What microphone and rec mode for acoustic instrument recording?

[DaveNH700]

Hi,

Can anyone suggest a suitable microphone to record close up acoustic guitar and banjo sessions on?

I purchased a 'Yoga Uni-Directional Compact mic' a while ago. This plugs directly into the MD recorder and is powered from it too. There's no lead so it's quite neat but the results lack bass. It's ok for speach but dissapointing for acoustic music recordings.

I borrowed an Audio Technica AT9720 (an old model which I'm told is equivalent to today's ATR97) boundary mic and get better results with that. Is there a mic out there that I would get even better results with?

Also, is the sound quality of a recording made in Hi-SP better or worse than a recording made in MD-SP or MD-Mono?

If I purchased/borrowed an XLR mic (such as the M-Audio Luna) is there an adapter unit that I could use to plug it into the 3.5mm mic input on my NH700?

Thanks,

Dave.

[boojum]

Hi,

Can anyone suggest a suitable microphone to record close up acoustic guitar and banjo sessions on?

I purchased a 'Yoga Uni-Directional Compact mic' a while ago. This plugs directly into the MD recorder and is powered from it too. There's no lead so it's quite neat but the results lack bass. It's ok for speach but dissapointing for acoustic music recordings.

I borrowed an Audio Technica AT9720 (an old model which I'm told is equivalent to today's ATR97) boundary mic and get better results with that. Is there a mic out there that I would get even better results with?

Also, is the sound quality of a recording made in Hi-SP better or worse than a recording made in MD-SP or MD-Mono?

If I purchased/borrowed an XLR mic (such as the M-Audio Luna) is there an adapter unit that I could use to plug it into the 3.5mm mic input on my NH700?

Thanks,

Dave.

Dave - mics can cost up to the price of a small car. How much do you want to spend? You can buy a plenty good mic for ~US$200. Microphone Madness and Sound Professionals both offer good stereo mics in this price range, and less. There are adapters for XLR to mini-plug, too. The least compressed recording mode will offer the best sound. I would suggest Hi-SP.

Cheers

[whatswisdom]

You can buy a plenty good mic for ~US$200. Microphone Madness and Sound Professionals both offer good stereo mics in this price range, and less.

Cheers

I too am interested in the this question. I am getting ready to record some acoustic guitar and banjos with my RH1. For now, all I have is an AT-PRO24. What kind of quality should be expected? I'm going to upgrade, perhaps to an AT-822, when my $$ situation allows.

Thanks,

PF

[A440]

Try it and see, but it should be pretty good. AT has a strong reputation to protect. The Pro24 is a stereo mic, and it's cardioid--directional--so point it at your players and make sure they're not sitting too far apart.

Try various mic placements: closer to or further from the musicians. The best spot will vary with the room.

The frequency response is 100-17,000. 100 is somewhere around the G about 2 octaves from the bottom A of a piano (which is 27.5 Hz--next A is 55 Hz, then 110, doubling with each octave). Should be fine for the banjo, may be a bit thin for the guitar. Again, try it--depending on how the musicians play, it could sound fine.

[whatswisdom]

Try it and see, but it should be pretty good. AT has a strong reputation to protect. The Pro24 is a stereo mic, and it's cardioid--directional--so point it at your players and make sure they're not sitting too far apart.

Try various mic placements: closer to or further from the musicians. The best spot will vary with the room.

The frequency response is 100-17,000. 100 is somewhere around the G about 2 octaves from the bottom A of a piano (which is 27.5 Hz--next A is 55 Hz, then 110, doubling with each octave). Should be fine for the banjo, may be a bit thin for the guitar. Again, try it--depending on how the musicians play, it could sound fine.

Thanks a lot for your info. I'm recording some demos of my own banjo and guitar playing with a view towards putting out a solo cd. Minidisc is the perfect tool for preparation given the editing capabilities. I love it. I'll post a short follow up when I get some takes.