Mic a Marimba

[nmbrady1]

Hey could anybody point me in the right direction of how to go about recording a marimba?

Thanks

[richiebee]

It depends on the context, the room, whether you need separation, and possibly even the quality of the instrument.

I'm thinking spaced pair or XY pair above the bars will give a more percussive sound, while a pair (in your favourite pair formation) in front of the resonators will give a more resonant sound.

If you have a nice room and enough mics, do both and mix.

[nmbrady1]

thanks!

What I'm looking at doing is recording myself (solo) marimba. So I would probaly want to go with the mics out in front?

[richiebee]

In a solo context, I'd say you'd definitely want more of the resonance. The problem is if the room you're in is not very kind to you, its more likely to sound crap with the mics out front - the "above" mics will likely have a more direct sound. If time allows, try both and see which you prefer. Four mics though somewhat extravagant, will allow you to blend the sound more, so you're not totally compromising, but with two, I think you need to find your own preference to sound ahead of time.

[nmbrady1]

The room sound good. So a couple of condersers out in the room would probaly be the best way to go?

Thanks for the help!