Good Mic for Tuba?

[CunarTheBOSSS]

Hello everyone!
It's come time that I wish to start recording a lot more on tuba. What would be a good mic, preferably USB, for less than $200. I'll be playing on a large tuba.

Thanks!

[Quarental]

Why, hello there! I came here hoping someone with more knowledge than I had replied with some awesome tuba-recording advice, but alas...

I, too, have been looking to purchase a recording mic for my tuba. After consulting with friends in the recording industry, basically what I've been told is that any kick drum/bass tone mic will work great for picking up that great tuba resonance. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, but when I do, I'll be picking up a Shure Beta 52.

Of course, to record from this mic to your computer, you'll need an audio interface. Basically, this takes the signal from the mic and digitizes it into a signal your computer can understand. Personally, I'm choosing to stay away from "USB mics" all together, and sticking with a mic that's been around a little bit longer.

Hope this helps!
Seth

[rcirbus]

The two most common usb mics you see are the blue yeti and the usb at2020. Both do a good job, though the yeti has a few more bells and whistles. The at2020 might have slightly better sound, but it is pretty contested. Shure makes a usb version of the pg27 which is good too, though a little more expensive. With any of those, I would also pick up a boom stand.

USB is definitely the most budget-friendly way to go, and works well for single-person recording. If you plan to get into more serious recording, especially if you need to mic up multiple instruments, you'll probably want to buy XLR microphones and an interface.

[greatk82]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Beyerdynamic-M- ... 461ee36e45

A bit above your price range and you would need an interface, but an M-88 would be awesome. I frequently use them on kick drums, bass cabs and trombones. They sound very natural on tuba as well.

[David Richoux]

I have experimented with quite a few mics over the years, this might be the next one - small for a "full size" mic, should work with a 3 point suspension across the bell. 40Hz - 18kHz response and quite rugged. Most of the smaller lavalier mics I have tried fell apart after a few months of stage use.

The old stand-by is a Shure 57, but the body is so long on that one that it is hard to mount on a tuba bell. Some players use a foam mounting block stuck down on the inside of the lower bell region somewhere, but that is not a great solution.

[swillafew]

The recommendations for low frequency specialty mics are one way to go; since the OP is about recording, I would look a mic with a wide and flat frequency response, so you can get your money's worth out it for recording ensembles, etc. The major manufacturers put some good value in the 100-200 dollar range.

[dmmorris]

I use a Shure beta 57.

I like the way it records, as well as the way it sounds when down the bell through an amp.

[Cthuba]

Bumping for any updates on this topic....

[Tubainsauga]

You're probably better off getting something along the lines of a Zoom H6 (or 5, or whatever model you like) and finding a good space to record yourself. That said, I use an Aduix D4 as a clip on mic for live performance and it has worked extremely well.

[Cthuba]

I was thinking for more practical use in skype lessons.

[Tubainsauga]

Many of the recorders can be used as interfaces as well over USB. That said, the Blue Yeti has yielded pretty good results from a fairly basic setup.

[pjv]

clip mics from DPA.
Don't know the price.
I heard that Behringer makes a great copy of this mic for a fraction of the price.

[LowBrassNYC]

I would suggest a Shure KSM-32. It's incredibly clean and will pick up a lot the the subtleties that a 57 would not pick up. It also gives you the performance of a much more expensive microphone for a fraction of the cost. 57's are fine for live performance but do not do too terribly well for recording.

Something else you need to consider, which might be move important than your mic, is the mic pre. These are what determine the amount of headroom you will have and will give you the cleanest possible sound. So rather than buying an interface (if you go that route) with a lot of channel options, definitely consider buying one really good one. Also consider your power flow and quality of cables.

[Cthuba]

And these would all work well for Skype lessons? Im sorry. I'm just really inexperienced with music tech.

[pecktime]

I have used my iphone for online lessons (I was the student) and my teacher said it was fine.

Things like breathing, articulation and suchlike don't need expensive microphones to analyse!

[Tom]

clip mics from DPA.
Don't know the price.
I heard that Behringer makes a great copy of this mic for a fraction of the price.

There are a couple DPA models that are fantastic but they're quite expensive (I've got them at work). A new 4099v clip is about $600. And that's just for the microphone. Older models still in stock at pro line audio retailers are still about $400. You'd need all of the other gear to actually operate the thing, too. Then, if you skimp there to save some $$$, you're then running a high end mic through low end components and will end up with low virtually no benefits from running a $600 DPA mic in the first place. In other words, it is a slippery slope.

Behringer is in a whole different class than DPA and they don't make a DPA style small cardioid microphone, but there are several companies that do including Shure, Sennheiser and Audio Technica for less money (generally in the $2xx range).

However, using a DPA mic for skype lessons and similar would be, in my opinion, serious overkill. The truth is that for skype lessons and practice recordings almost anything will work well enough to get the job done. On skype you're not going to hear what a DPA brings to the table vs. a mic that costs hundreds of dollars less, so I wouldn't bother to spend the money.

Look at some of the nicer USB microphones for quality sound and ease of use: Rode, Shure, Audio Technica, or Blue. There is currently a Blue Yeti USB microphone package on sale at Full Compass for $149 that comes with some software (or buy the mic alone for about $129). The thing about Blue's USB microphones is that they are good quality units that are designed to be used by folks without a lot of audio experience so they're simple to use. If you are new to recording and want to keep it simple, this is probably the way to go.

Or buy a self-contained unit like a Zoom ($150 & up depending on model). Some models have USB ports to use with a computer and could stand in for a USB microphone. I've owned a few of these personally. Used them for a while, grew frustrated with them being complicated for stand alone use, and sold them off (too many buttons, menus, settings, hidden this-and-that). But some folks swear by them.

If you already have some gear on hand, a $99 Shure SM57 will work as well as almost anything for what you're trying to do. The SM57 is probably the ultimate utility microphone, too. Not the best at anything, but "good" at almost everything and will work in virtually any situation. Inexpensive, durable, readily available.

[korreyfrichtl]

Also recommend the SM 57. I use it for all of my Brass recording as well as dropping it down the bell of my Sousa for live brass band shows.

[pjv]

I agree that the computer's mic is enough for a lesson like this.
I agree that buying a DPA solely for internet lessons is overkill.

I also couldn't find the clip mic copy on Behringer's site. That's why I said "I heard" and not "they have".

The SM 57 & 58 are your standard pop stage work horse mics. Strong and reliable.
My problem is that the low's decrease dramatically the father away you get from the mic.
In other words it'll be better then your computer's mic, but if you're going to invest in a mic in the first place buy something you can use for more then just taking lessons.
My 2 cents

[tubaphillips]

You might want to consider mic placement as well. In this video the audio is from an iphone mic. I have the mic inches from the outside of my bell, so I got okay audio.

https://www.facebook.com/TubaPhillips/v ... 0764934982" target="_blank

[circusboy]

Why, hello there! I came here hoping someone with more knowledge than I had replied with some awesome tuba-recording advice, but alas...

I, too, have been looking to purchase a recording mic for my tuba. After consulting with friends in the recording industry, basically what I've been told is that any kick drum/bass tone mic will work great for picking up that great tuba resonance. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, but when I do, I'll be picking up a Shure Beta 52.

Of course, to record from this mic to your computer, you'll need an audio interface. Basically, this takes the signal from the mic and digitizes it into a signal your computer can understand. Personally, I'm choosing to stay away from "USB mics" all together, and sticking with a mic that's been around a little bit longer.

Hope this helps!
Seth

+1 for the Shure Beta 52

I consulted with probably the best audio recording engineers in the business before purchasing. They pointed me to the 52.