I'm a newbie, but hopefully this info will be of use...

Since you have more sound sources than mics (and I assume you are recording live), close-miking is ruled out. I would try recording the whole thing in stereo (probably in an XY configuration: the two microphones set at a right-angle to one another, with the two capsules touching each other). An sm57 would be a funny choice to couple with a condensor microphone, but I have heard good reports of people using similar microphone couples in that configuration and getting good results.

Most traditional music works well in a live setting, so I would just experiment with putting the microphone pair in different locations until you find a good-sounding spot (where the audience would be). In a great sounding room it would yield excellent results, but even in a normal room it will probably be ok.

I hope this helps, let us know how you get on

Santiago

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

thanks for the reply, but I forgot to mention a couple of things:
1) I am in China. I don't know how the hell I'll be able to rent good mics here. Maybe I'll just rent a studio for the day.
2) The vocalist is also the dantur player. So I won't be able to get much space between him and the instrument.

I'm actually thinking about just setting up ONE mic...or maybe two, as in one overhead and the other about 5 feet in front.

Yeah, one mic is certainly a valid option under thise circumstances. If you do have two mics at your disposal, you might through one on the vocal, and the other at a lower elevation, equidistant to the two instruments.

But you might be right in that a single overhead may just be the most elegant solution to a limited resource situation.

The extra mic out front may help if you have a good sounding room and you want to capture that full ambience. But if the room does not sound that good, the distance miking may not help. You'd have to try that and see.

G.

 

[buster04]

thanks

great advice. I'll keep all the above in mind. thanks!