budget (usb) mic for classical guitar recording needed

[steve]

Yes there's some stereo reverb - hope I didn't overdo it - I've just got back from a gig and my ears haven't fully recovered yet (it was loud ... and hot).
I used the "Calf reverb" (a LADSPA effect - I think it is currently only available for Linux, - the Calf effects are pretty nice and are in the Ubuntu repository).
I also tweaked the timing just a little in that tricky bit near the end.

I've found a nice spot in my appartment where I can get a similar large hall echo effect "naturally". I'll try to record something there whenever I get a chance.

That will make playing more enjoyable but will probably not have a huge effect on the recording as you are mic'ing quite close - I probably shouldn't say this, but this is where a mixer or multi-channel recorder and another pair of microphones comes in useful - you can then record the guitar close up as you are now to get the character and detail of the instrument, and a pair of mics further away to pick up the ambiance from the room. Whatever you do with one microphone it will always be a mono recording. Now before I get you into trouble for encouraging you into financial ruin, it is much less expensive to fake the ambiance, and so long as you keep the reverb subtle it should be pretty convincing - the really critical bit is the close up recording which is what you are doing now.

Two top tips with reverb - 1) don't over-do it (it's very easy to over-do it). 2) If you need to clean up any noises from the raw recording, do that before applying reverb. 3) (OK, I know I said "2 tips") Apply the reverb to a duplicate copy of the track rather than the track itself - you can then mix the amount of close mic and ambiance while you listen by using the "Mixer Board" (in "View" menu).

Soon I'll update the first post in this thread with my findings, conclusions and advices to those who might come next... and save them some work

That would be great - perhaps post it as a new topic and add a link to this one for anyone that wants to spend a couple of days reading the full story.

[kozikowski]

Any way to get a picture of you playing and the proper location of the microphone? You'll probably have to wear clothes for that.

Koz

[kozikowski]

I think the most valuable pathway to making recordings is to go up through the junk. Buy the $29 USD equipment and find out the shortcomings. Then resolve them. I don't think you learn nearly as much plunking down in front of a perfect system and have it work first time out -- not that anyone is going to buy something like that first time out.

I don't buy that business of "I purchased the $29 unit and it was a complete waste of money."

"The kid took his first steps today, and boy, they were really a waste of time. He fell right over."

It may be a waste of time if the equipment failed right away, but not if it did what it was supposed to do and that wasn't up to the task.

There is also the possibility that in non critical performances, the $29 might have been OK. Then you'd feel really silly blowing 250 clams on a sound system.

Koz

[steve]

The MicPlug is considerably better than using the internal mic on my laptop, and a lot more convenient (and probably safer) than having a big chunky XLR plug with an XLR to mini-jack converter hanging out of the side of the laptop. For anyone that has a grown-up microphone (XLR) lying around and want to use it for non-critical sound input such as voice messages, it is probably a good and very inexpensive solution. Did you try the headphone socket on it bgravato ?

[bgravato]

I tried the headphones socket very briefly, but honestly I don't remember what was the result... only thing I remember about it is that when I had the micplug connected to the macbook, when I pressed the the volume buttons on the micplug it would change the volume level on the mac... But i didn't dig much into it. I can give it a try tomorrow and I'll let you know.

[bgravato]

It was a very busy weekend so I didn't have much time at home to do more thorough tests on the amp. Here is another sample (sorry koz not yet a 3 min length full piece but this one is a classic): 34-art-usb-sample2-stairway.flac

This is a follow up to this:

I've found a nice spot in my appartment where I can get a similar large hall echo effect "naturally". I'll try to record something there whenever I get a chance.

That will make playing more enjoyable but will probably not have a huge effect on the recording as you are mic'ing quite close

It was recorded at the top of a stairway. I placed the mic a bit "less-closer" to the guitar to try to catch a bit more of the fine reverb that was pleasing my ears while playing... Not sure if that's much noticeable on the recording...

[kozikowski]

<<<sorry koz not yet a 3 min length full piece>>>

But there is no longer any technical reason not to. The last couple of clips have been Entertainment Corporation, Commercial CD ready.

Have you tried to Actually Edit yet? You know, crank your way through a long piece, fluffs and all, and then go back in post production and hide all the fluffs? I know people that, when they know they're going to "tape," replay over their mistakes and make a mental note where they are. That is, make a mistake, pause, and start playing again at the last even phrase -- rewind your head. It's a lot easier to keep your rhythm going if you do that than to record the whole thing over again six minutes later.

Koz

[kozikowski]

Correct me, but this is the longest thread in the forum?

Koz

[bgravato]

<<<sorry koz not yet a 3 min length full piece>>>

But there is no longer any technical reason not to. The last couple of clips have been Entertainment Corporation, Commercial CD ready.

Have you tried to Actually Edit yet?

Well... I could record something longer and also do some editing... but I think that could be a bit off-topic... don't want to run this thread too long...

Correct me, but this is the longest thread in the forum?

Koz

Oops

I really need to try to sum up of all these and update the first post... (or make a new thread and link it)

[kozikowski]

<<<Oops>>>

I'm not complaining and I don't think any of the other elves are, either. It's not often we get to take somebody from noisy, kitchen-table recording up to commercial grade captures. It helps that you're a terrific player.

Koz