Recording Mics and Placement

Scoredog · May 2016

Your choice and how you like to use it....studio setup.

Buco · May 2016

I was expecting a "how to"...

I don't know anything about studio recording but I once, at the audio show, heard a jazz band recording and commented how nice it sounded only to find out it was done live with a pair of vintage AKG C 414 (I think) and nothing else.
I was impressed to say the least. It was the recording engineer I talked to and he said that was his preferred way to record live acoustic music.

bluetrain · May 2016

I prefer to use high quality ribbon mic. Usually ribbons are quite dark and need to be placed pretty far to prevent too much proximity effect. I have this AEA N22 which is designed a little bit differently and can be placed really close. The usual condencer mics are just too bright to my taste but I haven't been able to try the expensive ones over 1k price range. I've seen many recording sessions videos of gypsy jazz guitars and usually they use combination of ribbon mic and condencer.

bluetrain · May 2016

Here you can listen to some of my home recordings I've made entirely using ribbons on guitars and bass:
https://soundcloud.com/tomi-kettunen

Scoredog · May 2016

Do you change proximity for rhythm and lead or keep the same. I have not tried my Royer 122 ribbon as for most acoustics I use a KM184 but I find it a bit bright for GJ.

Thanks for your response.

Jon · May 2016

I like different mics for different guitars, but have been using mostly a LDC (either Audio Technica AT4050, or a good tube U47 clone I've got) and an SDC (Shure SM81 or another Neumann clone, of a KM184) together, and mixing them together. I've come to prefer this over ribbons - I used to have an AEA R84, a Cascade Fathead, and some others - but still have a locally made ribbon that is modelled on a Royer R121 that sounds good on my Dupont, but never did on my Favino, which seemed to love the condensors more. After a lot of experimenting, I like a spot straight on along the fret board, about 15-30cm away, moving closer to or further away from the sound hole (starting around the 14th fret) depending on the sound of the guitar. This seems to be working for now...

Tomi's sound with his AEA ribbon is really wonderful, but he already sounds great without the mic

Jazzaferri · May 2016

I have been using either an AT 2020 or a Neumann KMS 105. On my Dunn I definitely prefer the Neumann near field slightly may 10 degrees off axis about 6 inches away from hole.

On my DuPont it has such a bark to it on rhythm, while still up in the air I think I prefer the 2020 at about 2 feet otherwise the attack is too crisp on the recording.

Both were used in the studio with a real engineer in January and again in March.

pickitjohn · May 2016

One of my Favorite recordings is Fapy and Le Jazz.

There is an interesting thread posted ...
Fapy Le Jazz on the vintage Mic

http://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/12041/

Someone may have more details.. I hope.

bluetrain · May 2016

Scoredog wrote: »

Do you change proximity for rhythm and lead or keep the same. I have not tried my Royer 122 ribbon as for most acoustics I use a KM184 but I find it a bit bright for GJ.

I keep it the same. With AEA N22 I point it towards the neck and body joint around 14th fret with distance of 15cm. With "regular" ribbons this distance could be maybe 40cm-50cm and with that big distance I think the ribbon placement is not as critical. During the mixing I do a little different eq:ing for rhythm and solo. Rhythm guitar doesn't need as much bass as the solo guitar.

Al Watsky · May 2016

A stereo array of AKG 414's is very good and with tube pre's in my case do not require a lot of post production EQ. I've also started working with a CM12SE from Advanced Audio. Its a modded Chinese clone of the AKG C12. I'm encouraged. Very dimensional. So far using it mostly for classical guitar and its doing a great job.