Recording Acoustic Guitar on a shoe string

[neilsby]

What technique would you employ if you had to record a steel strung acoustic guitar to accompany a voice. I have about £500 to spend on the mics for this job.

Thanks,

Neil (recording newbie, poor student)

[mdbeh]

An Audio Technica 4041 can work, and they're about $300 USD.

I'm not sure how much they are in the UK, but it should be well under your limit.

[Mark]

For that you could get a matched pair of Oktava MK012s with three capsules (Cardioid, Hypercardiod and Omni) from Digital Village.

[Stizz]

Wow!! I haven't heard of recording on a shoe string before - is that sort of like a modified wire recorder? Or maybe one of those new fiber optic shoestrings???

I like my Oktava 012s a lot, also you might want to look at a Neumann KM184, or some of the AKGs if you would like a larger diaphragm (C4000 ,SolidTube, C414 B-ULS)

Mic placement will make a big difference in the sound (the major factor still being the player and the instrument) - obviously brighter near the bridge, and warmer nearer the fingerboard (with more string squeaks) - some people like to record with 2 mics - experiment and see...

[XHipHop]

I usually use a combination of the Cad M-9 and Marshall MXL 603s mics. Great bang for the buck and great tones from both of those.

[fishtop_records]

I've found that good recordings of acoustic guitar
take good rooms. Better rooms make a difference.

Is this a one time deal? or does your 500 pounds
have to be usable again? for once only, you
should be able to rent some really nice mics and
still have money for dinner and a pint.

If you have to buy, the Oktava 012s are your
most likely bet (get them matched).

In the LDC world, there is always the SP C1 in your
budget range. But I'd go small diameter condensor,
or ribbon.

[RSMITH123]

SP does have a new matched set of C-4's (Small diameter).

C-4 Matched Set

under 400$


I tried a SP C-1 & SM-81 combo and recorded the part twice in stereo. I ended up ditching the SM-81 tracks and keeping the C-1 tracks. After pulling 3-6 db's at 350 out and lifting 16k a little... it sounded great... for a shoestring budget.

[Mark]

Sound Sense has them (SP C4 pairs) for £270 including VAT and P&P.

[sonic dogg]

Lately I 've been getting sterling results with the Studio Projects B3 and an ADK SC-1 over the shoulder. These are both well within the budget and the B3 is a multi pattern which also stands up well as a vocal mic.

[Saucyjack]

Ditto on the Octava pair...they will be useful down the road as well...OHs,Percussion,Electric gtrs.

[Mark]

At only about £60 for the SC-1 from Turnkey (yes, I know they're not advertised on the site) and £125 for the B3 from Sound Sense you'd even have enough left over for a pair of the VTB-1 pre-amps

[Mark]

Which you can buy for £101 each (plus P&P) from Digital Village

[Ted Nightshade]

Rent some time in a great room with a great engineer? Seriously...

[Mark]

You wouldn't, by any chance, happen to be a member of the "Great Engineers With Great Rooms Guild". Would you?

[Drumsound]

I had really good luck this weekend using the new Rode NT5 stereo pair on acoustic guitar. They are my friends and I think he said he paid $300 USD. I'm not sure how that translates to pounds. AT Pro37R can also be had for around that price for a pair.

[Mark]

The NT5s go for around £240 over here. At that price he's only about £30 off of a pair of C4s, which also come with interchangeable card and omni heads; though, personally, I'd hold off buying any microphone until I'd seen at least one good field report from an unbiased source.

[neilsby]

How do the C451Bs fare in this? I've read good things about them but nobody has recommended them to me so i'm worried! The guitar project is with my own band and thus its not critical i get it right the first time. The main reason for doing it is to gain the experience, learn my way around logic more, have fun and generally progress! A great engineer and a great room would be brilliant and i've done that before but its not sustainable and it wouldn't help me learn.

How do Neve VR faders realise when its not your finger touching? Prod them with a pen and they don't come alive, strange!

[Curious G]

another vote for the mc012

[Jay Kahrs]

AKG 451's are freakin' great on acoustic guitar if you want a bright sound. If you want something mellow to tone down finger noise or add beef to a thin guitar you may not like them. Also, don't run them into a thin preamp like a Mackie or you'll be pretty sorry.

One of my MC012 bodies died the other day. Damn. Well, what do I want for $150? I got 3-4 years out of it so I guess I can't complain too much.

[max the mac]

Digital Village currently have the last stocks of the Groove tubes GT33 on offer....
you can get a pair for £239.99
Use them as a cross axial pair and just try wiping the grin off yer face.....

best buy around for Mics at the moment....

They have loads of other uses too...... and Don't get sneered at by Pro's......

In fact there are a number of "High end" users that swear by them.....

Best regards
Max
(and yes i own one, and no i dont work for DV)

[StuartMac]

Max, have you tried the 33s with omni capsules fitted? I'm thinking about ordering a pair to go with my 33s, but they will cost almost the same as I paid for the mics!

[max the mac]

Hi Stuart

I'm afraid not old chap.


I Do use the GT67 Valve groove tubes mic for omni, and very nice it is too!

I note that Dv have one or two of these for £349 .
I cant tell you how impressed i am with it!! suffice to say It's probably the best mic I've ever bought under a grand.
Superb on vocals...
Almost as if it has a built in d-esser. smooth but superbly detailed and open.

I bought the 33 specifically for acoustic guitar, although like i said, it has many other uses. (brushed jazz snare for example worked nicely using this)

Although I can see the advantage of having the option, I'd prefer to have more Mics!! Gear lust is a constant battle of wills between my wallet and my heart....

Best regards
Max

[toledo3]

On a shoestring? Try a pzm. Have a lot of money? Try a pzm. I thank Loudist for pointing this out to me, they are ****ing great on acoustic.

[neilsby]

I think i'm going to go with the NT5s, they've had some good reviews, reasonably priced and quite versatile.

A pzm would be great but i need a mic for more than just an acoustic guitar application, when i have 20 mics i'll get into that kind of stuff.

Would anyone care to suggest a good pair of preamps, we're not talking neve, maybe about £100 each.

Thanks a lot for all the suggestions thus far, i've investigated each of them. I'm put off by the Studio projects and Audio Technica stuff a bit. Where do they lie in the name prestige stakes? Are they good quality or the kind of thing you expect from grey imports?

Anyways, thanks again, i'll be sure to upload my produce for your critical ears, if you'd like, i reckon there should be a section dedicated to audio samples of peoples work, unless of course you can tune in on the radio and hear your stuff!! ENOUGH!

[fishtop_records]

Originally posted by neilsby

Would anyone care to suggest a good pair of preamps, we're not talking neve, maybe about £100 each.

How about an FMR RNP? less than $500 us$ for two
channels, not that much more than your budget.

I really like mine, what an improvement over
the preamps in my Mackie.

[neilsby]

a) Because everyone in Led Zeppelin did apart from the bassist, and bassists are normally the least cool part of a band (my other half being the exception and any bassists reading this).

b)To fund my addicition to sound recording equipment collecting.

I might just try and pick some gear up second hand, if anyone has a good deal they're bursting to share with me, i'd be glad to consider.

More companies should offer student discounts!

tutt

[max the mac]

I recently picked up another pair of focusrite green Mic pre's for under 200 quid....
No you cant have em.
But they are very worth looking for if you can get em around that money...

[neilsby]

Has anyone seen the relatively new Presonus tubepre? It looks pretty good and for around £100 you have to wonder if the quality is there. Has anyone tried one out? I don't think there have been any major reviews yet.

Where do you look for your second hand stuff? I frequent Loot, Ebay and sospubs a fair bit but theres never anything of a real bargin quality, i'm still waiting for the day when somebody sells me a Gibson acoustic at a car boot for £4 because they know not what they have!! One day.

Are the focusrite greens one of their older series? Theres a couple of the eq strips about, haven't seen any pres.

[max the mac]

I do the ebay thing... there were some Pre's there a week or two back...
also Alison and Andy Allen at gear-online are sometimes a good source of stuff
check their site.
http://www.gearonline.co.uk/

Also Sound on Sound readers ads..... but you have to scan them regularly...
I have found some cracking bargains there over the years....
(how about a TLA indigo compressor for £165 !!!!! MINT!!! NOW that was a bargain!)

max

[neilsby]

I just found a focusrite platinum compressor on Turnkey for £0, so naturally i ordered it to see what would happen, if it works out, it will cost me £9.99!! Not bad, i am of no belief what so ever that they are going to sell it to me, still!

I looked at gearonline but i can't seem to find a preamp section.