Favorite Mic-Preamp Combo(s) for Recording Guitar & Vocals

alohachris · #1 10-03-2014, 07:05 PM

Aloha,

I would love to read what your current favorite mic-preamp combo is for recording acoustic guitar.

What type/size is your guitar?

Styles of guitar music you play?

Favorite mic/preamp combo for recording vocals, if different? Styles of vocal music you sing?

Current Favorite miking pattern or placement?

Me:

Guitars:
Small bodied 00/000 sized (w/ deeper sides) 6 & 12-string recording guitars I made several decades ago. Other types of acoustic instruments as well (some don't even have necks - Ha!).

Styles:
I play (or try to play) a little of everything from Kiho'alu & Keola Beamer to JS Bach & Offenbach, Beatles to Jobim, Richie Havens to Tony Rice, JT to Kottke, DeGrassi to de Lucia, Hendrix to Jimmy Page, solo jazz standards, "Little Bawby Zimmerman" to Joni Mitchell, lotsa solo fingerstyle guitar pieces from the last 40 years, Thai court music to lotsa blues & Texas slide, a bit of country, British Isles & bluegrass, traditional folk music of many cultures, Reggae, & a little classical - but not so much of the most modern stylings or rhythms. My favorite playing style is quieter fingerstylings & more accessible, simpler songs. My current favorite music to listen to is Baroque. My next favorite instrument is the cello (Yo-Yo Ma's 1983 Bach Cello Suites are still a big hit w/ me).

For Recording Acoustic Guitars (favorite mic/preamp):
A matched pair of Schoeps CMC641 hypercardioid SDC's (use several other interchangeable caps too) paired w/ a Pendulum MDP-1a two channel tube preamp or an A Designs Pacifica. Sometimes I'll add an AEA R-84 in Mid-Sides mode w/ an AEA RPQ Preamp (more headroom). The Schoeps interchangeable caps give me an amazing amount of variety. I no longer need any other mic's or pre's for recording my music.

So last year, I sold off all my other guitar recording mic's (around 16 mic pairs - great mic's, incl. some vintage early 70's U-87's) & my unused preamps (John Hardy, Great River, a few 500 series experiments, etc.). Feeling much lighter & scaled back to a more appropriate scope of gear for my now very light level of recording activity.

For Recording Vocals (favorite mic/preamp): Microtech-Gefell UM-900 or a Mojave M-200 vocal LDC tube mic's w/ the Pendulum MDP-1a preamp. My voice needs all the help it can get. These are the combo's it likes the most. The UM-900 is like a dream.

Vocal Styles:
Increasingly, it's "old man sings even older songs from his hey day or before." Ha, it's been a long road to get down to this level I'll tell ya. I love songs that tell stories, like funny ironic stories, & sing a share of funny Irish & original songs - nothing grandiose or important (unless I make fun of them). I love songs written by friends & people I know that reflect the little world we live in. Not many pop songs at all anymore. Of course, just about any mic would do me well at this stage, Ha!. But I have earned the toys I worked up to for over 50 years as a gigger. Not doing regular gigs anymore (the cell phone has changed the positive & audience dynamics of all that compared to those glorious yesteryears of the singer-songwriter era when you could make a real connection. We have better axes & tools now but no wholly present audience?!?). So, only great music parties or jams now. Hawaii offers many choices for acoustic musicians - everyone plays or dances.

So share your gear & your stories, my friends. It'll be fun to see what you're all using these days. My, how that gear technology does change (or not!).

Mahalo a nui,

alohachris

RRuskin · #2 10-03-2014, 07:38 PM

Acoustic guitars: Depending on how I plan the track, 1-2 channels of a Great River Electronics MP-4 being fed by 1 or 2 Sennheiser MKH 406's, MKH 40's, or Electo-Voice CS15's. Scenario #2 is an AKG 414-TLII in figure 8 and one of the MKH's in an M/S array. Same Great River preamps although I will sometimes use a SpectraSonics 101 or a Deanne Jensen designed but locally built unit for the center microphone. Finally, the TLII in cardioid feeding a Great River ME-INV all by itself. I've got a quiet room and these mics are particularly sensitive so that I don't have to be close to them. Guitars sound much more natural that way, IMHO.

Vocals: Any of the above preamps looking at any 1 of the following - Sony C-37A, C37FET, C37P, ECM 56F, RCA 77DX, AEA 84, Fostex M88RP. The exact combination depends on the voice being recorded at the time.

alohachris · #3 10-04-2014, 03:18 PM

Aloha Rick,

I love the choices that your mic/pre lockers provide. Tonal shaping for all occasions & voices! Thanks for sharing the list which shows us players how a planned line of gear choices flows together to be applied to the right voice, instrument or situation. The questions we might ask ourselves are, "Why that grouping of mic's & not another similar grouping of similar mic's?" "What are the subtle differences among these mic's & then go have a listen for yourself (for the fun & knowledge of it). At least that's what your lists make me want to do, Rick. Like the SpectraSonic & Deanne Jensen lines - never heard of them. Thanks.

The C-37 is a truly classic great mic as are those top of the line MKH series of Sennheisers - comparable to Schoeps (all your mic's are really great, Rick). I love Great River's preamps, full sized or 500 series for their clarity, accuracy, musicality, & Neve vibe. I owned one for a year. Loved it til I heard my mic's & music played through the MDP-1a tube pre.

The TlII IS the king series of AKG's 414 series. I've auditioned every new 414 Series that's come out but have yet to fall in love with the 414 for vocals (my voice sounds only so-so through those) or recording guitar. I think it's a great mic for voice-overs or background vocals & very good on stereo guitar & as a jack of all trades mic (for which its known). But I could never coax the recorded sound out of a 414 to where they sounded great as a primary vocal mic - to my ears - as you apparently can. SDC's seem to work better for me. In the early 80's, I used a Sunrise pickup in combo w/ a 414 at my gigs in the best of live settings - nice full sound. Very accurate & clear mic, that 414 TLII.

Totally agree on the need for a well-treated, quiet room for recording acoustic guitar (any source really). Best for controlling the overtones better w/ more predictable results & not fighting the space's early reflections. Treatment of a recording space is often overlooked by acoustic players/recordists doing their own recording, IMO.

Thanks for sharing that interesting list with us, Rick! All the best!

Mahalo a nui!

alohachris

RRuskin · #4 10-04-2014, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alohachris

Aloha Rick,

I love the choices that your mic/pre lockers provide. Tonal shaping for all occasions & voices! Thanks for sharing the list which shows us players how a line of gear type choices flows together to be applied to the right voice or instrument. The questions we might ask ourselves are, "Why that grouping of mic's & not another similar grouping of similar mic's?" "What are the subtle differences among these mic's & then go have a listen for yourself (for the fun & knowledge of it). At least that's what your lists make me want to do, Rick. Like the SpectraSonic & Deanne Jensen lines - never heard of them. Thanks.

The C-37 is a truly classic great mic as are those top of the line MKH series of Sennheisers - comparable to Schoeps (all your mic's are really great, Rick). I love Great River's preamps, full sized or 500 series for their clarity, accuracy, musicality, & Neve vibe. I owned one for a year. Loved it til I heard my mic's & music played through the MDP-1a tube pre.

The TlII IS the king series of AKG's 414 series. I've auditioned every new 414 Series that's come out but have yet to fall in love with the 414 for vocals (my voice sounds only so-so through those) or recording guitar. I think it's a great mic for voice-overs or background vocals & very good on stereo guitar & as a jack of all trades mic (for which its known). But I could never coax the recorded sound out of a 414 to where they sounded great as a primary vocal mic - to my ears - as you apparently can. SDC's seem to work better for me. In the early 80's, I used a Sunrise pickup in combo w/ a 414 at my gigs in the best of live settings - nice full sound. Very accurate & clear mic, that 414 TLII.

Totally agree on the need for a well-treated, quiet room for recording acoustic guitar (any source really). Best for controlling the overtones better w/ more predictable results & not fighting the space's early reflections. Treatment of a recording space is often overlooked by acoustic players/recordists doing their own recording, IMO.

Thanks for sharing that interesting list with us, Rick! All the best!

Mahalo a nui!

alohachris

I got the TLII not expecting to like it much but it surprised me. It's really a very versatile mic. Surprisingly, it really shines on percussion.

My SpectraSonics units are from the 70's and were pulled from one of their older consoles. Info on the company can be found @ http://www.spectra-sonics.com/

Deanne Jensen is primarily known for audio transformers but he designed the 990 Twin-Servo Preamp that John Hardy makes.

janmulder · #5 10-05-2014, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alohachris

Treatment of a recording space is often overlooked by acoustic players/recordists doing their own recording, IMO.

So true. So many folks throw 1000s of $$ getting all sorts of recording equipment totally forgetting the room has an enormous effect on the final sound. In fact, I'd go as far as suggesting the room has the most influence (outside the player / instrument of course) on the sound.

The problem is that it could get ridiculously expensive sorting out a good room and lets face it, buying a boutique preamp is just way sexier than a truck load of rockwool

louparte · #6 10-05-2014, 07:16 PM

What type/size is your guitar?
---
Archtop plugged or unplugged. Big Guild dread. Small Guild auditorium size.
---
Styles of guitar music you play?
----
Pure acoustic simple - OR orchestrated. Guitar parts with synths that do not go through the VC3.

Recent examples, video:

The VC3 compression made the descending finger-style chord frills you hear on the verse lines starting at about 0:50 possible.
I could not get that sound without the Meek box. They would have been unmanageable.

It's even better on vocals. Pure acoustic w-vocal: RED RIVER VALLEY .
If my voice is presentable at all - I owe it to the JoeMeek VC3 compressor.
---
Favorite mic/preamp combo for recording vocals, if different? Styles of vocal music you sing?

JoeMeek VC3. Love it most for vocals. I've used it for years and years.
It manages to make my voice sound decent. I use it on ALL my guitar
parts too - in any arrangement -- solo acoustic or synth orchestrated.

---
Current Favorite miking pattern or placement?
---
One mic only. A few inches from sound-hole.
I want to try the Blumlein way one day though.

ombudsman · #7 10-07-2014, 10:22 AM

It depends on the sound needed for the song, so I can't give a single answer, but there aren't that many variables that I use for most of my acoustic guitar recording:

guitar: Oscar Schmidt koa hawaiian (converted), Howe-Orme cylinder top, or Vega parlor, soon to include a converted Oahu spruce/maple hawaiian

mic: Beyer M160 or M260 over the 12th fret, or sometimes a pair of MC930, over the lower bout and the 12th fret or in x-y a bit further back, or sometimes a single Blue Bottle Rocket/B7, AKG C414, or PML DC63

preamp: usually a Quad Eight (made from an old discrete amp card, vintage output transformer, and newer Cinemag input transformer and power supply). Sometimes a Sytek or an old Urei 1108.

ChuckS · #8 10-07-2014, 10:37 AM

What type/size is your guitar?
I play steel string acoustic (6 strings). One guitar is a Carruth 12-fret 000 and the other is a Poling Sierra (about OM size but deeper; 4.5")

Styles of guitar music you play?
I play fingerstyle, without picks. I play solo arrangements, so I need cover the bass line, melody line, and chordal progression. I tend to play ragtime, blues, early jazz, marches, spirituals, etc.

Favorite mic/preamp combo for guitar recording?
I have minimal equipment, as recording is simply a hobby grown from my hobby of playing guitar. Right now I mainly use a pair of 3 Zigma CHI sdc mics with cardioid capsules and a Focusrite Scarlett interface. If I use a single mic I will sometimes use my Event EMP-1 preamp. Just sold my M-Audio DMP3 preamp. I also have a pair of ADK A-6 mdc mics that I sometimes use.

Current Favorite miking pattern or placement for guitar recording?
I generally prefer stereo micing, spaced pair.

Favorite mic/preamp combo for recording vocals, if different? Styles of vocal music you sing?
No vocals for my own stuff. Occasionally will record my wife when I accompany her or record some combination of vocal and instruments in church.

Ivan Lee · #9 10-10-2014, 02:23 PM

Current favorites:

Guitar
Preamp: NPNG --> Smart CL1A (2 to 3dB at most 1.5:1)
Spaced Pair - Lawson L47 on Bass, Gefell M300 on treble
Experimenting - Josephson C700A (bought from somewhat famous Seattle band... oooh star power - LOL)

Vocal:
Preamp - either NPNG or Aurora GTQ2 --> Brute or RetroDoublewide
Mic: Flea47 or M990 or Josephson C700A (exquisite on female vocals)

:-)
Fingerstyle, Acoustic based singer songwriter, Jazz

KevWind · #10 10-10-2014, 04:44 PM

My gear has not changed much in the last 5 years.

Guitars
Taylor 810 Dread
Taylor 750 Dread 12 string.
Breedlove Phoenix

Style is flat pic. Covers of everything from Gershwin to Beatles from Doors to Dylan. My originals are contemporary singer songwriter mostly w/vocals

My mic's for Recording are A single Brauner Phantom V and a single Schoeps CMC6 -4
Pre amp is an A Designs MP2A Tube SS Hybrid

The Brauner for vocals hung upside down from mic stand boom. Capsule at about nose level to cause slight up slant of head ( to keep air passage nice and open)

For Guitar for stereo usually on Gtr /vocals with no other instruments. I use variation of the spaced pair technique. With the Schoeps out front about 1 ft pointed between the 12 and 14 fret
With the Brauner , horizontal pointing down above right shoulder at just above my ear level .
When in a larger mix I may use the stereo or just the Schoeps out front in mono.

Doug Young · #11 10-10-2014, 07:00 PM

Nothing's changed in my setup in a long time, but I'm actually looking at an change. My old Mac's starting to feel like it's working overtime, and I'm looking at a new Mac Pro. Unfortunately, that breaks my entire setup, which was based around the RME AES card, which is a pain to get working with the new Mac (requires an adaptor box that costs as much as the interface). So I'm exploring other options. I'll hang on to the Brauner, Schoeps, and AEA mics, but I might see how either the UAD Apollo or the just announced Apogee Ensemble would work. In theory they can replace my entire setup. Also in theory, my current pres and A/Ds (Great River, Cranesong, etc) should be "better" than either of these since I have more money tied up in each channel than the entire cost of these 8 channel interfaces. In practice, I suspect either one is more than good enough for anything I do, and they'd replace multiple rack items and a huge pile of wires, with a single 1-U box!

rick-slo · #12 10-10-2014, 07:30 PM

A different guitar or perhaps some more acoustic room treatment would be next on my list.

Ivan Lee · #13 10-10-2014, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Young

My old Mac's starting to feel like it's working overtime, and I'm looking at a new Mac Pro

Expensive as it is - I switched to the nMP ~ 6 months ago and it is by far the best Mac I have owned in many years (started with 9600 in 1998)! For what we do the quads are just as good as the hex but its been a good year and I splurged on Hex/32GB ram/512GB SSD - ProTools HD NAtive all day at 96kHz/64buffer - less than 20% CPU and as close to silent as computers get...

The new Apogee box looks amazing too!

Doug Young · #14 10-10-2014, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ivan Lee

Expensive as it is - I switched to the nMP ~ 6 months ago and it is by far the best Mac I have owned in many years (started with 9600 in 1998)! For what we do the quads are just as good as the hex but its been a good year and I splurged on Hex/32GB ram/512GB SSD - ProTools HD NAtive all day at 96kHz/64buffer - less than 20% CPU and as close to silent as computers get...

The new Apogee box looks amazing too!

I'm looking forward to the performance for video, mostly, but I'll probably just get the quad. For the past 6 months, *any* I do on my current mac involves 2 minutes of the spinning ball. I've done all kinds of things to try to fix it, and I'm just ready to start nice and clean.

KevWind · #15 10-10-2014, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Nothing's changed in my setup in a long time, but I'm actually looking at an change. My old Mac's starting to feel like it's working overtime, and I'm looking at a new Mac Pro. Unfortunately, that breaks my entire setup, which was based around the RME AES card, which is a pain to get working with the new Mac (requires an adaptor box that costs as much as the interface). So I'm exploring other options. I'll hang on to the Brauner, Schoeps, and AEA mics, but I might see how either the UAD Apollo or the just announced Apogee Ensemble would work. In theory they can replace my entire setup. Also in theory, my current pres and A/Ds (Great River, Cranesong, etc) should be "better" than either of these since I have more money tied up in each channel than the entire cost of these 8 channel interfaces. In practice, I suspect either one is more than good enough for anything I do, and they'd replace multiple rack items and a huge pile of wires, with a single 1-U box!

Was just looking at a write up on the new Ensemble sounds like quite a piece of gear. Claims a 1.1 ms round trip which is fast. With out looking it up I believe my Avid Omni with HD Native also on a PCIe card is something like 5 ms.

Are you looking at the new Mac Pro because of the upgraded video graphics ? Just curious because I have a couple of friends that opted to go the Mac mini or MacBook Pro with the thunderbolt box , for about the same money as just the Mac Pro itself because of video being secondary.

P.S.
Ha! You answered the vid question in the time I took to post