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  #1  
Old 11-20-2012, 02:46 PM
alohachris alohachris is offline
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Default Post your recording acoustic setup

Aloha Friends,

Just for fun, what recording signal chains are you currently playing through at home?

What's your studio/recording space like?

What are your goals for recording your acoustic music?

What kind of music do you like to play/record?

Is your studio space treated? How?

What's in your mic locker?

Computer-based or standalone recorder?

Recorder? DAW? Interface? Preamp? FX? Plug-in's? Ext. HD's for storage? Monitors? Headphones? Power amp? Controller/mixer or completely ITB? Cables? Mic stands? etc. Whatever you use.

Favorite mic pattern/placement for recording acoustic guitar?

New gear you have your eye on?

How has home recording evolved for you?

Let it all hang out, gentleman! I'm just curious, that's all.

Mahalo a nui!

alohachris

Last edited by alohachris; 11-21-2012 at 02:23 PM.
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Old 11-20-2012, 04:05 PM
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No gear changes from your last thread in 2009, mainly:

"Have gone thru various gear but currently Gefell M295s for mikes, NPNG preamp, Mytek for AD conversion, Windows XP, Ableton Live, a bit of convolution reverb (Pristine Space). Back ups are Gefell M300s mikes and a Great River MP-2H preamp."

I did get a couple new of reverbs though (Aether and Lexicon Native Reverb).
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Old 11-21-2012, 12:00 AM
theotigno theotigno is offline
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I have a modest setup (a plethora of cheap gear):

Mics:
Behringer ECM8000
Blue Snowball (one of the originals made in Latvia)
Heil PR40
MXL 603s
Naiant MSH4 (one tiny tube mic!)
Naiant XW
Shure SM57
Shure SM58
Studio Projects C1

Mic Pres:
ART Tube Pac
Presonus MP20 (original with Jensen transformers; upgraded with Burr Brown and Linear Technology opamps)
Rane MS1b

Interface: Sound Devices USBPre

Main Computer:
Mac Mini with GarageBand

Plug-ins:
Metric Halo ChannelStrip
Airwindows Channel
Airwindows Iron Oxide

Currently, I don't have much plans for recording. Just got married and I moved into my wife's house. We recorded her mom singing and playing the guitar but that's really it. I'm enjoying married life and haven't had the itch to do much recording.

As such, I trimmed down my gear. Two friends helped a lot with the music for our wedding. They got some gear that they could use.

My only thought right now is to record some demos with guitar and vocals. I also kept the mics that would work for voice over work (spoken word mainly).
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Old 11-21-2012, 12:18 AM
GregEL GregEL is offline
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Taylor GC3 -->AKG C214 & AKG P170 mics -->Apogee Duet II -->Macbook Pro running Logic Express. Record and monitor with AGK K-240 headphones and Yamaha HS50M monitors. Use a little compression, EQ, reverb and limiter all available in Logic. Record in a small bedroom with hard surfaces and a hardwood floor.

Solo fingerstyle stuff that I make CDs for family and friends.

Last edited by GregEL; 03-21-2013 at 10:44 AM.
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Old 11-21-2012, 12:25 AM
DaddyRabbit DaddyRabbit is offline
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Whatever acoustic (Takamine or Breed) into a Line6 Toneport UX2 if I am recording amped.

If I am trying with a mic, SM58 and MXL-990 thru the UX2.

Room has a TV in the background, a guinea pig that occasionally ruins a take and no treatment.
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Old 11-21-2012, 12:29 AM
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I keep it simple. I use an iMac w/Garage Band, Akai EIE Pro 4-Channel Interface. BOSS ME-70 Guitar Effects board, MXL 550 Condensor Vocal Mic, MXL 551r Instrument mic. Pop filter. It has simplified over the years moving from reel-to-reels and rack mounted gear to computer.. I still mic my PA or Crate TX-50 for effect at times when using guitar effects.

New gear to consider - vocal processor.



Last edited by DenverSteve; 11-22-2012 at 09:02 AM.
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Old 11-21-2012, 09:14 AM
SeamusORiley SeamusORiley is offline
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I wonder if original poster knows how helpful this thread is to beginners!

many thanks!
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Old 11-21-2012, 09:25 AM
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Very basic set-up for me, so I thought I'd include it for some of the less advanced folks. (solo fingerstyle acoustic)

- Zoom H4n external recorder. I've had better success recently with using the external mics option rather than the onboard mics.
-Mics- Shure KSM137 and MXL 604
- Art Tube pre amp

I run the files into my computer ( PC) and use Audacity and also Anwida Soft reverb as an addition.

I play in my office and set -up facing a large, wide, walk-in closet which is about 8 feet accross. So, I'm playing facing a huge wall of clothes which acts as a natural absorbing surface for this effort. The room is small and carpeted and seems to work very well.
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Old 11-21-2012, 12:10 PM
alohachris alohachris is offline
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Default Nice Rigs, Friends - Keep "Em Comin'

Aloha,

It's lotsa fun for me to view these lists & pix & then try to guess about the choices made in putting together the various recording signal chains.

For example, did someone put together the Mic X/ Preamp Y combo because the other mic's in the locker don't work as well with that preamp. Stuff like that.

Yes, I do think these periodic lists & explanations really do help players of all ranges make informed choices as we tackle home recording.

Rick-slo, that M295/NPNG combo must be magic. I always love the open, transparent tone of your clips (not to mention your great playing & original music). Great!

Keep 'em coming, friends.

A Hui Hou!
alohachris

Last edited by alohachris; 11-21-2012 at 01:56 PM.
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  #10  
Old 11-21-2012, 12:29 PM
bbrown bbrown is offline
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What's your studio/recording space like?
Wood floors, walls covered with pictures.

What are your goals for recording your acoustic music?
Trying to achieve good/ appropriate tone for the particular piece.

What kind of music do you like to play/record?
Solo fingerstyle: Kottke, Fahey, classical, Celtic.

Is your studio space treated? How?
No (well, for termites only).

What's in your mic locker?
2 mics: ADK A6 LDC and a Shure SM81 SDC

Computer-based or standalone recorder?
Both. Zoom H4N with 2 mics, or just using the internal built-in mics. More recently I've aquired a FocusRite Scarlett 2i2 preamp. I connect the 2 mics to that and it goes into the DAW "Audacity" on my PC. Still experimenting. Ancient PC with 1.25 GB RAM.

Recorder? DAW? Interface? Preamp? FX?
The free program 'Audacity', mainly for trimming the audio to size, and 'Anwida Soft' Reverb.

Ext. HD's for storage?
Western Digital Notebook to save audio and video (have to save stuff and then delete on my PC or my PC crashes).

Monitors?
Fostex PMO.4n. Need better ones.

Headphones?
No

Power amp?
Use it sometimes when recording: Collings D2HG dreadnaught guitar with LR Baggs M1 passive soundhole pick-up going to the amp. Either Crate Taos or AER Compact 60/2 amp.

Controller/mixer -
None

Favorite mic pattern/placement for recording acoustic guitar?
Spaced pair, each about 1 - 2 feet from guitar

How has home recording evolved for you?[/U]
Started with a Zoom H2 two years ago. To be honest, sometimes I think that sound was almost as good (and total cost = $125 for my used H2)

Wish list.........
Want a dual pick-up such as the K & K Trinity. A Pendulum SPS 1 preamp would be a significant step-up.

-----Good thread.
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Last edited by bbrown; 11-21-2012 at 05:18 PM.
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  #11  
Old 11-21-2012, 12:36 PM
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Doug Young Doug Young is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alohachris View Post
For example, did someone put together the Mic X/ Preamp Y combo because the other mic's in the locker don't work as well with that preamp. Stuff like that.
As you know, I'm not a huge believer in magic, although clearly if you find a certain combo works well together, great. But at a more pragmatic level, there is certainly some planning for compatibility that helps once you get beyond a basic level. One benefit of keeping it simple with some of the all-in-one solutions, whether it's a Zoom H4n, or some sort of firewire preamp/A-D/computer interface, is that you know everything will work together.

Since my setup uses individual components, I have to make sure they all play together, and that starts with how the audio gets into the computer. After messing with some USB and firewire interfaces, I ended up basing my setup around an RME AES-32 card, which gives me 16 channels of raw AES digital in and out, and that sort of dictates the rest - I can then easily connect and route any interfaces that are AES-based. So I ended up with 2 digital converters, (Cranesong HEDD and a Mytek Stereo-96) that both have AES outs. I run preamps into each and I'm done, and I can control and route it all from the RME TotalMix software. So my basic choice sort of rules out USB/firewire/ADAT/lightpipe devices. I have to look for AES for any digital devices.

Another example of one choice driving another is getting an AEA R-88 ribbon mic. That mic needs tons of quiet gain, so I got an AEA RPQ preamp, designed to work well with ribbons (lots of gain, quiet, with a dedicated, no-phantom power input, and also some basic shelfing EQ that helps with the ribbon). It works just fine with other mics, but if I'm using a ribbon mic, that's the preamp I'll use, not because it's some magic combo, but because it has the feature set I need for the ribbon.

To your basic question, nothing in my chain has really changed since you last had one of these threads 6 months ago, except I picked up a Bricasti M7 reverb. Still experimenting, but it's definitely a nice sounding reverb. (and it has AES IO, of course!)
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Old 11-21-2012, 01:00 PM
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I'd love to see more pictures!

I'm getting a Zoom H2n from Santa so that'll be the extent of my recording equipment for now. Kind of need a mic stand and some enclosed headphones but I'll work with what I have for now. I'm just getting back into recording. 20ish years ago, I used to have a four-track Fostex cassette recorder and some mics and stands, etc. but those are long gone now.

I'll be recording in my hardwood floored 20'x25' living room. It opens onto our two story foyer. I'm hoping for a live room kind of sound. We'll see how this all goes. Wish me luck!
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Old 11-21-2012, 01:39 PM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
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My recording rig which was built for recording mostly acoustic guitar
and resonator based CD's. Every piece listed has been used extensively...

mics...

Blue Kiwi
Blue Bluebird
Rode K2
Rode NTK (matched pair modded by John Bonnell)
Shure Model 300 ribbon
Cascade Fathead II (matched pair with Lundahl transformers and mods to the
grill assembly to remove the extra layer of mesh in the grill)
CAD E200 (original model)
Sennheiser MD421 (matched pair)
Shure Beta 87
Shure 57
Shure 58

pres, EQs, and compressors...

Focusrite ISA One (pair, one with digital card for ADAT)
Focusrite Penta Platinum (with digital card for S/PDIF)
Cloud CL-Z (pair for the Ribbon mics which need gain, lowcut, and variable impedance)
Drawmer 1960
Blue ROBBIE
ART MPA (original black face with Amperex Bugle Boy tubes)
ART VLA (original black face with Amperex Bugle Boy tubes)
FMC RNC
Dtar Solstice
Dtar Equinox
Digitech GSP1101

recording interfaces...

RME UCX and RME Babyface

computers...

Lenovo Y570 (i7, 8G RAM, 7200RPM hardrive)
Sony VAIO (i7, 8G RAM, 7200RPM hardrive)

Both computers loaded with SONAR X1, Sony Soundforge 9, Waves Gold Bundle, Slate VCC, Izotope Mastering


monitors...

Yamaha HS80
Yamaha HS50
Yamaha HS10


patch cables...

Mogami on the critical stuff, Monster on the rest.

Last edited by rockabilly69; 11-28-2012 at 02:05 PM.
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Old 11-21-2012, 04:32 PM
Scott Whigham Scott Whigham is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug Young View Post
...I picked up a Bricasti M7 reverb. Still experimenting, but it's definitely a nice sounding reverb. (and it has AES IO, of course!)
I've been wanting to splurge and do that... Please post a review/thread/something sometime as I'd love to hear what you think of it.

Last edited by Scott Whigham; 02-07-2013 at 10:26 AM.
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Old 11-21-2012, 07:21 PM
Bob1131 Bob1131 is offline
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My set-up and recording chain is very basic and inexpensive.

What recording signal chains are you currently playing through at home? mic>Yamaha MG124c mixer>Boss BR864 digital recorder. I monitor with AKGK240s headphones and mix over a home stereo system while A/B'ing against a commercial CD that I like for a reference.

What's your studio/recording space like? Carpet floor, wood ceiling, sheet rock walls...some furniture, but very sparse.

What are your goals for recording your acoustic music? For fun, sharing with family and friends.

What kind of music do you like to play/record? Singer/songwriter type stuff usually multi-tracked with various instruments.

Is your studio space treated? How? None

What's in your mic locker? 2 - EV767, 1 - Rode NT1-A, and 1- EV367s. The EV767 mics were for live performing, but work nicely for my home environment due to the off-axis rejection of the super cardioid pattern.

Computer-based or standalone recorder? Stand alone BR864. I tried computer based but feel more comfortable with real knobs, sliders and switches.

Favorite mic pattern/placement for recording acoustic guitar? Spaced pair.

New gear you have your eye on? Eventually I will probably get room treatment and better mics, but I'm having fun with what I have now.

How has home recording evolved for you? I started with a Tascam Porta 02 cassette 4-track with an SM57 and SM58. I learned how to bounce tracks and mix on that set-up. My current set up has much cleaner sound and can stack up to 64 tracks, so there is plenty of room for multi-tracking!
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