Decent Mic for Recording Ukulele

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rontarrant
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2017/12/13 14:23:03 (permalink)

Decent Mic for Recording Ukulele


I'm on a budget ($150 or less) and need a mic for recording three different ukuleles: a tenor, a soprano and a baritone.
I tried using an AT2020, but find it's quite fiddly. The sweet spot (intersection) of how far to be from the mic and how hot to set the mic is an almost impossible scenario and it either clips or I don't get enough signal strength.
Any ideas? (For all I know, my technique for ukes just sucks, so any pointers there would be gratefully received as well.)
post edited by rontarrant - 2017/12/13 15:40:33

-Ron T.
----------------------------------------------------------
MSI GE72 2QF-247US, 12 gb, Focusrite 6i6, AT-2020
----------------------------------------------------------
Windows 10 x64, Sonar Platinum
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    batsbrew
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    Re: Descent Mic for Recording Ukulele 2017/12/13 15:13:15 (permalink)
    you do mean 'decent', correct?
     
    not like you are going to descend into h8LL for trying to mic a ukelele?


    Bats Brew music Streaming
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    Cactus Music
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    Re: Descent Mic for Recording Ukulele 2017/12/13 16:46:31 (permalink)
    I find small diaphrams work better than Large Diaphram for my guitar, Mandolin and Dobro. 
    LD are too boomy and seem to pick up fret noise and the dog barking a mile away. 
     
    My go to mike is these CAD's that go on sale for half price all the time. I paid $60 for these. 
    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/cad-cm217-condenser-mic--buy-two-and-save
     

     
     

    Johnny V  
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    3 Desktops and 3 Laptops W7 and W10
     http://www.cactusmusic.ca/
     
     
    #3
    raisindot
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    Re: Descent Mic for Recording Ukulele 2017/12/13 18:47:25 (permalink)
    batsbrew
    you do mean 'decent', correct?
     
    not like you are going to descend into h8LL for trying to mic a ukelele?



    batsbrew
    you do mean 'decent', correct?
     
    not like you are going to descend into h8LL for trying to mic a ukelele?




    (With apologies to the OP) 
     
    Good lord, you beat me to it. Just when you think the world finds some common sense and exiles the ukelele to the far corner of musical purgatory where it belongs along with accordians, harmonicas and bagpipes, it re-surfaces like a bad fungus.    :) 
     
     
    #4
    rontarrant
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    Re: Descent Mic for Recording Ukulele 2017/12/13 19:44:18 (permalink)
    Cactus Music
    I find small diaphrams work better than Large Diaphram for my guitar, Mandolin and Dobro. 
    LD are too boomy and seem to pick up fret noise and the dog barking a mile away. 
     
    My go to mike is these CAD's that go on sale for half price all the time. I paid $60 for these. 
    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/cad-cm217-condenser-mic--buy-two-and-save
     

    Thanks, Cactus Music. I'll check those out.

    -Ron T.
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    MSI GE72 2QF-247US, 12 gb, Focusrite 6i6, AT-2020
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    Windows 10 x64, Sonar Platinum
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    gswitz
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    Re: Descent Mic for Recording Ukulele 2017/12/14 01:32:48 (permalink)
    I agree with the Sdc suggestion. The uke is not so percussive that I would favor a ribbon. If you have a bunch side by side you might try hypercardiod. Otherwise cardioid is probably the best choice.

    StudioCat > I use Windows 10 and Sonar Platinum. I have a touch screen.
    I make some videos. This one shows how to do a physical loopback on the RME UCX to get many more equalizer nodes.
    #6
    rontarrant
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    Re: Descent Mic for Recording Ukulele 2017/12/14 09:24:01 (permalink)
    gswitz
    I agree with the Sdc suggestion. The uke is not so percussive that I would favor a ribbon. If you have a bunch side by side you might try hypercardiod. Otherwise cardioid is probably the best choice.

    Thanks, gswitz. I'll be recording them one at a time, but even so, perhaps the CAD D38 would do the job. They're apparently super-cardioid, but I don't see that difference being a big deal. One guy was complaining that the diaphragm frames were loose, but that's just a matter of tightening a screw, isn't it?
    Besides the CAD mics, I've also been reading about Behringer C2 and C4. Good reviews on these, too, from what I've seen so far.
    post edited by rontarrant - 2017/12/14 11:18:14

    -Ron T.
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    MSI GE72 2QF-247US, 12 gb, Focusrite 6i6, AT-2020
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    Windows 10 x64, Sonar Platinum
    #7
    gswitz
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    Re: Descent Mic for Recording Ukulele 2017/12/14 17:45:29 (permalink)
    The polar pattern does matter. I use the most relaxed pattern that will do the job. For one instrument at a time, I would look for cardioid. Mics that reject more sound are easier to badly aim.

    StudioCat > I use Windows 10 and Sonar Platinum. I have a touch screen.
    I make some videos. This one shows how to do a physical loopback on the RME UCX to get many more equalizer nodes.
    #8
    rontarrant
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    Re: Descent Mic for Recording Ukulele 2017/12/14 18:04:54 (permalink)
    gswitz
    Mics that reject more sound are easier to badly aim.

    Good point.

    -Ron T.
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    MSI GE72 2QF-247US, 12 gb, Focusrite 6i6, AT-2020
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    Windows 10 x64, Sonar Platinum
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