Official Luthiers Forum!

I have a little Tascam 4 track unit that I would like to get a decent mic for. I'll be recording violin, cello and of course guitars. I don't have a lot to spend, approx $100 or so and was wondering if any of you could make any recommendations?
Thanks

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

You could get a ADK Neumann clone, or an Oktava 219 or 319. Try eBay.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

the oktava's are pretty darn good for the money.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

You should get some type of condenser mic, and not a dynamic (such as a SM57 or SM58). Small diaphragm condenser mics work very well for recording acoustic instruments, and large diaphragm ones are great for vocals as well as instruments.

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Mark Swanson
Swanson Guitars
http://www.MarkSwansonMusic.com

Hi Jim,

For acoustic instruments, about the best deal going in an affordable range is the Behringer B-5 condenser microphone. It is a very nice sounding condenser mic that has interchangeable omnidirectional and cardioid (unidirectional) capsules. It's about $90 from Musician's Friend and other vendors.

I have a friend that has one of these & it really sounds terrific on guitar (8" away & aimed at the 14th fret). Works great on other acoustic instruments too. It sounds very similar to the Neumann KM-184 mics I use at work (TV & radio engineer) for 1/8th the price. Take a look ...

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/bas e_pid/270492/

Good luck,
Skip

good call Skip. Behringer actually copied Studio projects' C4 microphone
for the B5's they make. Really good deal, and good bang for the buck.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I like the Behringer gear and I use one of the modelling amps. I have not heard that mic but I agree, it does sound like a good deal.

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Mark Swanson
Swanson Guitars
http://www.MarkSwansonMusic.com

For the money, the Behringer is a good deal, but make note it will need a
phantom power source.
-C

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Freeborn Guitars
and home of BeauGuard©

Any condeser mic will need a phantom power source. If you are using a condenser mic, make sure you have some sort of compression otherwise, you could get a lot of clipping. I'v always had great success with SM57s. Ideally, you would have three mics when recording a guitar. One near the middle of the fingerboard, one near the soundhole and one about six feet away. This would give you the most natural sound and let you pick up all the overtones of the instrument.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

I have the AKG C-1000 condenser mic that will run with a 9volt battery. It is a very nice mic for acoustic instruments at a reasonable price.John How38663.4563310185

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Thanks for the information, I'll look into some these.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

You might also take a look at MXL 990s. I bought two of these condenser mics for classical chamber music recording a few weeks ago from Musicians Friend for $49.95 per. They require 48v phantom power. (I'm using an M-box w/Pro-tools) They sound terrific. (and the price was right!)

I use a couple Shure SM81's and have been quite happy with them. They are condensers and will run either off phantom power or an onboard AA battery. The AA battery lasts at least a couple years, even if used several hours a week.

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live