#1
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Recording an Emerald
I'm stepping gingerly into the world of recording. Right now, I don't have much in the way of equipment - a Focusrite Scarlett Solo interface, and a borrowed Shure SM58.
Any advice from those who've tried it for mic positioning for an Emerald X-20? Do I follow the usual guidance of pointing the mic to the 12th-14th fret area from a foot or so away, or does the unique soundhole configuration play a part? I do know, after my first experiments, that an SM58 is far from ideal for the purpose.
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Martin 0-16NY Emerald Amicus Emerald X20 Cordoba Stage Some of my tunes: https://youtube.com/user/eatswodo |
#2
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I don't know much, but I played around with mic locations for my X20 Nylon. I found that off to the player's left a bit, and pointed at the 12th fret, did not do it for me. I think the sound hole location does make a difference.
Call me crazy, but for me, I found the most balanced sound was picked up by my condenser mic when it was directly in front of the middle of the top, aimed directly at the center of the top, anywhere from 6-12" away. I'd love to hear what your preferred location ends up being. |
#3
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I'll keep you posted.
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Martin 0-16NY Emerald Amicus Emerald X20 Cordoba Stage Some of my tunes: https://youtube.com/user/eatswodo |
#4
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Let your ear be your guide. Mic placement is too complex for simple rules, and is heavily influenced by the instrument and the room. Even small position changes can make big differences - only a 4" different location can sound like a totally different EQ. Put on good headphones and listen carefully to the sound as you try the mic in different locations. Or make recordings and notes of various microphone positions. You'll eventually come up with a spot that you like. I have not recorded my X20 so generalities are all I can offer. There are many interactions going on in and around the sound hole - don't point it there.
An SM58 is a decent starting place, but a condenser mic will likely give you more pleasing tone and an accurate representation of acoustic guitar. As a stage hand, I've had plenty of trouble with performers - even pro's - at festivals. I carefully explain that the best balanced acoustic sound is pointing the mic at the 14th fret from about 30° off axis and roughly a foot away. And then they immediately move to put the mic directly in front of the sound hole at about 6". Drove our sound tech nuts as she spun off the bass frequencies to control boominess. |
#5
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Plug some headphones into the Focusrite. You can do it yourself but it would work best while someone else plays, but you basically need to move the mic around while the guitar is being played to find out the sweet spot with your headphones as a reference. I've been able to do this my myself, but my recording mic has mid/side capabilities and I was able to hold it while playing with my picking hand. Once I found a good spot, I locked up the boom stand to mimic where I heard the best tone and was golden. Earl is right on the money about a condenser too, just much more tuned to recording acoustic guitars.
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#6
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Thank you, Earl - much wisdom there. I have plenty of time to experiment, so I need to be methodical about it.
Even with the SM58 about a foot away, I was having trouble getting enough level at the volumes I usually play at. I'm a fairly gentle fingerpicker, so just want to be able to capture the nuances and dynamics of that without having to be overly rigid in my setup. Here's a rather clunky iPhone rendering of the kind of thing I'm trying to capture. Like taking photos of cars, reflections are not always your friends
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Martin 0-16NY Emerald Amicus Emerald X20 Cordoba Stage Some of my tunes: https://youtube.com/user/eatswodo |
#7
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I do need a more suitable mic, though. I have to max everything out with the SM58 and headphones to get anything audible, and I'd rather have a setup where I can run with some leeway between 'min' and 'max'.
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Martin 0-16NY Emerald Amicus Emerald X20 Cordoba Stage Some of my tunes: https://youtube.com/user/eatswodo |
#8
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Your playing is great even with iphone capture. Have fun David, you'll figure something out. |
#9
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Cheers, Tom PS If you don't want to invest in yourself, why should anyone else even bother to try? |
#10
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https://home.mycloud.com/action/shar...f-c9165f34297b Processing was extremely limited. I clipped out a few seconds at the start of the recording, a few seconds at the end, and adjusted the amplitude so the peak was at -3dB, then exported it to an mp3, all in Audacity. No other alterations. |
#11
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For some good live mic "visual" recording tips, check out the Playing for Change videos (there's a ton of them on youtube).
They record on location, sound amazingly good, and frequently use a Neumann KMS 105 MT Super-Cardiod (zeros in on the sound and rejects noise) Condenser. The Neumann is a little pricey, but should last a lifetime. Audio Technica makes some nice condensers at decent prices. I have a couple of AT2035s that work well and also reject noise (I use them in an outdoor studio). The AT series is worth taking a look at if you haven't done so already. |
#12
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Thank you - it's all a work in progress
__________________
Martin 0-16NY Emerald Amicus Emerald X20 Cordoba Stage Some of my tunes: https://youtube.com/user/eatswodo |
#13
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__________________
Martin 0-16NY Emerald Amicus Emerald X20 Cordoba Stage Some of my tunes: https://youtube.com/user/eatswodo |
#14
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Nice playing and tone, David! I enjoy seeing/hearing what others on here are doing. Thanks for sharing.
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Some CF, some wood. |
#15
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David;
Beautiful guitar work! You make the Emerald sing. Thanks for sharing. As far as The Shure SM58, I've always thought of it as a competent vocal mike. As other members note, there are better options for instrumental recording. |