gae_layahoo.it Posted January 14, 2002 Share Posted January 14, 2002 in a few days i'll be recording a cello for a folk-type project. -which type of mic is ideal for a cello (and why?)? -i understand that with cello and other string instruments the size of the room is crucial.which are the ideal rooms for different kinds of music (chamber,symphonic,pop-rock,folk,etc.)? -the room in which the recording will take place is (IMO) by no means great sounding (roughly 10 ft. wide,23 ft. long, 14 ft. high) and is untreated (just the nude walls).some suggestions on where to place the player in the room? -this bands' music is pretty "dark",a bit like this mortal coil,current 93,death in june and other dark-folk bands,i think i need to get the more bass-heavy tones as possible...any suggestions? -any other advice? thanks for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Winer Posted January 14, 2002 Share Posted January 14, 2002 Carne, > which type of mic is ideal for a cello (and why?)? < I do a lot of cello recording. I prefer a pair of large diaphragm condenser mikes, though it's not essential. I have a pair of audiotechnica 4033s and also a pair of AKG C451s, and both have worked well. Using a pair of mikes for stereo gives a much better result than just one mike. > i understand that with cello and other string instruments the size of the room is crucial. < Yes, and the same is true for any acoustic instruments when you want to get a natural sound. With cellos especially, the sound radiates from many places on the instrument, and the radiation pattern is not flat. That is, the lows radiate one way, the highs go off in a different directions, and so forth. So that means you shouldn't use close-miking, because there's no one place to point the mike that will pick up the full range of the sound. But as soon as you pull the mike back 3-5 feet, the sound of the room becomes a factor too. My room is large for a home studio - 18 x 33 - and I have a hardwood floor with angled walls and vaulted ceiling. But you can get a decent recording in a normal room if you put the player near the center of the room, so it's not too close to any wall. --Ethan The acoustic treatment experts Ethan's Audio Expert Book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
music-man Posted January 14, 2002 Share Posted January 14, 2002 [quote]Originally posted by carne_de_res: [b]in a few days i'll be recording a cello for a folk-type project. -which type of mic is ideal for a cello (and why?)? -i understand that with cello and other string instruments the size of the room is crucial.which are the ideal rooms for different kinds of music (chamber,symphonic,pop-rock,folk,etc.)? -the room in which the recording will take place is (IMO) by no means great sounding (roughly 10 ft. wide,23 ft. long, 14 ft. high) and is untreated (just the nude walls).some suggestions on where to place the player in the room? -this bands' music is pretty "dark",a bit like this mortal coil,current 93,death in june and other dark-folk bands,i think i need to get the more bass-heavy tones as possible...any suggestions? -any other advice? thanks for your help.[/b][/quote] When I'm playing cello on recordings, different engineers have tried a lot of different things ... Here are some thoughts - (I'm running out the door, so sorry for the rushed format): 1. Generally, a good, large-diaph-condensor positioned off-center to the RIGHT (from the perspective of the player), pointed toward the F-hole at just about bridge level or below, about 3.5 feet out has gotten good results. 2. Another engineer got decent sounds with a tube mic positioned just behind and above my head, with the capsule pointing toward the bridge. I was pretty skeptical, but the sound was nice. Unfortunately I don't remember what kind of mic it was - it was huge and heavy with a metal grill ... (?) looked vintage. 3. This is a matter of taste, but the thing that annoys me most is when engineers mic too close to the instrument. I assume they're trying to boost bass with a proximity effect, but the resulting sound has way too much bow grit and noise - you get a lot of the whish/crunch of bow noise, and much less of the actual notes. Given that you want a darker sound, I'd move back from the instrument somewhat, or if you move in - mic the body and NOT the contact point betw string/bow. 4. The richest/most-natural sounding cello room I've recorded in has been in a huge barn that had been converted to a studio - high ceilings, all wood ... the natural room reverbs were dark and warm. 5. I've had pretty good luck with a 414. 6. A Mic to avoid: SM57. Good luck ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearmike Posted January 14, 2002 Share Posted January 14, 2002 carne, Last year I had great results getting a dark, somber cello tone. I used an AKG 414TLII in cardiod about a foot and half away from the cello, at bridge height. I aimed the mic at the spot between the f hole and the bridge. going for a darker tone, we tracked in a room with a heavy carpet under the cello, but the walls were a bit live. The resulting track wouldn't have worked in a classical piece, but for the vibe I was going for -- dark, moody -- it worked. We dropped a bit of a dark reverb on the tracks ( We layered five tracks which really helped.) and were good to go. Hope this helps. -Mike Seriously, what the f*ck with the candles? Where does this candle impulse come from, and in what other profession does it get expressed? -steve albini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gae_layahoo.it Posted January 15, 2002 Author Share Posted January 15, 2002 thank you all! god,i LOVE this forum. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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