string quartet

[travdaddy]

Hi everyone
I'm pretty new to recording but i would like some help with recording a string quartet
I have 4 sm-58's available to record at once.
I was just wondering about mic placement to get a reasonable sound with these microphones.
What mics do you recommend for orchestral instruments?
Thanks for Your help

 

[Treeline]

I've recorded a quartet only once and it was a humbling experience. I did not have anyone isolated and worked primarily with ambient signal. It was a start, but I could tell right off that the learning curve is nearly vertical.

With dynamic mics, you will want to be close to each instrument, getting signal off the top or front. Other than that, it's "try this, try that" with positioning and listen to each mic's track by itself. The possibilities open up if you use large and small condensers, and you can do things like pick up ambient signal of the quartet as a whole, get greater degrees of subtlety and so forth.

I found the quartet was much louder than I had expected it would be. There should be lots of signal for close micing.

I would look for one or two large diaphragm condenser mics to pick up ambient signal, and a small diaphragm condenser on each instrument to pick up the character of the individual instruments. Browsing this forum, you will find lots of information on both. I've had good results with SP and MXL mics, but I have little to compare them to. I think they are certainly worth the money - maybe even at twice the price. If you're in New Zealand, you might be able to get decent pricing on RODE mics - well respected here.

 

[Beezoboy]

Hmmm. . . I am going to have to disagree. A good string quartet is going to be very dynamic and will balance themselves out. All they are going to want is recording of their music that represents how they sound. No hype, no effects other than a bit of reverb and maybe a tiny bit of EQ.

DON'T INDIVIDUALLY MIC THEM.

They need to be able to see each other and have room to move since they are playing with big bows. The best thing to do is find a room with a nice reverb, like a hall or church, and set up there with two condensers in an ORTF or XY pattern into a nice preamp.

You'll get a better recording much easier, and best of all your players will feel more comfortable.

Beez

 

[Treeline]

That actually makes me feel better; maybe I was reacting to the context. We had a political situation on our hands, recorded in a church, during a service, with a little tension going between the minister and the music director over the whole quartet thing. So wires and meters on top would have been touchy. My job was to be inconspicuous so as to be virtually invisible. The cut reflected that, I'm afraid...

 

[travdaddy]

thankyou for your help

 

[Richard Monroe]

a quartet needs a room you don't have to fight with. I prefer a muted church rather than cathiedral type places, like an old Lutheran Church, built in the 70's. Problem is, both of the above posts are right. Natural ambience good- electronic ambience usually doesn't help, and pisses off classical musicians with good ears.
Second problem is- SM 58's don't have enouch reach for ambient mic'ing, and with the mics you have, you have to close mic. When you close mic strings, there's a tendency to pick up nasssty bow noise. With 58's, you *will* have to EQ the crap out of the tracks to get any kind of good sound. It helps if you have kickass preamps.
Truth is, your work is cut out for you. Those are mics for church vocalists, not a string quartet. You want to be invisible? Beg borrow or steal a pair of small diaphragm condensers. I like Oktava MC013's for this. Put a 110 degree or so X-Y pair overhead, and mic the lowest instrument (double bass or cello, depending), with a close dynamic as well. I'd use any good kick mic, but the 58 will work in a pinch. You can do the whole thing pretty much with one X-Y or spaced pair, if the room is good.-Richie