Mic trouble

[funkalicious101]

This is actually about recording electric guitar, but I'll try to see if I can accomodate my vocabulary.

I am trying to record a "short scale piccolo bass" part for a song but my mic is way to sensitive. I have the gain on my interface at a milimetre (about the width of a dime to all the Americans here) away from zero and its still picking up tiny sounds like my pick against the strings and the footswitches of my looping station. I am using an Audio-Technica condenser mic into a Tascam UL-122 (Pretty entry level stuff, but I think its me, not the equipment, thats doing somethin wrong).

What should I do about this? Can I fix this myself or should I buy a new mic?

Thanks,
Sam.

[Nick Kay]

Is this an acoustic instrument you're recording, or is the mic pointed at an amp? What mic is this, specifically?

[funkalicious101]

Its pointed at an amplifier, but even when it is a room away I can still pick up the clicks. The microphone is an Audio-Technica AT2020 condensor.

[projectMalamute]

Originally Posted by funkalicious101

Its pointed at an amplifier, but even when it is a room away I can still pick up the clicks. The microphone is an Audio-Technica AT2020 condensor.

Just turn the amp up. Louder amp = quieter room sounds. You've got to be crazy quiet for this to be a problem.

[Nick Kay]

Originally Posted by projectMalamute

Just turn the amp up. Louder amp = quieter room sounds. You've got to be crazy quiet for this to be a problem.

+1. Stick it in a closet and crank it.

If the pick sound is still in the recording after you isolate and increase the volume of the source, it's not a microphone issue - the pickups are picking up (duh) the attack of the plectrum. You can fiddle with EQ settings to get rid of it. I usually take a parametric EQ plugin and sweep it around from 1.5kHz up to 2.5kHz with a hefty cut and a narrow Q. Play the line back from your DAW while sweeping the frequency of the EQ, and you should be able to find the frequency that's annoying you. Fine tune, move on, come back to it later if you want the attack back.

[JimmyM]

Ya, isolation and turning up your source to where it drowns outside noises out is key. Either that or just slap a 57 on it

[Village Idiot]

You could always use a direct out on the amp. That's not the most favorable way usually, as you lose the sound of the cabinet but if you're not proficient enough to edit it out or you just can't get the mic settings right then it's the "easiest" solution.

And as was said above; the picking is being picked up by the pickups. Using a direct out won't solver that problem. It's all about how you set the EQ of the bass (active having more bearing that standard) and the amp head.

I don't see why you're having the problems with the mic levels? Condesors do pick up everything, but you should be able to have your gain nearly off and not pick anything up until you turn it up. I have 1 AT2020 in my collection, but I'm running it through a Mackie board before it hits the Motu A/D converter.