Micing and Mic for a Stradivarius!!

Solar · 29th August 2006, 05:06 PM

Hello Fellas!

Yes i know my title is very "Ose" but thats the truth.. i would liek to know if anyone here can ADVISE me in these two matters:

I'm going to record a Huge project with a Violoniste player who owns a Stradivarius or i think the brother or sister of Stradi called i guess Gwar something, anyways its the same as a Stradi cuz his Vilon COST 1.5 million.

The point here is i'm looking forward to know wich MIC he should purchase when he is Performing on STAGE, what would be the best mic for HIM. And second, waht would be the good mic for him when we record in Studio or if there is more then one kind wich i'm sure, wich one woudl you guyz suggest me.

Because i'm looking also to find him a little MIC that he could use when he wants to record himslef at hom and laydown ideas, but a kind of mic that would still sound good even if its for ideas.

So finally i'm looking ofr 3 differents kind of MIC for him: ONE when he IS performing LIVE, one for the REAL recording SESSION in STudio ofr his album and last a good mic for him to record at home to put down his ideas.

Thank you for any suggestion and information. And even if you guzy have some advise on hwo to mic this kind of TOP notch Violon, every comment is more then welcome.

Truly

AmekGuy · 29th August 2006, 05:25 PM

Try a Beyer MC930 (SDC). It has a lucious low end, exceptional detail, a silky smooth top end, and a midrange like the KM84, but with more output and much quieter. It is ruler flat, with a slight bump at 10kHz, adding some airiness, and it excels on acoustic sources. Astounding.

Solar · 29th August 2006, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmekGuy

Try a Beyer MC930 (SDC). It has a lucious low end, exceptional detail, a silky smooth top end, and a midrange like the KM84, but with more output and much quieter. It is ruler flat, with a slight bump at 10kHz, adding some airiness, and it excels on acoustic sources. Astounding.

Hello Amek!

Thank you for your answer.. really appreciate your time but this Beyer is this one for Live performance or Studio purposes?

Also for Violin micing, is it better a Condesner Mic or Ribbon Mic? Anyhow, thank you very much and i will be checking this mic on Google to find out more.

Please any feedback or suggestion is welcome..

Truly

kats · 29th August 2006, 05:39 PM

I would try a Royer 122V Tubed Ribbon mic.

I haven't used it, nor have I recorded a Strad - but I just stayed at a Quest Inn

Solar · 29th August 2006, 06:12 PM

Thanx Kats!!

Thank you very much.. i will look at this one too..

Dan · 29th August 2006, 06:14 PM

So here's me talking about B&K (DPA) microphones again. The 4011 is just an outstanding mic for this kind of thing, because it does not color the sound. If you had a $1.5m instrument don't you think it would be best to accurately represent it? Or, do you think it can sound better than it actually sounds? I'm not really arguing either way, I do think the Royers sound fantastic on violin, and often use them myself, but it is a fairly colored mic. It kind of depends what kind of project it is, and the taste of the client. Being cardiod the 4011 also works well for live, but if you don't like the look of a mic stand on stage, I've also seen the 4060 used effectively. It's kind of extreme to have a little mic on a violin like that, but when it's really gotta be miced up...

I generally don't use ribbons live, but they do excel at sounding sweet in the studio. This is all assuming what you mean by live is for sound reinforcement. If you mean live recording, then just go with a pair of 4006's in the hall or Shoeps 222.

jnorman · 29th August 2006, 06:15 PM

i would suggest a schoeps cmc6/mk41 for live performance, and the DPA 4011 for the studio work.

Solar · 29th August 2006, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan

So here's me talking about B&K (DPA) microphones again. The 4011 is just an outstanding mic for this kind of thing, because it does not color the sound. If you had a $1.5m instrument don't you think it would be best to accurately represent it? Or, do you think it can sound better than it actually sounds? I'm not really arguing either way, I do think the Royers sound fantastic on violin, and often use them myself, but it is a fairly colored mic. It kind of depends what kind of project it is, and the taste of the client. Being cardiod the 4011 also works well for live, but if you don't like the look of a mic stand on stage, I've also seen the 4060 used effectively. It's kind of extreme to have a little mic on a violin like that, but when it's really gotta be miced up...

I generally don't use ribbons live, but they do excel at sounding sweet in the studio. This is all assuming what you mean by live is for sound reinforcement. If you mean live recording, then just go with a pair of 4006's in the hall or Shoeps 222.

Hey Dan!

What i mena by LIVe , i mean LIVe performances.. in SHOWS not in Studio but of course i'm looking also a very good MIC for Studio Live recording for an Album and also a cool mic for the Violinst player at his home portable studio when he wants to laydown some ideas.

Thank you all for these infos, i'm gonna search for these mics and more info are welcome... thank you

eso · 29th August 2006, 06:27 PM

I have recorded a real Stradivarius in the studio, (amongst other Violins), and in that instance we used a pair of Coles 4038's and a pair of Bruel & Kjaer 4006's.

The Coles were used in the final mix.

klaukholm · 29th August 2006, 06:38 PM

This all depends on the room and style.

In a good room and the style being classical I like a spaced pair of Neumann M150.
The DPA 4003/4006 are a little more shrill sounding, but good.
Schoeps MK2h and Sennheier MKH800 are also interesting options.

For a spot mic I like the TLM 170 at close range, M149 for close to medium range.

I don't like the DPA 4011/4012 for violin, particularly on the older crisp Strads when metal e-stings are used.

When recording a strad don't go for colored unless the player has issues. You really don't want to substitute a multi million dollar strad sound for $900 Coles sound.

NathanEldred · 29th August 2006, 06:40 PM

Schoeps CMC6 MK4.

blaugruen7 · 29th August 2006, 06:44 PM

listen to a brauner vm1

klaukholm · 29th August 2006, 06:45 PM

The most versatile of my options is probably a single neumann M149 seeing as the style is not classical.

This way you have 9 patterns to play with depending on the room. It will work great in his home, yet perform superbly on stage. It is hard to make anything sound bad through that mic.

d_fu · 29th August 2006, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solar

I'm going to record a Huge project with a Violoniste player who owns a Stradivarius or i think the brother or sister of Stradi called i guess Gwar something, anyways its the same as a Stradi cuz his Vilon COST 1.5 million.

You have NO friggin' idea what you're dealin' with, I think...

The name you're looking for is Guarneri del Gesù. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guarneri - bottom of page)

Solar · 29th August 2006, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by klaukholm

This all depends on the room and style.

In a good room and the style being classical I like a spaced pair of Neumann M150.
The DPA 4003/4006 are a little more shrill sounding, but good.
Schoeps MK2h and Sennheier MKH800 are also interesting options.

For a spot mic I like the TLM 170 at close range, M149 for close to medium range.

I don't like the DPA 4011/4012 for violin, particularly on the older crisp Strads when metal e-stings are used.

When recording a strad don't go for colored unless the player has issues. You really don't want to substitute a multi million dollar strad sound for $900 Coles sound.

Thanx Klaukholm!!

By the way i'm going in the recording music style of a mix of Yanni with a House, Dance, techno vibe.. not really Classical and the player is very very good, i dont want a colored Mic... thank you

Solar · 29th August 2006, 07:15 PM

Thank you all of you for the informations, i think these are really good informations and i will be looking carrefully towards.

But is someone can point at me as the following:

Violin MIC ofr "Live Shows"
Violin MIc for Home studio recording
Vilon Mic for Final recording professional Studio

Thank you

ISedlacek · 29th August 2006, 07:55 PM

If I can slip in: I would NEVER record solo violin with just one mic, it sounds always a bit poor and one dimensional. Violin radiates quite a broad spectrum of different vibrations which one mic cannot cover. And we also have two ears. For an accurate recording small diaphragm mics would be much more preferable.

I mostly use a pair of omnis for violin (Schoeps MK2). Usually an AB position with the mics about 30-40 cm apart. It is always good to place the mics in some distance from the violin, close miking rarely sounds nice in this case. Quite many times I also tried pairs of SD cardiods but somehow found that the omnis sound always the most natural and rich.

There is often some kind of myth that violin should be recorded with mics placed somewhere very much above it. To my experience it does not sound the best. First, you never listen to a violinist sitting above him and second, this position often collects some undesirable sounds. (After years of experimenting) I found the most natural mics position in front of the violinist (facing the mics in about 45 degrees) at the level of his forehead. In a smaller space in about 2-3 meters distance, in bigger spaces it depends on the overall sound and acoustics. There I would usually use two stereo pairs - one for close micing in 2-3 meters distance and other for an ambience - somewhere in the back (and then mix them up to the taste).

One thing is sure - to record violin well is the same diffcult as to play violin well ... There are so many recordings of the world famous violinists (especially from 10-30 years ago), which sound quite awful ... Sharp, scratchy ...

As for the "Strad" and its price. Nowadays the prices of old violins raised up to quite an insane level. And these very nice instruments are often used just as an investment and being placed in dead company safes, which is a pity. I have come across and played on quite a few of these old violins. They often have some touch of magic, yet even Stradivarius has made quite a lot of just mediocre sounding instruments (out of those about 600 preserved up to now). So the real quality of an instrument is not directly related to its current price and value and there are plenty of contemporary instruments that sound the same good or sometimes even better than many violins of Stradivarius and other Italian masters. So one should not think that the instrument would sound completely different than some other not so legendary instruments. Of course- there are few of them (made by Stradivari, Guarneri and others) which sound simply marvelous and their sound is unmatched. But these are mostly in use by the few world top violinists ... and passed over and over ...

Dan · 29th August 2006, 08:16 PM

I've never heard the B&K's called "shrill" especially compared to any new Neumann, maybe an M50, or M49. But that's a different than a M150/M149. I could definitely see that, but the M149 is bright mic. It sounds great in omni, I use a decca tree of them often to record string orchestra in the studio, and they excel for that. I could see it working in a pop/electronic scenario as a spot mic. When I've tried using a bright mic like that with classical players, I've gotten the reaction: "That sounds to scratchy, can I get more tone?" Also, if the player is going to use a M149 at home, make sure they get a strong mic stand. Those GC specials won't hold a mic that heavy up, if they're on a boom. Personally, I think a tube mic is a bit of a hassle for home recording. Also if you're going that route, a V72 pre would warm it up nicely!
All that being said, I just cant imagine why you would use that violin for a live techno show. An instrument that's cheaper, but has a built in mic would be much more practical, or even an electric violin. You can raise the roof as much as you want with one of those. What I'm saying is if it's House music, the level of the P.A. system is going to trash any nuance captured by a high end mic. What mic sounds good behind a 50k watt P.A.? A Shure Beta 87! (Or Schoeps CMC6 MK4 if you wanna go high end) The Shoeps CMC6 would also be great for home recording, but I do also like the M222 (tube amp) All of the mics mentioned so far in this thread work great in certain studio applications.

Lynn Fuston · 29th August 2006, 08:24 PM

I recorded a string quartet that included a Stradivarius violin and a Guarneri violincello. Together worth close to $2,000,000.

I don't recall doing anything different than usual. I used a KM-84 on the violin and a U67 on the cello. I also used a pair of room mics, but what they were escapes me.

klaukholm · 29th August 2006, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solar

Thanx Klaukholm!!

By the way i'm going in the recording music style of a mix of Yanni with a House, Dance, techno vibe

Considering the style, I actually think you might want to get somewhat close to the instrument. I would opt for both a close sound as well as the spaced omnis.
The M150's will help you get some distance without loosing prescence.
A close large diaphraghm like the TLM170 in cardioid will give you more options later in the mix process. The TLM allows you to get closer to a violin than most any other mic I know.

In a live show situation you will have to get close. One or two M149 will allow you to get relatively close while sounding very smooth.

klaukholm · 29th August 2006, 08:36 PM

Shrill is maybe a bad description. Glassy maybe? hard to find the word. The 4003/6 is great and we use them a lot, particularly as the rear surround mics for orchestra. It has a certain quality in the highs that is not always flattering to high violin. If the player has absolute tonal control and a dark sound it would work great. The schoeps M222/mk2h/s has a warmer highend and would be a good mic to have around in case others fail.

Solar · 29th August 2006, 09:10 PM

Hi guyz!

Wow, too many information but worth to read and to try them. Wow, something very important, i'm not a pro at recording Violin in that Calibre but a project is going to start soon in Mid September and i'm gonna especially need to go and get those mic at my Music Store here and get them for a week and try them all in all different ways that you guyz have mentioned here and positionning etc.. espcially for the ALBUM record of this ARTIST.

Now as for the Live show performance, dont worry guyz, he won't be using his 1.5 million Violin in everyshow.. of course not, he has another one and he is going to purchase a Electric one in case but he still want a VERY GOOD LIve Show MIC for his 1.5 million Violin, one that he will be pleased with the sound and that he wont have to change soon.

As for the Mic for himself at his home portable studio to laydown ideas, it doesnt have to be thew TOP notch mic but a good mic that translate well the real sound of his violin with Warm and no coloration if possible.

Wowo i think i'm gonna need to google and find all the websites of all these mics that has been suggested here.

"klaukholm" thank you very very much, Dan, Lynn and all of you, really appreciate it.

If any other suggestion or ways of micing , please DO NOT HESITATE!!

Thank you again

klaukholm · 29th August 2006, 09:26 PM

I forgot to ask - whats your budget for the Mic Purchases?
Can you rent mics for the occation?

Solar · 29th August 2006, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by klaukholm

I forgot to ask - whats your budget for the Mic Purchases?
Can you rent mics for the occation?

Hey Klauk!

Concerning the budget, buget i dont really is a problem, i dont wanna neither spend 5000$ on a mic (wow) but yes i do can RENT MICS and i think that is what i should do first before buying, like that i'll be the judge with my ears. What do u think?

AmekGuy · 29th August 2006, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solar

Hello Amek!

Thank you for your answer.. really appreciate your time but this Beyer is this one for Live performance or Studio purposes?

It's for studio or live recording applications.

Quote:

Also for Violin micing, is it better a Condesner Mic or Ribbon Mic? Anyhow, thank you very much and i will be checking this mic on Google to find out more.

The MC930 is a small condensor mic, which is what I prefer on acoustic sources (just a preference). Exceptionally warm sounding mic with rich detail.

klaukholm · 29th August 2006, 10:30 PM

Being able to rent will help you out a lot.
If I were you I would rent several mics for a day a few weeks before the project and try out your options. No need for two of each as you are just looking for the right sounding mic. Make sure you have the violinist for the day.

I would rent and try theese:
Neumann M50 (M150 if not available)
schoeps cmc5/6 or M222 with an MK2h capsule (omni)
DPA 4006 (try both the silver and the black grids)

TLM170
U87 or U67
mk4 capsule (cardioid) for the schoeps
M149

and something very different like a coles 4038.
Probably not what you want, but you never know.

Kjetil

Solar · 29th August 2006, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by klaukholm

Being able to rent will help you out a lot.
If I were you I would rent several mics for a day a few weeks before the project and try out your options. No need for two of each as yo

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
How to record a Stradivarius	Dragonfly	Remote Possibilities in Acoustic Music & Location Recording	48	22nd May 2007 06:44 PM
Room Micing/Ambient Micing	shanghaitang	So much gear, so little time!	1	5th October 2006 04:56 PM
Micing Alto SAX Live - Best clip on mic for the job?	CeretoneAudio	Remote Possibilities in Acoustic Music & Location Recording	5	1st March 2006 05:41 AM
Mic pre's micing guitar cabinets?	Coldsnow	So much gear, so little time!	5	19th April 2005 05:56 AM
Can close micing a trumpet damage my condenser mic?	joesmohello	Remote Possibilities in Acoustic Music & Location Recording	18	2nd November 2003 02:24 AM

29th August 2006, 05:06 PM	#1
Solar Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Canada/Vegas Posts: 678	Micing and Mic for a Stradivarius!! Hello Fellas! Yes i know my title is very "Ose" but thats the truth.. i would liek to know if anyone here can ADVISE me in these two matters: I'm going to record a Huge project with a Violoniste player who owns a Stradivarius or i think the brother or sister of Stradi called i guess Gwar something, anyways its the same as a Stradi cuz his Vilon COST 1.5 million. The point here is i'm looking forward to know wich MIC he should purchase when he is Performing on STAGE, what would be the best mic for HIM. And second, waht would be the good mic for him when we record in Studio or if there is more then one kind wich i'm sure, wich one woudl you guyz suggest me. Because i'm looking also to find him a little MIC that he could use when he wants to record himslef at hom and laydown ideas, but a kind of mic that would still sound good even if its for ideas. So finally i'm looking ofr 3 differents kind of MIC for him: ONE when he IS performing LIVE, one for the REAL recording SESSION in STudio ofr his album and last a good mic for him to record at home to put down his ideas. Thank you for any suggestion and information. And even if you guzy have some advise on hwo to mic this kind of TOP notch Violon, every comment is more then welcome. Truly __________________ MY Music Producer, Mix Engineer www.myspace.com/absolutmy

29th August 2006, 06:12 PM	#5
Solar Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Canada/Vegas Posts: 678	Cool Thanx Kats!! Thank you very much.. i will look at this one too.. __________________ MY Music Producer, Mix Engineer www.myspace.com/absolutmy

29th August 2006, 06:14 PM	#6
Dan Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Dallas Posts: 1,268	So here's me talking about B&K (DPA) microphones again. The 4011 is just an outstanding mic for this kind of thing, because it does not color the sound. If you had a $1.5m instrument don't you think it would be best to accurately represent it? Or, do you think it can sound better than it actually sounds? I'm not really arguing either way, I do think the Royers sound fantastic on violin, and often use them myself, but it is a fairly colored mic. It kind of depends what kind of project it is, and the taste of the client. Being cardiod the 4011 also works well for live, but if you don't like the look of a mic stand on stage, I've also seen the 4060 used effectively. It's kind of extreme to have a little mic on a violin like that, but when it's really gotta be miced up... I generally don't use ribbons live, but they do excel at sounding sweet in the studio. This is all assuming what you mean by live is for sound reinforcement. If you mean live recording, then just go with a pair of 4006's in the hall or Shoeps 222. __________________ Rent some gear in Dallas! http://www.transientrecording.com/Eq...%20Rental.html Or, come use it at my studio! http://www.januarysound.com/

29th August 2006, 06:15 PM	#7
jnorman Gear addict Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 444	i would suggest a schoeps cmc6/mk41 for live performance, and the DPA 4011 for the studio work. __________________ jnorman sunridge studios salem, oregon

29th August 2006, 05:25 PM	#2
AmekGuy Lives for gear Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 741	Try a Beyer MC930 (SDC). It has a lucious low end, exceptional detail, a silky smooth top end, and a midrange like the KM84, but with more output and much quieter. It is ruler flat, with a slight bump at 10kHz, adding some airiness, and it excels on acoustic sources. Astounding.

29th August 2006, 05:39 PM	#4
kats Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 2,358	I would try a Royer 122V Tubed Ribbon mic. I haven't used it, nor have I recorded a Strad - but I just stayed at a Quest Inn

29th August 2006, 06:27 PM	#9
eso Gear nut Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 128	I have recorded a real Stradivarius in the studio, (amongst other Violins), and in that instance we used a pair of Coles 4038's and a pair of Bruel & Kjaer 4006's. The Coles were used in the final mix.

29th August 2006, 06:38 PM	#10
klaukholm Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Location: Malmö, Sweden Posts: 1,245	This all depends on the room and style. In a good room and the style being classical I like a spaced pair of Neumann M150. The DPA 4003/4006 are a little more shrill sounding, but good. Schoeps MK2h and Sennheier MKH800 are also interesting options. For a spot mic I like the TLM 170 at close range, M149 for close to medium range. I don't like the DPA 4011/4012 for violin, particularly on the older crisp Strads when metal e-stings are used. When recording a strad don't go for colored unless the player has issues. You really don't want to substitute a multi million dollar strad sound for $900 Coles sound. __________________ Kjetil Laukholm European Classical Records CK Recording Malmö Symphony Orchestra

29th August 2006, 06:40 PM	#11
NathanEldred Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: West Coast Central Florida Posts: 5,451	Schoeps CMC6 MK4. __________________ Nathan Eldred Atlas Pro Audio- Boutique Gear, Consultation, Sales, & Distibution Home of the Atlas Juggernaut Preamp & 500 Series Revolver Rack USA Distributor for Buzz Audio Exclusive Worldwide Distributor for Atlas Pro Audio Gear, Old School Audio (OSA), and Burgin McDaniel Design Atlas Recording Studios, Inc. Recording/Mixing/Mastering Services

29th August 2006, 06:44 PM	#12
blaugruen7 Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: berlin Posts: 1,654	listen to a brauner vm1

29th August 2006, 06:45 PM	#13
klaukholm Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Location: Malmö, Sweden Posts: 1,245	The most versatile of my options is probably a single neumann M149 seeing as the style is not classical. This way you have 9 patterns to play with depending on the room. It will work great in his home, yet perform superbly on stage. It is hard to make anything sound bad through that mic. __________________ Kjetil Laukholm European Classical Records CK Recording Malmö Symphony Orchestra

29th August 2006, 07:15 PM	#16
Solar Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Canada/Vegas Posts: 678	By the way: Thank you all of you for the informations, i think these are really good informations and i will be looking carrefully towards. But is someone can point at me as the following: Violin MIC ofr "Live Shows" Violin MIc for Home studio recording Vilon Mic for Final recording professional Studio Thank you __________________ MY Music Producer, Mix Engineer www.myspace.com/absolutmy

29th August 2006, 07:55 PM	#17
ISedlacek Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Czech mountains and forests Posts: 2,873	If I can slip in: I would NEVER record solo violin with just one mic, it sounds always a bit poor and one dimensional. Violin radiates quite a broad spectrum of different vibrations which one mic cannot cover. And we also have two ears. For an accurate recording small diaphragm mics would be much more preferable. I mostly use a pair of omnis for violin (Schoeps MK2). Usually an AB position with the mics about 30-40 cm apart. It is always good to place the mics in some distance from the violin, close miking rarely sounds nice in this case. Quite many times I also tried pairs of SD cardiods but somehow found that the omnis sound always the most natural and rich. There is often some kind of myth that violin should be recorded with mics placed somewhere very much above it. To my experience it does not sound the best. First, you never listen to a violinist sitting above him and second, this position often collects some undesirable sounds. (After years of experimenting) I found the most natural mics position in front of the violinist (facing the mics in about 45 degrees) at the level of his forehead. In a smaller space in about 2-3 meters distance, in bigger spaces it depends on the overall sound and acoustics. There I would usually use two stereo pairs - one for close micing in 2-3 meters distance and other for an ambience - somewhere in the back (and then mix them up to the taste). One thing is sure - to record violin well is the same diffcult as to play violin well ... There are so many recordings of the world famous violinists (especially from 10-30 years ago), which sound quite awful ... Sharp, scratchy ... As for the "Strad" and its price. Nowadays the prices of old violins raised up to quite an insane level. And these very nice instruments are often used just as an investment and being placed in dead company safes, which is a pity. I have come across and played on quite a few of these old violins. They often have some touch of magic, yet even Stradivarius has made quite a lot of just mediocre sounding instruments (out of those about 600 preserved up to now). So the real quality of an instrument is not directly related to its current price and value and there are plenty of contemporary instruments that sound the same good or sometimes even better than many violins of Stradivarius and other Italian masters. So one should not think that the instrument would sound completely different than some other not so legendary instruments. Of course- there are few of them (made by Stradivari, Guarneri and others) which sound simply marvelous and their sound is unmatched. But these are mostly in use by the few world top violinists ... and passed over and over ... __________________ Ivo Velvet Mastering Savita Music

29th August 2006, 08:16 PM	#18
Dan Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Dallas Posts: 1,268	I've never heard the B&K's called "shrill" especially compared to any new Neumann, maybe an M50, or M49. But that's a different than a M150/M149. I could definitely see that, but the M149 is bright mic. It sounds great in omni, I use a decca tree of them often to record string orchestra in the studio, and they excel for that. I could see it working in a pop/electronic scenario as a spot mic. When I've tried using a bright mic like that with classical players, I've gotten the reaction: "That sounds to scratchy, can I get more tone?" Also, if the player is going to use a M149 at home, make sure they get a strong mic stand. Those GC specials won't hold a mic that heavy up, if they're on a boom. Personally, I think a tube mic is a bit of a hassle for home recording. Also if you're going that route, a V72 pre would warm it up nicely! All that being said, I just cant imagine why you would use that violin for a live techno show. An instrument that's cheaper, but has a built in mic would be much more practical, or even an electric violin. You can raise the roof as much as you want with one of those. What I'm saying is if it's House music, the level of the P.A. system is going to trash any nuance captured by a high end mic. What mic sounds good behind a 50k watt P.A.? A Shure Beta 87! (Or Schoeps CMC6 MK4 if you wanna go high end) The Shoeps CMC6 would also be great for home recording, but I do also like the M222 (tube amp) All of the mics mentioned so far in this thread work great in certain studio applications. __________________ Rent some gear in Dallas! http://www.transientrecording.com/Eq...%20Rental.html Or, come use it at my studio! http://www.januarysound.com/

29th August 2006, 08:24 PM	#19
Lynn Fuston Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Spring Hill, TN, USA Posts: 1,783	I recorded a string quartet that included a Stradivarius violin and a Guarneri violincello. Together worth close to $2,000,000. I don't recall doing anything different than usual. I used a KM-84 on the violin and a U67 on the cello. I also used a pair of room mics, but what they were escapes me. __________________ Lynn Fuston 3D Audio Inc. Host of 3dB Offering downloads of Preamp, Mic, DAW summing comparisons here. Sign the Metallica petition and tell the industry "we want to enjoy listening to music again, instead of distortion." I'm 5444.

29th August 2006, 08:36 PM	#21
klaukholm Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Location: Malmö, Sweden Posts: 1,245	Shrill is maybe a bad description. Glassy maybe? hard to find the word. The 4003/6 is great and we use them a lot, particularly as the rear surround mics for orchestra. It has a certain quality in the highs that is not always flattering to high violin. If the player has absolute tonal control and a dark sound it would work great. The schoeps M222/mk2h/s has a warmer highend and would be a good mic to have around in case others fail. __________________ Kjetil Laukholm European Classical Records CK Recording Malmö Symphony Orchestra

29th August 2006, 09:10 PM	#22
Solar Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Canada/Vegas Posts: 678	Too much information!! Hi guyz! Wow, too many information but worth to read and to try them. Wow, something very important, i'm not a pro at recording Violin in that Calibre but a project is going to start soon in Mid September and i'm gonna especially need to go and get those mic at my Music Store here and get them for a week and try them all in all different ways that you guyz have mentioned here and positionning etc.. espcially for the ALBUM record of this ARTIST. Now as for the Live show performance, dont worry guyz, he won't be using his 1.5 million Violin in everyshow.. of course not, he has another one and he is going to purchase a Electric one in case but he still want a VERY GOOD LIve Show MIC for his 1.5 million Violin, one that he will be pleased with the sound and that he wont have to change soon. As for the Mic for himself at his home portable studio to laydown ideas, it doesnt have to be thew TOP notch mic but a good mic that translate well the real sound of his violin with Warm and no coloration if possible. Wowo i think i'm gonna need to google and find all the websites of all these mics that has been suggested here. "klaukholm" thank you very very much, Dan, Lynn and all of you, really appreciate it. If any other suggestion or ways of micing , please DO NOT HESITATE!! Thank you again __________________ MY Music Producer, Mix Engineer www.myspace.com/absolutmy

29th August 2006, 09:26 PM	#23
klaukholm Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Location: Malmö, Sweden Posts: 1,245	I forgot to ask - whats your budget for the Mic Purchases? Can you rent mics for the occation? __________________ Kjetil Laukholm European Classical Records CK Recording Malmö Symphony Orchestra

29th August 2006, 10:30 PM	#26
klaukholm Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Location: Malmö, Sweden Posts: 1,245	Being able to rent will help you out a lot. If I were you I would rent several mics for a day a few weeks before the project and try out your options. No need for two of each as you are just looking for the right sounding mic. Make sure you have the violinist for the day. I would rent and try theese: Neumann M50 (M150 if not available) schoeps cmc5/6 or M222 with an MK2h capsule (omni) DPA 4006 (try both the silver and the black grids) TLM170 U87 or U67 mk4 capsule (cardioid) for the schoeps M149 and something very different like a coles 4038. Probably not what you want, but you never know. Kjetil __________________ Kjetil Laukholm European Classical Records CK Recording Malmö Symphony Orchestra