Engineer types: microphone for recording ABG acoustically?

[Richard Lindsey]

I've got to do a recording with my Balor ABG in about a month or so. It's a good studio with good people, but given the relative infrequency of ABGs in professional recording situations (at least that's how it seems to me), I'm not sure the crew will be as comfortable and efficient with micing my Balor as they would be with, say, a Martin D-28 or a snare or a soprano vocalist. So I thought if I could get some good suggestions before I go in, maybe I could help make the process go more quickly and easily. The time is limited, and I'd like to spend as much of it as possible playing rather than d!cking around with mics.

I won't be bringing and amp and don't expect to be using one, so it's not about micing a cab. Though I'll be taking a direct piezo out as well, I'm hoping not to use that as the sole source; I'd like to try combining it with a mic. I think this application would need a mic with very good low-frequency response (it's a 6-string bass), but one that's not too "crispy" in the highs. It's a fretted instrument, so there will be some string and fret noise, which I'm hoping can be deemphasized a tad, or at least not overemphasized. I'm going for more of a DB vibe than a big acoustic guitar vibe, though of course I don't expect or even want to duplicate a DB exactly.

So, thoughts? I'm sure the place has some nice LDCs; maybe a U47 or something similar? Or how about a ribbon mic? I've got a Golden Age R1 MkIII active I could bring, and they probably have Royers or similar. Or a dynamic mic like a 421 or and RE20 or even a Heil PR40? Somebody mentioned an EV ND68 in another thread.

I'm not unfamiliar with studios, but I've never been in this particular situation before, never having recorded with an ABG except at home. All suggestions gratefully welcomed. Thanks!

 

[Bob_Ross]

Maybe I'm a cockeyed optimist, but I'd like to think if it's a real professional recording studio with an experienced engineer, the first thing s/he will do is come out into the room and listen to the sound of your instrument. And then they'll make their mic choice based on that sound, rather than rely exclusively on some preconceived idea about what should work on an ABG.

At least, that's what I did when I worked as a professional audio engineer. And once in a while I was indeed surprised, and glad that I hadn't committed to some a priori idea about what the instrument was probably going to sound like and what mic it would require.

Having said that... I would almost certainly be thinking at least two mics. Probably both condensers...a small diaphragm condenser (like a KM84 or C451E or CMC) near the neck/body joint, and then a large diaphragm multi-pattern condenser (like a TLM-170i or a C414-ULS) ~18-24" out in front of the body. Start with that mic in cardioid mode, but (if you're in an iso booth) listen to how omni or wide cardioid sound too. Blend the two mics to taste.

 

[Richard Lindsey]

Maybe I'm a cockeyed optimist, but I'd like to think if it's a real professional recording studio with an experienced engineer, the first thing s/he will do is come out into the room and listen to the sound of your instrument. And then they'll make their mic choice based on that sound, rather than rely exclusively on some preconceived idea about what should work on an ABG.

At least, that's what I did when I worked as a professional audio engineer. And once in a while I was indeed surprised, and glad that I hadn't committed to some a priori idea about what the instrument was probably going to sound like and what mic it would require.

Having said that... I would almost certainly be thinking at least two mics. Probably both condensers...a small diaphragm condenser (like a KM84 or C451E or CMC) near the neck/body joint, and then a large diaphragm multi-pattern condenser (like a TLM-170i or a C414-ULS) ~18-24" out in front of the body. Start with that mic in cardioid mode, but (if you're in an iso booth) listen to how omni or wide cardioid sound too. Blend the two mics to taste.

Thanks. I hope it would be as you say, but I've never been to this studio before and only know it from secondhand rep.

The two-mic setup seems like a reasonable place to start. What may complicate things slightly is that I may not quite be looking to record the bass exactly as it sounds in the room. I may also need a bit of enhancement, given that it doesn't and can't move air to the degree that a DB does. So a particularly bass-friendly mic or two might be good.

I don't know if there's an iso booth for me but hope there is. If not, I suppose it's gobos. If so, omni would definitely be worth trying.

Anyway, I appreciate the suggestions. I know you have expertise in this field.

 

[AGCurry]

Any of the mics you mentioned will be good. In a good room, I would start with a good bidirectional ribbon mic, but if isolation is an issue, or the room isn't great, a cardioid like the Senn MD421. As always, positioning is key.

 

[Tosh]

I 2nd the ribbon mic. Mine is an SE VooDoo2 (active). I also have an AKG 414 (XL2, I think).

My ABG is a Michael Kelly Dragonfly 5, which doesn't have a conventional sound hole. It's more like the Balor in that regard, but made of Mahogany rather than carbonfiber resin.

The ribbon mic picks up the mid-bass of the guitar very well - provides a warmth that the piezo pickups just don't convey.

 

[Richard Lindsey]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. This gives me somewhere to start.