Versatile home studio mics for guitar and percussion

[Sandstorm]

Greetings,

I'm about to invest into mics to put together a long awaited home studio.  I'm going to be recording steel string and nylon string as well as some light percussion for my original project (Chimes, glockenspiel, djembe, doumbek, hi hat, snare, 16" crash, morrocas, tambourine, wooden spoons) and looking for an authentic sound quality that won't hold back the musical idea or be noticeably objectionable in sound quality. 

I have in the past used my cell phone to record an idea on my classical guitar and surprisingly found it to sound quite good all things considered.  Certainly not something I'd use in a serious recording effort, however.  Perhaps that gives a reference to my expectations.  I've not had the experience of using $2000 mics to the point anything less is unusable.  I'm looking for the pinnacle of value at a somewhat flexible price point I guess is what I'm trying to say.

I have narrowed in on the Rode NT5 pair.  My preference is to use 2 mics and blend...one around the 12th fret, the other near soundhole/bridge.  Goes without saying to mic them individually first and experiment from a few angles and placement.  Would using a pair of NT5 be a good idea or should I use 1 NT5 and invest in a large diaphragm condenser for the bridge/sound hole?

For large diaphragm mic, I saw Art Pro Audio C3 model that seems to have favourable user experiences.  It appears to be an excellent value.

Then I started looking at other Art Pro Audio products and saw their matched pair M Six condenser pair for less than half the price of the NT5s...is it too good to be true to just get the C3 and M six, both from Art Pro Audio for less than the price of the NT5 from Rode? 

I'm not opposed to investing in the NT5 and a Rode large diaphragm or something by another manufacturer but for a serious home recording project am I splitting hairs or is there a real noticable difference in sound quality?

There is a lot that goes into recording and producing so I'm also kind of hoping some trial and error, objective listening with decent gear would be akin to how a good moto GP rider on a 600cc bike can outperform a mediocre rider using a 1000cc purpose built track bike.  I want to aspire to be the moto gp rider and the value proposed Art pro audio gear being a decent 600cc bike...

[ducktrapper]

So many to choose from but IMO everyone needs at least one Shure SM58 and SM57.

[Sandstorm]

I do have an sm57 around here sonewhere..what is the use for an sm58, is that a vocal mic primarily or is it also suitable for acoustic guitars?  Would you blend it with an sm57?

[ducktrapper]

I do have an sm57 around here sonewhere..what is the use for an sm58, is that a vocal mic primarily or is it also suitable for acoustic guitars?  Would you blend it with an sm57?

They both work similarly but the 58 has an omni directional cover while the 57 is more direct. I have two SM58's including a newer Beta 58 and use them for vocals and have for over 40 years. The 57s, I mic guitars or other things with. I have bunch of other dynamic and condenser mics and a PZM too but the Shures are workhorses live and in the studio.

[Phil42]

I use a matched set of the Rode NT5's and really do like them. All of my stuff is packed up for a move but I highly recommend the Rode stereo bar adapter for mounting the mikes. I have used them in X-Y configuration as well as ORTF and find they both work great.

Phil

[Sandstorm]

I use a matched set of the Rode NT5's and really do like them. All of my stuff is packed up for a move but I highly recommend the Rode stereo bar adapter for mounting the mikes. I have used them in X-Y configuration as well as ORTF and find they both work great.

Phil

Hey Phil, I had to look up that soundbar and google ORTF but I like it! 

[jpmist]

I have in the past used my cell phone to record an idea on my classical guitar and surprisingly found it to sound quite good all things considered.  Certainly not something I'd use in a serious recording effort, however.  Perhaps that gives a reference to my expectations.

That's really helpful context. I'm pretty much at the same spot you are. Have been bedroom GarageBand recording guitar and vocal in my bedroom for over ten years. I've dabbled with about 5 mic purchases and honestly what differences I can discern are negligible. Not to say there aren't any, but my ear simply isn't developed enough to catch what pro's are discerning.

I went down the google rat-hole some years ago and found an amazing site that offered soundclips of many popular models. Looked again and couldn't find it, but this one might be worth checking out if only as a test to see if you can hear the differences between them and if the difference you hear is worth it.

For bedroom sound engineers, we live in a golden age of microphones and other sound gear. Honestly it boggles the mind what The Beatles and George Martin might have done with my meager GarageBand setup versus their 4 channel tape recorders. So many manufacturers are competing globally for excellence at every price point. I've accepted that any microphone over $100 will suffice for me because what I'm recording via the mic is more important than whatever nuance the mic offers. And besides I can't get anyone to listen to my tracks at the point of a gun. <heh> Just IMHO

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/virtual-mic-shootout-sound-samples/

[Sandstorm]

I have in the past used my cell phone to record an idea on my classical guitar and surprisingly found it to sound quite good all things considered.  Certainly not something I'd use in a serious recording effort, however.  Perhaps that gives a reference to my expectations.

That's really helpful context. I'm pretty much at the same spot you are. Have been bedroom GarageBand recording guitar and vocal in my bedroom for over ten years. I've dabbled with about 5 mic purchases and honestly what differences I can discern are negligible. Not to say there aren't any, but my ear simply isn't developed enough to catch what pro's are discerning.

I went down the google rat-hole some years ago and found an amazing site that offered soundclips of many popular models. Looked again and couldn't find it, but this one might be worth checking out if only as a test to see if you can hear the differences between them and if the difference you hear is worth it.

For bedroom sound engineers, we live in a golden age of microphones and other sound gear. Honestly it boggles the mind what The Beatles and George Martin might have done with my meager GarageBand setup versus their 4 channel tape recorders. So many manufacturers are competing globally for excellence at every price point. I've accepted that any microphone over $100 will suffice for me because what I'm recording via the mic is more important than whatever nuance the mic offers. And besides I can't get anyone to listen to my tracks at the point of a gun. <heh> Just IMHO

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/virtual-mic-shootout-sound-samples/

Thanks for the link brother!

I'm going to use garage band as well, every other program seems incredibly complicated and I'm never going to be using a plugin or programming midi.  I just want to be able to balance left and right, fade in and out and adjust levels and have a click track...seems that's too much to ask these days...or too little.  I'd go analogue but I'd still have to digitize it at some point plus it would be nice to have a visual of the tracks in a song.

I dont want to have to have a calculus degree to do a fade.

Sorry off topic here...

I think I will probably go with the rode NT5s for a slight bump in price compared to the Art pair...but the cs3 looks like a good value I'm sure I can find a use for it.

[StringPicker6]

If you don't mind me asking, how did you learn how to use GarageBand? I'm a total novice with recording, but my computer has garageband on it.

[Sandstorm]

If you don't mind me asking, how did you learn how to use GarageBand? I'm a total novice with recording, but my computer has garageband on it.

My wife has a mini mac with it in it and I've looked through the program on there to feel a lot more comfortable committing to using that program vs cubase which I had a couple years back and never really got into it due to the massive menu diving. 

For garage band, I think you can find some short demos on how to do simple functions on youtube.  Of course this is after the desk pounding, white knuckle frustration of the initial set up.

[jpmist]

I find GarageBand is a very useful program for laying down tracks but there is a learning curve from ground zero. There are copious web sites and youtube videos available, but imho, the place to start is Apple's GB support page where the entire thing should be skimmed simply to know what tools are available and how recording is set up. However it won't teach you the basics of recording tracks, but there are plenty of on line sites for that.

Once you have a blank recording doc set up you can duplicate it to have a preset useable session ready when needed, so you only have to set it up once.

[ronmac]

For a budget pair of sd mics my value for money suggestion is a pair of Lewitt LCT140Air stereo pair.

I have a pair of Rode Nt5/6 mics, as well as several Neumann/DPA/Sennheiser MKH mic sets and would not hesitate to use the Lewitts, if I needed a small budget for additional duties. They certainly sound smoother, and have more useful features, than the Rode NT5, imo.

[Sandstorm]

For a budget pair of sd mics my value for money suggestion is a pair of Lewitt LCT140Air stereo pair.

I have a pair of Rode Nt5/6 mics, as well as several Neumann/DPA/Sennheiser MKH mic sets and would not hesitate to use the Lewitts, if I needed a small budget for additional duties. They certainly sound smoother, and have more useful features, than the Rode NT5, imo.

Funny enough I had a friend suggest these to me.  What more useful features are you referring to?

If they are better mics or at least splitting hairs as good I'd go for these.  At this point in my life I just dont like to buy gear items that I will feel like I want to upgrade later.  Considering how good a Samsung cell phone mic sounds, I think I'm onto something with these.  Thanks for the suggestion!

[ronmac]

From Lewitt marketing:

The LCT 140 AIR stereo pair consists of two perfectly matched small diaphragm condenser microphones with switchable sound characteristics for acoustic instruments. The LCT 140 AIR offers two sound characteristics - AIR for a record-ready sound and FLAT for highly authentic recordings.

Features
• Perfectly matched stereo pair
• Small diaphragm condenser microphones
• Choose between two sound characteristics
• Made for acoustic instrument recording
•Low-cut and PAD
• Cardioid polar pattern

Here is a promotional/review video by Warren Huart:

[guitarman001]

Wow those lewitt mics won't break the bank and the stereo bar is a great recommendation. All in a very affordable option which I will look into. I was also considering a Zoom stereo recorder (all in one thingy). No need for the stereo bar... Anybody tried?

I use Tracktion as DAW.
SUPER easy to use.

[B0WIE]

Don't spend too much time researching mics as this is all a big rabbit hole. The quality of your preamps and converters limit how good your mics will sound, as will your EQs and compressors. Not to mention your ability to use all of those processors. The biggest factor is the quality of your room and most rooms do not sound anywhere near ideal. You'll spend years getting good at mic placement. So, with everything involved, I recommend just starting with a pair of small diaphragm condensers that are in a comfortable price range for you.

[mike in lytle]

I'd go analogue but I'd still have to digitize it at some point plus it would be nice to have a visual of the tracks in a song.

I am curious, what do you mean by analogue? Like a tape deck?
Mike

[Sandstorm]

I am curious, what do you mean by analogue? Like a tape deck?
Mike

Sorry I'm a little late to respond, but yes...I used to have a tascam tape multi tracker that was intuitive to use...more than a few stereo tracks and quality became compromised, however

[mike in lytle]

Sorry I'm a little late to respond, but yes...I used to have a tascam tape multi tracker that was intuitive to use...more than a few stereo tracks and quality became compromised, however

Ah, okay. Thanks. I have an old Teac 4 channel tape deck that still works to play old tapes.
I would be lost trying to set up and record with a computer, but I have an old Alesis ADAT that still works great.
Mike