Acoustic Recording

[gromitsdad]

This is kind of an informal poll, but I was wondering if most people record their acoustic with condenser mics or through direct input? I've always used DI, but lately I've been thinking about buying some condenser mics...I can't quite get the sounds I want through DI. Opinions?? Any help would be appreciated!

Chris

[gatorjj]

I recently bought a matched pair of Rode small condensers, but other than some quick playing around haven't done much with them. I have a Fishman in my guitar that sounds great but the mic'd sound is a lot more natural. I need to spend some time with them and see what setup I like best for micing, there's a lot of ways to skin that cat!

[mickeymix]

I've had better success miking with a condenser (B.L.U.E Baby Bottle)........then with using the onboard Fishman in my Fender DG-22C..... I wish RiffWorks allowed sends 1 & 2 to be mixed with sends 3 & 4 so I could blend them using my TonePort UX2 dual amped.
The DI thing always has sounded too tinny for my ears......

[gromitsdad]

Thanks...I tried a couple of different things, I posted a new acoustic song called "Scottish Sunrise" a couple of days ago using some new recording ideas.

[gromitsdad]

I just ordered an AKG Perception 200 that I'm gonna try for recording acoustic, and maybe some vocals too depending if it can perform miracles!

Chris

[mickeymix]

I almost bought that Mike...in fact I went to GuitarCenter with that mike picked out but alas it was out of stock! Came home with a B.L.U.E. Baby Bottle condenser, which I also had my eye on ......bit the bullet on the price ($599.00 American), put it on a credit card and have never regretted it........that AKG is a really cool Mike ......a buddy has a Perception 100 and it sounds good too......

[blue4u]

I have the AKG Perception 200. It's decent for acoustic if you play with positioning and find the right spot for it. On my Taylor I like it right behind the bridge. Strange place to mic an acoustic guitar I know, but it works well for me It's too bright at the 12th fret and still too boomy right at the sound hole. Just behind the bridge has a nice midrange tone for my purposes. The Taylor is a bright guitar though. If you have a darker tone you might find good luck at the 12th fret. Positioning is EVERYTHING! It changes the tone in a HUGE way so move the mic around a lot to find your "sweet spot". This video will give you some good ideas and comparisons: http://youtube.com/watch?v=m4d-BwkciOk

The AKG Perception 200 is fairly detailed and crisp. It has some magic but it can be a lil' edgy (and too bright sometimes) on the high end. For vocals, I didn't like on my voice. Had trouble with sibilance ("s" and "t" and "z" sounds). For the price though, it's a GREAT mic and I'm sure you'll be pleased with it

Rich

[gromitsdad]

Hmmm...you guys are making me nervous about my choice; oh well, I'll probably know right away whether I like it or not. I rarely buy any music equipment from Ebay, but someone with 100% positive feedback was offering it brand new for $115 with case, shockmount, mic pre-amp and free shipping.

It's funny, I've played guitar for almost 30 years now and it seems like almost everyone I used to be close with musically and turn to for this kind of advice has just sort of faded away in their interest, so this is definately the place to be for good advice.

Thanks again Mick and Rich!!
Chris

[blue4u]

Don't be nervous. This is an amazing mic for the price!! But every mic is unique and when it comes to vocals it's a personal choice about what works best for each particular voice. For my voice, it was just too bright. This particular mic, in this price range is one of the top 3 I found based on online reviews. I did a lot of research before I bought it and the feedback was consistently positive. I think you'll like it

Rich