Live recording with Green Bullet

[marns45]

Hi everyone, I am going to try and make a live recording to go along with a video recording so I can throw some songs on youtube.

The set up is going to be just an acoustic guitar, a singer, and a cajon for percussion. The problem is, my microphone selection is really limited. All I have access to at the moment is a mxl v67, an akg d790 an a shure green bullet.

I know these are not ideal for what I am trying to do, but the sound does have to be perfect, its really just so I can get a better sound than just from the microphone on a video camera. I was going to use the mxl on the acoustic guitar, since it is a large diaphragm condensor, the akg for the singer, and that leaves the green bullet for the cajon.

Does any one have any tips for how I can use the Green Bullet for the cajon, or some other set up? MY mixing board has some eq on it, plus I was going to use the sound recording from the video camera as a sort of room mic just to get more sounds. The plan is to put all the mics into my mixing board, and then run the stereo output to my mbox 2 and record just the right and left of the stereo out put. Kind of like just recording to a tape. I've done this before, and it worked out ok.

Any suggestions would be great! Thanks everybody

[brandondrury]

I'm not even exactly sure what a cajon is. I looked it up on Google, but I have no idea what they sound like and how the Green Bullet will work with it.

The Green Bullet is a VERY colored mic and you won't escape it's character. It's basically the telephone sound with no low end and no top end. If it's character doesn't work with the cajon, I'd highly recommend you finding a person to borrow a SM57 or something from.

I was going to use the mxl on the acoustic guitar, since it is a large diaphragm condensor

This isn't terrible logic, but if it were me I would use X mic because it sounds better and not because of some trait of the mic itself. I know I'm being critical here, but I'm holding the key to massive improvement out for you.

[marns45]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

This isn't terrible logic, but if it were me I would use X mic because it sounds better and not because of some trait of the mic itself. I know I'm being critical here, but I'm holding the key to massive improvement out for you.

Thanks, I know that every mic is different, but I have used this mic on acoustic guitar before and have gotten better results than my other options.

A cajon is a peruvian instrument that looks like a box, but has a number of sounds that make is sound like a drum set, with a snare, bass and sometimes even tom sounds. There are a lot of videos on youtube that exemplify what the instrument can do, its rather cool.

[brandondrury]

I was going to use the mxl on the acoustic guitar, since it is a large diaphragm condensor

I have used this mic on acoustic guitar before and have gotten better results than my other options.

Great! Now if you compare your two quotes here you can clearly see there is a gigantic difference. One involved listening. The other involved reading an article online or something. I'll take listening each and every time.

A cajon is a peruvian instrument that looks like a box, but has a number of sounds that make is sound like a drum set, with a snare, bass and sometimes even tom sounds. There are a lot of videos on youtube that exemplify what the instrument can do, its rather cool.

Oh yeah. That thing! It's still not my instinct to search on Youtube like it is for me to such on Google.

Here's the deal. That thing has some serious low end but serious top end as well. There is no way around it. I would want a condenser on it if I had a choice. If you can scrape up $30 to get a Behringer C1 that would be better than your Green Bullet in this application.

Brandon

[marns45]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

Here's the deal. That thing has some serious low end but serious top end as well. There is no way around it. I would want a condenser on it if I had a choice. If you can scrape up $30 to get a Behringer C1 that would be better than your Green Bullet in this application.

Brandon

Luckily, I found a friend who is going to let me borrow a sm57 and a shure bass drum mic. I think that will be able to do the job, capturing both the high and low of the cajon

[brandondrury]

I think that will be able to do the job, capturing both the high and low of the cajon

Yes, but be very careful to keep the microphones in phase.

I once recorded a Jembe with a Beta 91 on the bottom where the low end is and whatever on top and it turned out great!

Brandon

[marns45]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

Yes, but be very careful to keep the microphones in phase.


Brandon

How can I tell if they will be in/out of phase? Sorry, ive tried to learn a lot about recording, but phasing issues is something I have yet to delve into

[brandondrury]

Phasing issues are the most important purely engineering concept to know. Everything else is a bunch of rules that are made to broken.

This is a topic that I've waited to the end to tackle in my upcoming home recording book because I haven't figured out the best way to put it into words. It may have to be a video or at least a series of audio clips.

Phase 101 (which is only remedial at best) basically says that if the low end disappears when you combine 2 mics on once source than you are out of phase. Hitting the phase/polarity button can usually fix that. To go much deeper we have the subject of comb filtering which essentially adds an EQ pattern that resembles the teeth of a comb. I'll get into this aggressively down the road, but that'll hold you over for now.

Brandon