I tried it on some acoustic guitar last night and it sounded alright. Not as nice as my AKG, but different. I was thinking about using it to try some stereo guitar recordings since I have no experience with that. Are you supposed to point them up at the ceiling as per the manual, or is that just for taking ARC measurements?

The ARC mic is nothing special in itself, it's just an omni-pattern condenser.  What makes it special to ARC is the software knows the precise frequency response it should have and thus can give a good approximation of a "flat" measurement mic.
 
To use any thin pencil shaped mic for recording you should point the thin end towards the source and the cable away from the source.  When used for room measurement you have the cable towards the ground to get the least interference in the sound waves created by the mic body, stand and cable.
 
 

Ah that's interesting, I did not know that, thanks.

If I spent the cash on ARC I'd probably keep the mic in hermetically sealed box (or as close to one as I could get) until I was going to test my room again to keep as new as possible. I'm assuming any kind of dust, wear and tear or other degradation could reduce its effectiveness at properly doing its job.
 
That's just me though and I don't really understand how such things work. ;-)

"The ARC mic is nothing special in itself, it's just an omni-pattern condenser.  What makes it special to ARC is the software knows the precise frequency response it should have"
 
Minor correction: The ARC software sorta, kinda knows the generalized frequency response of the cheap Chinese omni mic they send out with the kit. How do I know? I asked IK_Obi to ask his *people* and that's what he told me.
 
I have a similar cheap omni Chinese mic that I use with my RTA, but I sent my mic off to a test facility and it came back with a calibration file that I loaded into the RTA, which means that for a couple of months my software knew the precise frequency response the mic should have Now, it is probably just sort of close but it's a lot closer than the systems that rely on a broad generalization.
 
best regards,
mike
 
 
edit grammar

Beepster
If I spent the cash on ARC I'd probably keep the mic in hermetically sealed box (or as close to one as I could get) until I was going to test my room again to keep as new as possible. I'm assuming any kind of dust, wear and tear or other degradation could reduce its effectiveness at properly doing its job.
 
That's just me though and I don't really understand how such things work. ;-)

I've thought about that but have decided that when the time comes, I'll just give it a quick blow across the top. Should be sweet.

mike_mccue
"The ARC mic is nothing special in itself, it's just an omni-pattern condenser.  What makes it special to ARC is the software knows the precise frequency response it should have"
 
Minor correction: The ARC software sorta, kinda knows what the generalized frequency response of the cheap Chinese omni mic they send out with the kit. How do I know? I asked IK_Obi to ask his *people* and that's what he told me.
 
best regards,
mike

mike, I did say, and you included it in your quote, that the software knows the frequency response the mic should have...

I have a Beyerdynamic MM 1 that I use for RTA with my PA. You shove it on a stand roughly where most of the audience will be and an auto setup routine will set the graphic eqs on all the outputs and add any delays to sync the mains and any repeaters with the back line...

Point taken Karyn!
 
I should  have recognized that detail.
 
:-)

I used the ARC mic to record some acoustic guitar. It captures a slightly different sound than my Rode, but aside from that, it's a mic and therefore can be used for recording.
 
Ultimately, what it comes down to, is your ability to use EQ and whatever other things you work with to get a good tone out of the speakers.
 
One thing I have noticed over the years here in the cake forums is that we have people here using all sorts of mic from the very nice, and costly ribbons and high end condenser mics to the bargain bin el-cheapo "this is all I can afford" mics that are routinely priced under $100. Heck, I recall someone several years back bragging on a $59 condenser they had bought and recorded with, and yeah, the mic did a fine job.
 
So, if you want to use the ARC mic, my thoughts are, have a go at it. You certainly won't hurt it. Additionally, with time, and experimenting, you may find that it actually does a fine job on certain instruments where a more expensive mic won't.

sharke
I tried it on some acoustic guitar last night and it sounded alright. Not as nice as my AKG, but different. I was thinking about using it to try some stereo guitar recordings since I have no experience with that. Are you supposed to point them up at the ceiling as per the manual, or is that just for taking ARC measurements?

We have two different ARC mic's, Sharke. I have the first one for ARC 1 and we bought the other for the other studio which came with a mic that has a different serial number. You know how the software asks you which mic you have? We have both since we bought at different times.
 
We've actually used both mic's on acoustic guitar with very good results. I have a little test idea around here somewhere. If I can find it, I'll post it up. Honestly man, you can make any mic sound decent with the:
 
a) right guitar
b) right player
c) right execution
 
We happened to have just set the mic's up while not paying attention to them, noticed they were both "hot" and played a guitar near them. I gotta find the file...it's pretty cool considering we did absolutely nothing and didn't even strategically place them or anything. :)
 
-Danny