[SprintBob]

My signal chain in a recent S&T posting was Neumann KM-184 mics to a Zoom H5 portable recorder. The WAV file downloaded later to Reaper on a Dell laptop for post processing. I use Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones for monitoring. I’ve got two other songs I hope to share in the next 1-2 weeks and my setup ditches the H5 and the mics go into a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 interface than to Reaper on the laptop. This is a bit better than the Zoom H5.

Room treatment wise, I work from a 10x10 room with 8’ ceilings and hardwood floors. One outside window, guitars hanging on wall hangers, TV on one wall, keyboard against one wall, not optimal. I do have a rug on the floor. All I did sound treatment wise was to order two acoustic panels (3’x6’) that are hinged together. I set them up as a shallow V and place my mic stand with my mics setup in a spaced pair within the V and then sit about 12” from the mics (one mic pointing at the bridge and one at the 12th fret of the guitar). I’m very pleased with the results so far. There seems to no room effect (like you are in a cave) and I only have to deal with extraneous noises like birds singing just outside the window or planes flying overhead. I do usually wait on my wife to be out when I do a recording session or do it later at night when she has gone to bed. I’ll be experimenting with other mic setups down the road.

My goal is to get a good quality recording of songs I learn for myself that I can keep for listening to down the road and to share with AGF friends here are well as friends and family.

As pointed out by Chris above and many others, you want to get the best raw recording you can that minimizes post processing.