recording concert harp

lowswing · 6th September 2004

Next week i have a session in my studio recording a concert harp .
the album is rock album but on one song there is only harp and vocal and the harp should sound classic and clean.
how would you mic a harp? from which side or infront of the player? how far away?
the mics avaliable:
Avenson/stapes omni match pair
Neumann km54 matched pair
oktava mc12 pair
beyer m160 pair
neumann km84 2 but not really matched
+many other studio standard single mics like c414 u87 etc

the pres (in pairs):
Cadac g268 (with great eq!)
tele v676
tele v72
sountracs cp6800 console

thanks

cdog · 6th September 2004

I can't talk from experience but I've always wanted to record a harp... but its obviously very different than most orchestral stringed instruments...

The sound radiates in all directions at once, not just from the body like with a cello.

So I would suggest medium distance micing that lets the sound develop into a cohesive whole in the room.

You will probably have to play with mics and positioning...

XY or spaced pair of omnis would be a good start... have fun.

fifthcircle · 6th September 2004

Harp is a bitch to record well... Ribbons always sound good...

In your case, I would use your pair of Beyer 160s (I've used these and they work quite well- not Coles or Royer, but they still work quite well). Position at the high end and low end, splitting the sound board in thirds from top to bottom. I'd start about 18" out, but be prepared to move them in or out depending on the style of the player. The top mic, I'd aim probably towards the bottom part of the string so you get a bit of "pluck" which will give you your definition of the sound in the mix (if it is too diffuse, it will be hard to assimilate in a mix). The lower mic will likely sound best aiming more towards the sound board.

In an orchestral situation, I usually use a single spot mic about half way up aiming straight out (parallel to the ground). You loose a bit on the low end, but in orchestral playing, that part of the instrument is not the part that needs to come out.

--Ben

Beech · 6th September 2004

Since your song is going to be just harp and vocal it might be an idea to try a MS setup. I'm dont know all of the mics on your list but two 414s are great for this job. Maybe you could substitute the KM84 instead of a 414. Place them on one side of the harp around the middle and this will give you a nice stereo image. The 414 will be set to figure of eight and the other mic in cardioid.

SLS · 6th September 2004

It depends a lot on your room. I would start out with a close pair (like the km84s) about a foot and a half away similar to what Ben described. Then you may want to experiment with a LD somewhere farther away in the room. You can of course experiment with different stereo techniques (again depending on your room) if you want more distance.

What I have done before, in a poor room, is to supplement a close pair with a LD omni at the bottom of the sound board for enhanced low end response, mixed in very tastefully

. You get a nice crisp attack from the strings and a rich full tone as well.

Mainly, you have to move around with the harp. Every instrument, player, room, and situation differ, but those are some good places to start.

-Adam

6th September 2004	#1
lowswing Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 1,446 Thread Starter	recording concert harp Next week i have a session in my studio recording a concert harp . the album is rock album but on one song there is only harp and vocal and the harp should sound classic and clean. how would you mic a harp? from which side or infront of the player? how far away? the mics avaliable: Avenson/stapes omni match pair Neumann km54 matched pair oktava mc12 pair beyer m160 pair neumann km84 2 but not really matched +many other studio standard single mics like c414 u87 etc the pres (in pairs): Cadac g268 (with great eq!) tele v676 tele v72 sountracs cp6800 console thanks __________________ Guy Sternberg Engineer, Producer LowSwing Studios, berlin www.lowswing.de

6th September 2004	#3
fifthcircle Lives for gear Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 3,300	Harp is a bitch to record well... Ribbons always sound good... In your case, I would use your pair of Beyer 160s (I've used these and they work quite well- not Coles or Royer, but they still work quite well). Position at the high end and low end, splitting the sound board in thirds from top to bottom. I'd start about 18" out, but be prepared to move them in or out depending on the style of the player. The top mic, I'd aim probably towards the bottom part of the string so you get a bit of "pluck" which will give you your definition of the sound in the mix (if it is too diffuse, it will be hard to assimilate in a mix). The lower mic will likely sound best aiming more towards the sound board. In an orchestral situation, I usually use a single spot mic about half way up aiming straight out (parallel to the ground). You loose a bit on the low end, but in orchestral playing, that part of the instrument is not the part that needs to come out. --Ben __________________ Benjamin Maas Fifth Circle Audio Long Beach, CA http://www.fifthcircle.com

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6th September 2004	#2
cdog Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Brooklyn Posts: 3,437 3 Reviews written	I can't talk from experience but I've always wanted to record a harp... but its obviously very different than most orchestral stringed instruments... The sound radiates in all directions at once, not just from the body like with a cello. So I would suggest medium distance micing that lets the sound develop into a cohesive whole in the room. You will probably have to play with mics and positioning... XY or spaced pair of omnis would be a good start... have fun.

6th September 2004	#4
Beech Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Dublin Posts: 701	Since your song is going to be just harp and vocal it might be an idea to try a MS setup. I'm dont know all of the mics on your list but two 414s are great for this job. Maybe you could substitute the KM84 instead of a 414. Place them on one side of the harp around the middle and this will give you a nice stereo image. The 414 will be set to figure of eight and the other mic in cardioid.

6th September 2004	#5
SLS Gear nut Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Asheville, NC USA Posts: 104	It depends a lot on your room. I would start out with a close pair (like the km84s) about a foot and a half away similar to what Ben described. Then you may want to experiment with a LD somewhere farther away in the room. You can of course experiment with different stereo techniques (again depending on your room) if you want more distance. What I have done before, in a poor room, is to supplement a close pair with a LD omni at the bottom of the sound board for enhanced low end response, mixed in very tastefully . You get a nice crisp attack from the strings and a rich full tone as well. Mainly, you have to move around with the harp. Every instrument, player, room, and situation differ, but those are some good places to start. -Adam