Recording Classical guitar

[ashurek]

Hello all,

I am new to this forum and have been reading a wealth of information thats posted on here regarding recording equipment and techniques... So much so that Im back to square one of being completely lost :D

I am just starting out and have no equipment aside from my trusted Bernabe I would like to be able to make high quality stereo recordings in sync with my Sony HD camera for solo and duet on the classical guitar. Sometimes it will be just me doing 1 track at a time and other times two people at the same time.

What would you recommend as a good start ? Will a good set of mics like the DPA 4006 with maybe an apogee duet do the trick? (I currently own a pc). Or should I look at dedicated Preamps for the mic, D/A A/D converters and the full package?

Thanks to all for your help
Moe

[dbssound1]

what kind of investment are you looking to make?

[ashurek]

Thanks for the reply...

Not really thinking of a budget... Not looking to spend 10s of thousands of dollars though....

[Recording David]

A pair of 4006 with the Duet would sound fine, but I think the Duet is for Mac only. Obviously the more you spend on dedicated items, the better the result, but with the gear you have suggested I reckon careful mic placement, choice of player, instrument and room will play a bigger role than simply buying more expensive recording equipment.

If you search for "classical guitar" under the tag search, there are some threads that I think will be of interest to you.

[ashurek]

Thank you David,

I will check the search again

[Jason West]

Originally Posted by ashurek

Will a good set of mics like the DPA 4006 with maybe an apogee duet do the trick?

That combination will work fine.

I sometimes use similar DPA omni mics and the 4006 will yield great recordings if the room you're performing in sounds nice (e.g. medium to large space with hardwood floors.)

[JohnReelsound]

Are we making records here or is it just for fun? You can seriously make a great recording with a couple of cheap dynamic mics, a bit of practice and a stunning performance. I say play around with what you have and stop spending money.

John

[ashurek]

Originally Posted by JohnReelsound

I say play around with what you have and stop spending money.
John

Not wasting money is exactly something I Want to avoid by getting something that will do exactly what I want that Ill never think about replacing down the line Keep in mind I am starting from scratch here and Im hoping to avoid developing a "collection" down the line. I did a lot of reading and decided to order a pair of Beyer MC930s for mics. A pair of cardoids seemed like the wisest choice and like you said, with practice there is no reason why I cant make that work!

The only thing that concerns me atm is the right medium to get the recording to my laptop (pc). I am looking at getting a good transparent Pre (local salesperson is really recommending the millenia HV-3C) and someway to record on my laptop.

[MichaelPatrick]

For classical guitar it all starts with the instrument and the room.

If you have a good room you should figure out where the sound in the room is best, and then select mic patterns to capture it.

Then comes mic selection.