Home recording hardware
11
Home recording hardware
I want to record my practice sessions from time to time to have to become aware/control of my (none) progress. I have a Zoom H4n at hand so i will use it. But what microphones to use? I am thinking of buying a matched pair Rode NT5. Any other suggestions?
More important (i think): Where to place the mics? With the above hardware i can record 4 channels. Two build in mics in the recorder and two independent. I was thinking about one near the root one near the utaguchi. The build ins for the room.
More important (i think): Where to place the mics? With the above hardware i can record 4 channels. Two build in mics in the recorder and two independent. I was thinking about one near the root one near the utaguchi. The build ins for the room.
To me, your idea sounds like a grand practice recording set up!
Remember to place the mics a bit off-set so the air doesn't hit them. Otherwise go for it. I don't particular know the Rode NT5s but they should be fine.
Leet us hear when you are ready!
Remember to place the mics a bit off-set so the air doesn't hit them. Otherwise go for it. I don't particular know the Rode NT5s but they should be fine.
Leet us hear when you are ready!
Personally, I record my practise on my iPhone and listen to it through headphones. It works surprisingly well 
I think the H4n's built-in microphones are largely sufficient for this type of use. Just be careful to set to 16 bit 44 kHz WAV (CD quality) or better (shakuhachi definitely doesn't like MP3 compression).
For what you say you want it for, 1 channel and the internal mics should be fine.
Hopefully some people with experience will chime in, because if it's not part of your profession the cost of the hardware is expensive enough that people usually stick with what works for them for a long time, and don't often experiment much. A good vocal mic worked for me (like a shure sm-58) for a long time, but in order to use it with the computer I had to get a pre-amp and set up for recording was too inconvenient. So I got a Samson Go Mic that plugs directly into my computer's USB port, it has both a cardioid mode for playing right into it and an omnidirectional mode for picking up room sound. Both are overkill for just keeping tabs on what I'm sounding like from a listeners perspective, for that I mostly just use my MP3 player microphone and recorder.
You've got a great recorder, you should be able to get some nice quality recordings with it.
Hopefully some people with experience will chime in, because if it's not part of your profession the cost of the hardware is expensive enough that people usually stick with what works for them for a long time, and don't often experiment much. A good vocal mic worked for me (like a shure sm-58) for a long time, but in order to use it with the computer I had to get a pre-amp and set up for recording was too inconvenient. So I got a Samson Go Mic that plugs directly into my computer's USB port, it has both a cardioid mode for playing right into it and an omnidirectional mode for picking up room sound. Both are overkill for just keeping tabs on what I'm sounding like from a listeners perspective, for that I mostly just use my MP3 player microphone and recorder.
You've got a great recorder, you should be able to get some nice quality recordings with it.
"JF Lagrost""JF Lagrost"I think the H4n's built-in microphones are largely sufficient for this type of use. Just be careful to set to 16 bit 44 kHz WAV (CD quality) or better (shakuhachi definitely doesn't like MP3 compression).
Yes, i have made the experience even when converting from WAV to MP3 i can hear artifacts sometimes.
Last edited by LowBlow on 2013-04-08, 10:10; edited 1 time in total
Have you thought of Rode NT4? I've heard good things about it, and it is already stereo mic in X-Y position.
I've done some recordings using ZOOM H4, ZOOM Q3HD, Samson C01U, Behringer C2 matched pair, MXL 770, Rode NT3 and AKG C414XLS...
Even tried Shure SM57 and Apogee MIC for iPhone/iPad
I've done some recordings using ZOOM H4, ZOOM Q3HD, Samson C01U, Behringer C2 matched pair, MXL 770, Rode NT3 and AKG C414XLS...
Even tried Shure SM57 and Apogee MIC for iPhone/iPad
"Yu-Jin""Yu-Jin"Have you thought of Rode NT4? I've heard good things about it, and it is already stereo mic in X-Y position.
I've done some recordings using ZOOM H4, ZOOM Q3HD, Samson C01U, Behringer C2 matched pair, MXL 770, Rode NT3 and AKG C414XLS...
Even tried Shure SM57 and Apogee MIC for iPhone/iPad
That's fine. Sounds like you have some experience. Anything you want to share?
For the moment i will stick with my Zoom H4n. Using the build in mics and recording with 44.1kHz/24bit. Placed like suggested above the scores, mics facing down to the flute.
I received a PM from someone which says: Better pimp your flute playing skills then your hardware. That's very true i think. The above setting will do for practicing session.
Nonetheless i will gear up because i want to record a session with a tam tam and feng gong player.
I received a PM from someone which says: Better pimp your flute playing skills then your hardware. That's very true i think. The above setting will do for practicing session.
Nonetheless i will gear up because i want to record a session with a tam tam and feng gong player.
"LowBlow""LowBlow"For the moment i will stick with my Zoom H4n.
I've used ZOOM H4 which came out before H4n, and it still works great. I've used it to record myself, lessons with my teacher and even some music pieces. Build in mics work great. I place it 1-2 ft. away, a bit above level of utaguchi and a pointing at the middle of shakuhachi. If environment is too noisy. I get mic closer and move it a bit to the side to avoid air hitting it.
Last week, as a part of my course at the academy, we were doing a sound exercise in a recording studio. We had two shotgun mics, one pointed at the utaguchi, 10cm distance. The second mic we placed about six/seven meters away, in order to be able to work better with the tone colour and it also helped that parasitic hiss of the shakuhachi felt a bit more integral to the overall sound.
"Marek""Marek"Last week, as a part of my course at the academy, we were doing a sound exercise in a recording studio. We had two shotgun mics, one pointed at the utaguchi, 10cm distance. The second mic we placed about six/seven meters away, in order to be able to work better with the tone colour and it also helped that parasitic hiss of the shakuhachi felt a bit more integral to the overall sound.
Did you mix sounds after recording?
I tried double mic recording, placing one mic close, and using another one as a room mic at a distance. Problem with this type of recording I had was too much room noise. For quiet studio environment it should work great. I haven't tried shotguns yet. Opinions are different. Many people are saying that shotguns are great for outdoors, but inside they will pick up too much room reflection noise in acoustically untreated environment.. At some point I will try it
We did a five channel mix, but we did have enough time to play around with it. We used ProTools to mix and record.
Of course, this was a very good sound environment.
Of course, this was a very good sound environment.
Wow! That is cool if people do mix with room mics and more close mics when recording practice.
I mean it would sound better and probably make you in a better mood than the simple recordings I have made when practicing so far!
Now, I am not sure of course if you guys meant recording practice at home... but I had the vision if you always had miss set up like that ready to record practice session. How great would that be?
I mean it would sound better and probably make you in a better mood than the simple recordings I have made when practicing so far!
Now, I am not sure of course if you guys meant recording practice at home... but I had the vision if you always had miss set up like that ready to record practice session. How great would that be?
Recently I've used an M Audio Sputnik tube mic about 70 cm off the bell at about 10 degrees off axis, a Royer 121 ribbon mic about 50 cm from the center of the shakuhachi parallel to the instrument and a Behringer C4 about 20 cm above my head at about 20 degrees off axis to my left pointing to the right parallel to my shoulder line. Mixing was done in the box in Reaper 64bit. The room has excellent acoustic treatment, so external noise was not an issue. Of course, this is not a typical home recording situation. Though rooms have been used before, with the right mics up front, they are a bit superfluous unless of course you have a large, well-treated room with no external noise interference.
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