small condenser

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frist44

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I'm looking to seriously upgrage the mics i use to record acoustic guitar soon. I'm thinking of getting two of whatever i may decide for a stereo pair. Do you think that's a good idea, or should i use two different mics when micing the guitar? I was thinking:

neumann km184
akg 451
shure sm-81

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

I'm recording pop kinda steel sting strummed acoustic guitar for use with only vocals, so it would need to sound full enough to support the track.

Thanks in advance,
Brandon
 
I definately wouldnt get an SM81 for acoustic. Stick to condensers.
 
frist44 said:
I'm thinking of getting two of whatever i may decide for a stereo pair. Do you think that's a good idea, or should i use two different mics when micing the guitar?
Click to expand...

Well, yes and yes.

They're both good options, but a stereo pair gives you the added flexibility of doing some xy and other neato stereo micing options. All of the ones you mentioned are good, too, although there's nothing wrong with throwing in the Oktava mc012's as an option worth considering.
 
The only reason i hadn't considered the octava mics is because i already have a pair of mxl 603's and a pair of ecm8000, so it seems like i've covered that range pretty well.

anyone have any experienced with the mics i listed in the first post?
 
Which range?

so it seems like i've covered that range pretty well
Click to expand...
Which range do you mean? The oktava mc 012 is a small diaphram condenser like the ones you have asked for opinions. The oktava is amazing, even disreguarding the price tag.
 
oops, I was thinking SM58.


I would get a large diaphragm condensor if you already have the ECM's and MXL's. It will give you more warmth and some balls to your tone if you need it.
 
I have a v67 for those needs.

I just really interested in better small condensers.

hopefully a few people have used the ones i listed to offer their experiences.
 
why not get a ribbon mic?....

i know,i know....you want a SD condenser.....but i think your $$$ would be wiser spent on a ribbon......
 
What is your signal path?? Maybe the mics are not your problems. I have heard very good acoustic sounds with two ECM8000's. Some guy did a comparison here and got a sound that was equilivant to 2 Neumann TLM103's. You might do a search for that thread just to see. I bet you could get a good sound with two 603's as well. Have you tried different placement? From what I understand, acoustic guitar is all about placement and how good the guitar is. I just don't want to see you blow a chunk of change when you don't need to. I agree with Tex too. Maybe you should consider a LD condenser like the AT4033 or the TLM 103. And finally have you tried a 57?? :)

Beezoboy
 
Get a pair of AKG C 451Bs or their Blue Line Series C 391Bs. On the small diaphragm poll thread listed on this forum, there were a bunch of folks [including myself] who swore by the C 391B. Besides, you can change the capsules on them [unlike the new C 451B] & there are a TON of options for the entire line. As our friend Harvey Gerst has been fast to recommend to all of us; LISTEN to what is out there and then decide which model works for your own purposes. His is wise advise indeed....BTW, read Harvey's microphone buying thread while you're at it! Great stuff.
 
beezoboy,

yeah i remember that post. actually i've been in contact with guardian (who posted that awhile back) about placement and all sorts of techniques when recording acoustics.

I know it's about placement. Part of the reason my sounds haven't been that good is because my guitar isn't that good. I have a roland v-drum pro set to sell and once that's gone, i'll have the money i need for the guitar.

I'm not asking the questions about the small condensers so i can go pick one up this weekend, I just figured sometime down the line once i get the new guitar and everything's in place to upgrade mics, i would have a clear cut mic that is best for me.

i actually really liked the sounds of the tlm103 which i will probably consider heavily when i get closer to making a purchase. The tlm103 sounds cool to me cause i like that darker sound because i strum kinda hard sometimes with the mxl603 i get overly bright tracks, which i've been trying to get away from.

Anyway...that's it. I've done the best with what i have now. Because the guitar is the bottleneck right now, i'm gonna get that and then rethink the track sound and see how much better it is, and if i think upgrading mics is worthwhile.

Thanks,
Brandon
 
Brandon,

I see what you're saying, now. The 603's do tend to be a bit bright. It's all in the freq. response curve, and the 603's have a pronounced boost around the 8-9 khz range.

The SM-81, on the other hand, has a very flat response. If you're just looking for something flatter, the SM81 is an excellent choice. It's flat as a board, pretty much, all the way out to 20khz, and it's a fine mic from an outstanding manufacturer.

Another good SDC worth a look is the Rode NT3. Only problem with this one is it might be just the opposite - might not be quite bright enough. Instead of a high-end bump, it has more like a high-end pothole. :)

It does appear, though, that you are willing to spend some money on some of the best of the best, so if I were in your shoes, I would be looking at Earthworks, as well as a newer line from T.H.E. A couple of models that you should look at are the KR-2W, KR-1F, KR-2C, or KR-3H. I believe the Sound Room distributes these. Unfortunatley, I can't say I have personal experience with them, but I have heard some samples of acc. guitar done with some of them and all I can say is wow . . . very real sounding. Not bright or overly-hyped at all, but not dark either. Just true to the source.
 
Aren't the ECM8000's really flat too. Not to say that the earthworks mics aren't damn fine mics. I still think a guitar upgrade might be the best bet. If you got a nice acoustic, you might just have totally new opinions about the mics you already own. Not even a U87 or C12 can make a "low quality" acoustic sound better. They'll just make you realize even more how much you need a better guitar. I guess you'll just have to make friend with the EQ for now.

Beezoboy
 
i think beezoboy is right and i don't plan on buying any mics until i get that new guitar and i see how all the things i have now seem to go with it. But until then, it's nice to sort out your options

Brandon
 
what preamp are you using?
the mics you have are pretty good. after you get a new guitar, consider getting a high end digital pre. that could be just the ticket.
 
I have a delta omni studio which offers 2 decent clean pres and i also have a mindprint envoice to give a more saturated sound. So i think i'm alright in the mic pre category for now at least.

I think it's more the guitar. Alot of people have posted clips that i think sound great using the same mics i own. So i'm going for the guitar and i'll figure it out then i suppose.

Thanks for all the help,
Brandon
 
As dumb and simple as it may sound, about 95% of the time, CHANGING YOUR damn STRINGS makes all the difference in the world when recording. :) And if you've tried brand x and you don't like the sound, then changing to brand y can make all the difference.
 
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