Advice needed on recording acoustic guitar and vocal using one mic.

[Toby Walker]

I'll soon be recording myself based on the way the musicians back in the 30's did it: one mic in front of them to handle both acoustic guitar and vocal. All of the songs will be from that time period.

The recordings will be available only as mp3 downloads. With today's technology, I'd still like them to be of the highest quality possible.

I already own a Blue Yeti mic which I plug directly into my iMac, using Quick Time. I'm thinking there might be a better way to do this. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

[ChuckS]

Maybe consider a stereo ribbon mic. It could provide some isolation of the vocals and the guitar, and might also give an old time flavor. If you are definitely doing a single mono mic, a ribbon or a 47 style LDC could be nice options to try.

[russchapman]

You can make great recordings with just one mic. No phase issues, no weird panning or stereo imaging- it can make for a powerful presentation.

That said, here are some things to consider:

- Your room. It needs to be tight- bad acoustics are not your friend.
- Proximity and mic placement. Both in terms of vocal/guitar balance and bass response (your beautiful lo-mids will fade as you get further from the mic).
- Mic selection. Oh, lots of choices here. A ribbon will require more from your room, but will keep your lo-mids in tack, while a well placed dynamic mic (and, yes I have used a dynamic for this) will make for a focused recording, but will require a higher quality preamp. Then there are the myriad of condensers- where to begin? I'd look for something darker.
- Your budget. The sky's the limit (um...). You would need an audio interface, a DAW, a new mic and perhaps a higher quality preamp. It's a lot to take in...even for such a seemingly simple task- lots of gear combinations to consider. Also, there is a learning curve if you want quality.

Finally, I would seriously think about getting my songs down and finding a studio with an amazing engineer. Pay $500-700 for a day and leave with 10-20 songs that will likely sound better than anything you could do at home. Admittedly, there is a charm to doing things at home, though!

Best of luck- keep us posted! I love MONO single mic recordings!

[Bob Womack]

I'd definitely go with a U-47 or a clone. The U-47 was specifically designed to allow you to record voice and an ensemble with one mic. You simply found a good room, set up, and blended by mic location. The mic's response isn't flat for that very reason: there is a bulge in the upper-mids to allow voice articulation with still picking up the broad range of frequencies from the backing instrumentation.

Right now the least expensive U-47-ish mic I've found is the MXL Revelation, available from PSSL for $399. My review is HERE. You can also rent a U-47 type from several studio supply houses.

Bob

[KevWind]

Not sure exactly what you mean by "better way to do this "
And you have not indicated if your willing to spend more money or how much.

That said : If you don't really want to spend any more money (which may not really be necessary particularly if this is a one time project ) , One suggestion I would make is record into Garage Band as opposed to QT this will give you the ability to edit and add some basic effects and produce a reasonable master.
If you are thinking of getting into home recording on a more regular basis and are willing to spend some money, decide on a budget range first..... because the sky is the limit in possibilities , options, and price

[Toby Walker]

Thanks so much for the advice folks. I'll be looking into it all and will certainly keep you updated.

[Toby Walker]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

I'd definitely go with a U-47 or a clone. The U-47 was specifically designed to allow you to record voice and an ensemble with one mic. You simply found a good room, set up, and blended by mic location. The mic's response isn't flat for that very reason: there is a bulge in the upper-mids to allow voice articulation with still picking up the broad range of frequencies from the backing instrumentation.

Right now the least expensive U-47-ish mic I've found is the MXL Revelation, available from PSSL for $399. My review is HERE. You can also rent a U-47 type from several studio supply houses.

Bob

Thanks Bob. Could I then plug that into an audio interface? The one I was looking at is the Focusrite Scarlett Solo (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface, which I could use with Pro Tools.

[Toby Walker]

Originally Posted by russchapman

You can make great recordings with just one mic. No phase issues, no weird panning or stereo imaging- it can make for a powerful presentation.

That said, here are some things to consider:

- Your room. It needs to be tight- bad acoustics are not your friend.
- Proximity and mic placement. Both in terms of vocal/guitar balance and bass response (your beautiful lo-mids will fade as you get further from the mic).
- Mic selection. Oh, lots of choices here. A ribbon will require more from your room, but will keep your lo-mids in tack, while a well placed dynamic mic (and, yes I have used a dynamic for this) will make for a focused recording, but will require a higher quality preamp. Then there are the myriad of condensers- where to begin? I'd look for something darker.
- Your budget. The sky's the limit (um...). You would need an audio interface, a DAW, a new mic and perhaps a higher quality preamp. It's a lot to take in...even for such a seemingly simple task- lots of gear combinations to consider. Also, there is a learning curve if you want quality.

Finally, I would seriously think about getting my songs down and finding a studio with an amazing engineer. Pay $500-700 for a day and leave with 10-20 songs that will likely sound better than anything you could do at home. Admittedly, there is a charm to doing things at home, though!

Best of luck- keep us posted! I love MONO single mic recordings!

Thanks so much.

I'm looking to do this at home in a good room, keeping it as simple as I can. I figure that if I have the right equipment and training, I could use it as much as I'd like. Again, I'm going for a very basic sound here without any overdubbing, mixing, or mastering.

[Brent Hahn]

Hi Toby -

Is this the room you have in mind?

[Toby Walker]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

Hi Toby -

Is this the room you have in mind?

Doesn't have to be. I can record elsewhere.

[JohnDWilliams]

What a great plan Toby. Don't over think it just do it. You've already got way better equipment than the old guys had.

It's funny that you are pairing such old school ideas with a USB mic and a laptop.

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by Toby Walker

Doesn't have to be. I can record elsewhere.

Oh -- okay. If it was that room, it's fine for video because we can see you. Eyes open, you're maybe 4 feet away. Eyes closed, you're more like 15 or 20 feet away, and a pro microphone wouldn't help much.

If you have an acoustically deader alternative, probably much deader, I think you'd be happier with it.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Toby Walker

Thanks Bob. Could I then plug that into an audio interface? The one I was looking at is the Focusrite Scarlett Solo (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface, which I could use with Pro Tools.

Ah so that is quite a bit different than a USB Mic into the computer as per your original post. And it sounds like you are considering the usage for more than this one project.

So yes you can basically connect any mic (except a USB mic like the Yeti) to the Focusrite .
However looking to the future and for a bit more of a "future proof" option for just a bit more money I would look at something like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 with two mic pres.
That way if you decided to do a more modern production you could record from two mics simultaneously for either stereo guitar , guitar and vocal , two guitars etc.

[Toby Walker]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

Oh -- okay. If it was that room, it's fine for video because we can see you. Eyes open, you're maybe 4 feet away. Eyes closed, you're more like 15 or 20 feet away, and a pro microphone wouldn't help much.

If you have an acoustically deader alternative, probably much deader, I think you'd be happier with it.

Thanks Brent!

[Toby Walker]

Originally Posted by JohnDWilliams

What a great plan Toby. Don't over think it just do it. You've already got way better equipment than the old guys had.

It's funny that you are pairing such old school ideas with a USB mic and a laptop.

I have a problem overthinking anything.