small condenser

  • Thread starter Thread starter frist44
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lala

Pick up a Taylor 314 CE, from what I heard it's orgasmic for recording purposes.

Mic wise, from the 3 choices, Neumann KM184..but since you already have some SD condensers, you could pickup maybe 1 TLM 103, for about $600, and then if you wanted stereo, put up one of your SD condensers too...but the TLM 103 is 'NOT' a dark sounding mic..it's actually pretty bright, and has the typical Neumann 'vocal' bump..now, if you want a darker sounding mic, albeit for more money, the TLM 193 is probably the way to go..but I'd say go for the 103, as you could then use it for vocals too..I have a pair of Rode NT3's, and they're great.

--Sal
 
Regarding the guitar, i've done everything you could imagine. A couple weeks ago i replaced the strings 3 times in a week. I tried several differently sized picks. i did get some slight improvement with different combinations and i came down to liking the elixirs which i usually use anyway. Having said that, i've exhausted the whole guitar setup thing and that's how i came to the conclusion it was the guitar.

Aside from the guitar, nothing was really different in my chain from those few clips that were posted that i really liked.
 
I can vouch for the Taylor 314ce. It's a great guitar. You may or may not like the wider nut width (Taylor's site oddly lists their dreadnought and smaller-bodies as having a 1 3/4" nut width, but the dreads are slightly narrower in reality...). I've had mine for almost 2 years now, and it's really opened up. A gorgeous guitar, and yes, it records well.

I've been trying my new 603's on it, and while I am indeed getting a nice sparkly high end, I can add beef to the sound with careful positioning of the mics and the guitar.

We recorded an Olson guitar at a small studio yesterday for a CD I'm co-producing, using my 603's as well as a U87. Sounded absolutely HUGE. One 603 over the shoulder a shade over 2' up (thanks Harvey!) and the other close by the 12th fret. The chief engineer, for grins, put up the U87 about 3' away, near floor level, looking up at the guitarist. Added just the right touch of "meat". All 3 mics went to separate tracks in Pro Tools.

Experiment with a combo of the 603 (or both) and a LD condenser....and try a Taylor guitar, they play like a dream...I think you'd like it. Larrivees are really nice too, and I fell in love with a Breedlove Focus (rosewood/cedar) one day...couldn't afford it though... :(

TP
 
ball park prices on those Taylors? Our local place has 'em (314ce) for around 1K. It's impossible to shop for them anywhere else since they will not advertise prices.
 
ball park prices on those Taylors? Our local place has 'em (314ce) for around 1K.
Click to expand...

The 314ce for $1K? That's a pretty good deal. Watch Guitar Center though, they often hang Taylors for lower prices than anyone else....and omit the case, and then tell you you have to pay extra for the case. Taylors ship with cases, no exceptions. I think my 314ce was a shade under $1200 a couple years back, and recently I've seen them for around $1300.

If you can live without the cutaway and electronics, the standard 314 Grand Auditorium is a bit less expensive, and might even sound a tad better. Also try the Grand Concert-sized 312, an even smaller-bodied guitar.

Do look at the 412/414/414ce models too, they have Ovangkol backs and sides vs. Sapele Mahogany in the 3xx series. Ovangkol is similar tonally to rosewood. Prices are a *bit* higher than the 3xx but not my much. The Ovangkol guitars are a bit beefier in the bottom.

TP
 
Thanks B,

The 314ce IS the guitar I want. I need the electronics, and the cutaway, but more importantly when I played it.... <let me take a moment here> ...yeah, want it.

Like I told my wife, "a fine guitar is like a fine woman--it just makes all the difference..."

Thanks. I guess 1k might be a good price.
 
The 314ce is the taylor that has gotten the most considerations.

I noticed it isn't until the 500 series that they put in the fishman blender system with the condenser mic inside. Do you guys think that it sounds that much better than the normal prefix system they up in the 314ce.

Also, the 314 is a grand auditorium, in terms of recording needs, what body sytles have you found translates to tape the best with minimum use of eq? And what are the chracteristics of all the sizes?

Thanks,
Brandon
 
when i'm recording acoustic guitar in a song with dense instrumentation, i always use .009 strings, and i believe the smaller the guitar, the better. i'll usually dip the lows, and give a little high freq. boost.
 
I'll throw in a thumbs up for the ShureKMG 27. It's a very sweet sounding mic for acustic and most especially vocals.
 
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