stereo room recordings- need mic advise

  • Thread starter Thread starter colorado hick
  • Start date Start date
C

colorado hick

New member
Hey folks,
I am looking for some good microphone suggestions. I am doing recordings of acoustic music, guitar, mandolin, upright bass, accordion, etc, and am looking for some mics that will give me the natural reverb of the room. I usually like the 'presence' of a XY coincident recording with the mic stand set up 5 or six feet away from the player(s). I sometimes am recording as a trio or duet and sometimes one instrument/vocal at a time. I am using a presonus 2 in/ 2 out USB powered interface going into a windows laptop with audacity or reaper.

I have been trying to use some NADY STM-1 ribbon mics (AEA R84 rip-off). The issue that i have is that by the time i get the gain up to where i can hear what i want to record (at about 95% gain on the preamp) there is way to much background noise.

I have also tried some older low-end large diaphram condensers, but there is not any warmth to the tone and I still get a lot of internal noise.

Can you guys recommend some good mics? Is the problem the preamps in my audio interface? I tried my (admittedly cheap) mixing board and it was just as bad. Maybe these ribbon mics are not the best bet for high-gain situations? Even when i get right on top of it they both were really hissing. Maybe the ribbons are bad?
 
First, the Presonus unit isn't going to give you lots of clean gain, so for your stated purpose, dynamics, whether they are ribbons or diaphragms, aren't ideal. You would probably get *some* improvement by using a cleaner 2 channel preamp, such as M-Audio DMP-3, jacked into the line-ins on the Presonus. However, daisy chaining preamps like that increases the number of components in the signal chain, and can also raise the noise floor.

That said, you probably would do better to use 2 more-or-less matched condensers, and I would choose small diaphragms. You stated no budget, but given that you are using that interface and a pair of Nady's, I'm guessing that suggesting a pair of Neumanns, Microtech Gefell, or Josephson mics probably won't help you much. If you really have to go dirt cheap, check out a pair of Naiants-

Naiant - Microphones

For still pretty cheap, consider:

Marshall Electronics MXL603s Stereo Matched Pair | 8thstreet.com | Call 1-800-878-8882 | Most Orders Ship Free!

For just a little more, I like these:

Studio Projects C4 Pair | 8thstreet.com | Call 1-800-878-8882 | Most Orders Ship Free!

or these:

Rode NT5 Matched Pair | 8thstreet.com | Call 1-800-878-8882 | Most Orders Ship Free!

Then you get into mid-priced industry standards, such as Shure SM81 and AKG C451.

then the high-priced spread, such as Josephson C42, Neumann KM184 and Earthworks SR30

Finally there are the big buck boutique mics to die for, such as Microtech Gefell, Schoeps and DPA. Checking the price on those bad boys will make you feel better about shelling out $400 for a pair of C-4's or NT5's.

Lastly- my personal favorite dark horse is the now discontinued AKG C2000B, a side-address small diaphragm mic. If you spook around on line, you can find them for $100-$150 apiece, and they're perfect for what you do.

If decent condensers don't work for you, yes, you will need an interface that produces more gain with less noise. Best of luck.
 
great info, thanks!

A pair of the c2000B or the NT5s would be within my budget. Do you think one or the other would do better with the upright bass? I am sure there are entire threads on the subject of micing these beasts but my personal experience is that when ever i record mine all i get is the buzzes and rattles get exaggerated and i cant a warm 'feel it in your gut' tone.
 
I actually prefer the C2000B to the Rode NT5's for most applications. The C2000B has the advantage over all of the above that it's also a fairly good vocal mic. They'll work fine for the bass. They were designed for orchestral recording, and are among the most versatile mic I own. Look for them new or used on ebay.
 
I quite like the brightness and detail of small diaphragm condensers for the sort of recording you mention and would urge you to try the sE Electronics sE1A stereo pair.
 
colorado hick said:
... Do you think one or the other would do better with the upright bass? I am sure there are entire threads on the subject of micing these beasts but my personal experience is that when ever i record mine all i get is the buzzes and rattles get exaggerated and i cant a warm 'feel it in your gut' tone.
Click to expand...
Roll some of that top off. It seems if the bass player isn't careful the slaps and clicks can really stick out.
We're experimenting with AKG K240's on upright :)
 
Take a look at the Avantone "Cabernet (C-series)" CK-40.

HERE is one on ebay - but look around for a used one if you fancy it.
 
The Aventone looks pretty sweet, but I am not excited about having a stereo mic. I like the idea of being able to use them individually, especially the NT4s, for live sound.
 
colorado hick said:
The Aventone looks pretty sweet, but I am not excited about having a stereo mic. I like the idea of being able to use them individually, especially the NT4s, for live sound.
Click to expand...

I think you mean NT-5's. NT-4 *is* a stereo mic. And if you already jave some NT-5's they are perfectly good mics for what you are trying to do.
 
I think the NT-5 is the individual, and the NT-4 is the stereo.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top