New to MD

[PabstFan]

Hey,

I am new to MD and i have been surfing the internet for the past couple of days and some forums and joined this one. I am a musician and I am interested in recording my practing on MD so that I can go back and listen. I know I need not jsut a line in but also a mic in for best results. But can I just use any ole mic or is there a certain one that is better for recording music? Is there a certain model better than others in recording? Any help is great.

Thanks

[A440]

There are a lot of variations among microphones.

Using the mic that came with your computer, for instance, will not give you as good sound as mics made to pick up music.

What kind of music are you recording? Loud or soft, full spectrum (low bass up to high treble) or a single instrument, solo or ensemble, etc. You might want to get a mic that makes your particular instrument sound good; you might want to get mics that generally pick up a good approximation of what your ears are hearing.

Can you describe your situation a bit more?

Edited December 3, 2006 by A440

[Richard]

* Moved to Live Recording

[PabstFan]

Yes I can. I will mostly be recording percussion instruments. Marimba, snare drum and all others, and some wind band ensembles. Most of the practice rooms are concrete walls and tile floors, but i can get a stage if it is not being used.

thanks

[King Ghidora]

Mics are very particular about what sort of enviorment they perform best in. One mic will do better recording one type of music or sound in a certain location while another mic will record another type of music or sound in another type of location. People generally want to get a stereo mic for recording live music to a MD since all MD's record in stereo. There are different types of stereo mics to choose from as well. A single point stereo mic is sometimes the easiest to deal with but again it isn't perfect for all situations by any means. Matched pairs of mics are often used to record stereo music also. Then there's diaphragm size and general mic construction to consider not to mention price.

Where I'm going with all this info is that there is no such thing as a perfect mic for every situation. All of the factors I listed can affect your choice. If you only want to buy one good mic that will work well in a lot of situations with your MD then there are some mics that people generally consider to be decent.

When I wanted a single mic to record to my MD I chose a single point stereo condensor mic with a M/S configuration and I paid about $100 for it. I thought that mic was a versatile mic and I still do. It is a Sony ECM-MS907. This has been a very popular mic over the years but IMO that mic has been surpassed by other mics in it's price range since I bought mine several years ago.

Since that time I have bought another single point stereo mic because I still think they are good all around mics to the money. I bought a Nady CM-2S this time. It has a better low range than the Sony. It has an XY configuration which has different strengths from my Sony so essentially it compliments a mic I already have by doing slightly different jobs better. I paid $119 for that mic and I think it is an excellent mic.

If you have more money to spend you might want to get an Audio-Technica AT822 which is considered to be an excellent mic. It runs about $250 though so the price is considerably higher than the Nady or the Sony (which can be bought for around $75 now).

I didn't mean to confuse you. It's just that mics come in a wide variety of designs and the quality varies considerably. Knowing how much money you wish to spend and exactly how you're going to use the mic will help you pick the best mic for you. For example recording percussion instruments usually is done best with a mono mic but I would choose a stereo mic for the ensembles you mention. Then again a mic that is well suited for reflective surfaces like the concrete rooms isn't going to do as well on a stage setting. One takes a directional mic to work best but the other can be done well with an omni.

You can either go with an all around good mic that does some things very well and other things fairly well or you can try to pick the perfect mic for your situation. You need to decide what you want most from a mic then we can help you better.

[PabstFan]

Thanks to all for the help and advice.