Microphone

[nicotuba]

Hi again!

I'm looking for microphone and something to record. I want good quality but not to much expansive. I want like 2 microphones for recording brass (like chamber music) or Brass (solo) with piano.

Is someone can guide me with this?

Thank you very much!

Nick

[Leto Cruise]

Welcome to the board Nick! Are you strictly looking into microphones or will recorders do the trick? If so, you can consider purchasing any from the Olympus series or the Zoom brand like the Zoom H2 or Zoom H4. Best wishes in your search.

Leto

[nicotuba]

Welcome to the board Nick! Are you strictly looking into microphones or will recorders do the trick? If so, you can consider purchasing any from the Olympus series or the Zoom brand like the Zoom H2 or Zoom H4. Best wishes in your search.

Leto

Thank you Leto!

I am really looking for microphone. I want to do recordings with very nice quality. I know those products but It doen't do the job I want.

Thank you for the informations.

[Bandmaster]

I am really looking for microphone. I want to do recordings with very nice quality.

I bought a pair of Audio Technica AT4022 omnidirectional condenser recording mics last year and have been VERY happy with the sound quality they produce. I use them to record the concerts of one of the community bands I play for. We perform in a cinderblock community building that has a linoleum floor, so the acoustics are not ideal. Yet the recordings sound very nice. I set the mics about 10 feet above the floor in the second row of the audience, about 15 or so feet in front of the band. I run them with phantom power through a small Mackie mixing board into a M-Audio Microtrack 24/96. I am hoping to get some new mic stands someday so I can get set up a decca tree configuration over the band. I am sure these mics would sound nice in smaller setting with a piano and tuba. I like using omnidirectional mics for recording so I can pick some of the ambiance from the room. You wouldn NOT want to use these for sound reinforcement on PA system. The Audio Technica AT4022 sells for about $350 each, but I got mine lightly used from eBay for half price. I was using a set of Audio Technica AT4041 cartioid mics, but they tended to be very bright sounding. The AT4022 are MUCH warmer sounding for instruments.

To hear a sample recording try this one:
El Camino Real by Alfred Reed
recorded on May 16, 2014 by the Pomona Concert Band at our Spring Concert. To hear other recordings go to http://www.pomonaconcertband.org/gallery.php. I started using the AT4022's in the spring of 2013.

[nicotuba]

Thank you dave, it sounds good for sure! We miss a little bit of bass, but I think in a small ensemble it'll be ok.

I'll think about that.

[Chadtuba]

My favorite goto mic for the last ten years has been the Audio Technica AT3030 large diaphragm condenser. I've used it for everything and have had great luck with it.

[Bandmaster]

Thank you dave, it sounds good for sure! We miss a little bit of bass, but I think in a small ensemble it'll be ok.

I'll think about that.

Not shy on bass if you listen with good headphones. The mp3 in the URL is not CD quality, it is 128kbps for web downloading. Computer speakers just don't cut it on bass, unless you have really expensive ones. But there are other recordings on our website where the bass is more prevalent.

[Mark]

A matched pair of Rode NT5 mics are nearly as good as a matched pair of Neumann KM184 mics and are about $1,000 cheaper.

[Bandmaster]

My favorite goto mic for the last ten years has been the Audio Technica AT3030 large diaphragm condenser. I've used it for everything and have had great luck with it.

I don't think this will help nicotuba since you can't buy the Audio Technica AT3030 anywhere any more. It was discontinued long ago. There aren't even any for sale on eBay. But it is probably a very good mic... if you can find it.

[Chadtuba]

My favorite goto mic for the last ten years has been the Audio Technica AT3030 large diaphragm condenser. I've used it for everything and have had great luck with it.

I don't think this will help nicotuba since you can't buy the Audio Technica AT3030 anywhere any more. It was discontinued long ago. There aren't even any for sale on eBay. But it is probably a very good mic... if you can find it.

Well that's a bummer, and I guess it shows how long I've been out of the sound game. I sold off my company and the PA system about 6 years ago and had purchased my pair of 3035's at least 3 years before that. I still have them and a few misc mics that I pull out on occasion when needed. With this new news that they are no longer available I'll probably take a bit more care with them and hope they last a while longer.

[Phil Dawson]

In addition to the mic(s) you will also need a microphone pre-amp. The pre-amp makes the signal strong enough so that it can be utilized by other hardware. You will then need a recording medium. This could be a computer or tape or a CD recorder or a DAT machine or several other formats. If you go with a digital medium you will also need an audio to digital converter. There are several units on the market that will do much of this and there are also some good USB mics that can be plugged directly into you computer. You will of course need software mounted on the computer. The Zoom H4n has the ability to accept 2 XLR mic cables and has built in pre-amps and converters. It comes with Cubase LE6 software so you can do signal processing of your tracks on our computer. You can use the built in mics along with your external mics if you wish and record 4 tracks at once. I own one and it does quite a nice job - not as good as my MOTU 896s with Logic Pro software but at a fraction of the cost. As for mics I use a pair of AKG 414s and they sound very good for tuba. They are a bit spendy though. There are also several units that can be used with an iPhone. You might check Sweetwater on line as they have tons of gear for doing what you are trying to do. Good luck, Phil