very basic recording help needed please..

[Alex6strings]

.................

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Martin Maniac

Thanks for posting these video's from Neumann. I was interested to see them using the TLM 102 mic as I just bought one the other day. It was interesting to see how they recommended mic placements.

you're welcome I thought for mic placement alone it was worth watching. Many people slam the new Neumanns but I am a fan and use and own (2) TLM103, (2) KM184, U89, U87ai, M147. As matter of fact I've heard derogatory remarks about all the Neumanns that I own, yet suprisingly I get fine results out of mine. And some people that I know, and respect, say they are loving there TLM102s!!!

Here's a track I recently recorded with a 1964 J45 that I just got, and all three tracks of J45 (rhythm, fills, slide) were recorded with one U87ai on the guitar.

[Mbroady]

Hey Alex6string

Though mic placement is critical, you might want to consider were you record. The sound of your room will have a major impact on your recording. A quick fix (though not perfect) to a bad sounding room is hanging some moving blankets behind and in front of you. This will absorb some of the "room sound" leaving you with more of the direct sound.

[Yamaha Man]

You're welcome. I was very impressed with the mic placement suggested by Neumann. I have the TLM 102 and love it. After watching the video, I'm seriously considering getting a second 102. I'm getting a great sound with the 102, it makes my D-35 shimmer with goodness.

I listened to your track you posted and though it sounded really good !!

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

you're welcome I thought for mic placement alone it was worth watching. Many people slam the new Neumanns but I am a fan and use and own (2) TLM103, (2) KM184, U89, U87ai, M147. As matter of fact I've heard derogatory remarks about all the Neumanns that I own, yet suprisingly I get fine results out of mine. And some people that I know, and respect, say they are loving there TLM102s!!!

Here's a track I recently recorded with a 1964 J45 that I just got, and all three tracks of J45 (rhythm, fills, slide) were recorded with one U87ai on the guitar.

Hey thanks for those videos, they are very informative and well worth watching.

And I agree about Neumann mic's in general they are IMO outstanding tools. I would suspect much of the criticism stems simply from the fact that they are industry standards, and thus like Pro Tolls for example, a favorite target of those wishing to be seen as "bucking the trend", when in reality much of that disfavor itself has become a kind of counter sub trend, simply for it's own sake. The irony of course is that much like Pro Tools, the one mic that is arguably in far more more commercial than any other single mic by a significant margin , is either the Neumann U87 or U87 ai.
My first experience in a commercial studio was in fact with a pair of 87 ai's... one on acoustic and one on vocal and frankly I was totally impressed with the sound.

[RedJoker]

Originally Posted by Alex6strings

I didn't realize how noisy the cars on my street were until now. I think i'll be recording in the middle of the night. cheers

Though a pickup doesn't sound as good as a mic, I find I'm using my pickup more and more. In my case, I'm simply recording so I can review a song that I'm writing, not necessarily to make a perfect recording. By using a pickup, I eliminate background noise, crappy room effects, and mic positioning / setup.

I'm not really recommending using a pickup, just pointing out that sometimes there are advantages to using a pickup.

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Martin Maniac

You're welcome. I was very impressed with the mic placement suggested by Neumann. I have the TLM 102 and love it. After watching the video, I'm seriously considering getting a second 102. I'm getting a great sound with the 102, it makes my D-35 shimmer with goodness.

I listened to your track you posted and though it sounded really good !!

Or getting a KM184 for around the same money, as they both do things really well, and would probably work GREAT together!!!

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by KevWind

...and thus like Pro Tools for example, a favorite target of those wishing to be seen as "bucking the trend", when in reality much of that disfavor itself has become a kind of counter sub trend, simply for it's own sake.

After using these mics for awhile I have come to the same conclusion. Although I have many other mics, I feel with the Neumanns that I have, I NEVER have to buy a new mic again as I could easily record an entire CD with nothing else in the genres that I like.

[Yamaha Man]

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

Or getting a KM184 for around the same money, as they both do things really well, and would probably work GREAT together!!!

Well, I just won another used TLM 102 on eBay, so that settles that !! Having a matched pair is what I wanted.

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by Martin Maniac

Well, I just won another used TLM 102 on eBay, so that settles that !! Having a matched pair is what I wanted.

How could they be matched?

[Yamaha Man]

Originally Posted by Joseph Hanna

How could they be matched?

They are both the same model mic. Although it's true the serial numbers are probably dissimilar, they are identical models, which is what I wanted.

[Yamaha Man]

Well if you watch the second video of the Neumann mic presentation, you see that various mic placements offer different sounds. I like to blend these different sounds together to make one incredible sounding recording. In the video, he placed one mic about 12" from the 12th fret, angled towards the sound hole, the second mic he placed about 6" from the top bout of the guitar also angling towards the sound hole. The first mic gave a nice rich sound, the second added more pronounced bass tones. Blending these two together should make an awesome recording to work with.

After hearing my test recordings on the D-35, I had no problem deciding I wanted another TLM 102. I'll have plenty of fun testing out various mic positions. The Neumann video's really gave me some good direction.

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by Martin Maniac

They are both the same model mic. Although it's true the serial numbers are probably dissimilar, they are identical models, which is what I wanted.

That's not what matched pairs mean in the microphone world. Two of the same models or two consecutive serial numbers could be as far from matched as the man in the moon.

[Yamaha Man]

In my world, they are a matched pair. They are identical models. They should give identical quality sounding outputs. Yes they may vary a little, but mic placement will also will produce a varied sound. They can also be split up for two guitarists, which is sometimes the case at my place. I can also use one for guitar and one for vocals. The TLM 102 is a very versatile mic. The bottom line is that it sounds very rich and clear, no noise, it's just the best mic that I have, and having two of them will be that much better.

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Martin Maniac

Well, I just won another used TLM 102 on eBay, so that settles that !! Having a matched pair is what I wanted.

Although Joseph Hanna is technically right, I feel the with the consistency of Neumann mics I think you should be fine using them together as a pair

As you said, the different placements will make them vary a bit in what's getting to the recorder. I have a cool little preamp made by Audient called the Mico that I like to use with acoustic guitar paired mics. It has a knob called Variphase that you just dial to correct small phase issues between mics. You could do the same with software but I think it works great with my TLM103s and KM184s.

https://reverb.com/item/2565744-audi...FQuNaQod7tQI3A

http://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/audient-mico