The ideal use for condensers on-stage is for instruments that have higher frequencies (cymbals are a great example) that a dynamic can't pick up. An acoustic piano is another area where condensers sound amazing live, although a dynamic on the lower strings and a condenser on the higher ones produces a great sound, too.
RECORDING A LIVE BAND: CONDENSER AND VOCAL MICROPHONES
- Shure SM57 – This is the industry standard for live sound recording.
- Shure SM81 – A unidirectional condenser.
- Shure Beta 52 – This was originally designed for kick drums and big toms.
- Shure SM 58 – This is another legendary microphone.
You could record an entire band, if you had a mixing console. You could connect every microphone and direct inject to the mixing console, providing it has enough channels, and mix the band into stereo as they perform. You can record this to your computer through the two inputs of your audio interface.
Top 10 Best DAW Recording Software of 2021
- Ableton Live 10 Suite Multitrack Recording Software.
- Image Line FL Studio 20 Producer Edition.
- Pro Tools 10 Audio Recording and Editing Software.
- Propellerhead Reason 7 DAW Music Software.
- ACID Pro 7 Digital Audio Workstation.
- Steinberg Cubase Elements 10 Music Production Software.
So if you want to break into recording a live band in your studio, here are five useful tips to get you started.
- Know the band, know the song(s)
- Staging the room for recording a live band.
- Testing, testing, 1…
- Keep everything in sync and in tune.
- Direct inputs are your friend.
Step 1: The Recording Process
- Create a Track to Follow. The first step is creating some kind of guide for the other instruments to follow along with.
- Record the Rhythm Section. As any musician knows, the rhythm section is the foundation of any song.
- Record the Harmonies.
- Record the Melodies.
- Add Color.
All you really need is a stereo recording in which you can hear all the parts clearly, and this is pretty much what the current crop of solid-state stereo recorders are designed for. Some, such as the Zoom H4N, provide XLR inputs and 48V phantom power, which means that you can use professional condenser mics.
While live bands in a pub or a hot spot generally means a musical act performing in front of an audience, there is also a disguised parlance for bars, where girls dance to peppy numbers to titillate patrons.
The deep nulls of figure-of-eight mics can help you achieve separation when recording singing guitarists. Like I said, mixing well-recorded acoustic guitars isn't usually a strain.
You will get a different sound depending on the angle of the mic and whether it is closer to the center of the speaker cone or the edge. So the reason why you mic up an amp is because THAT is the sound you're trying to capture. That warm, tube sound is largely the amp/speaker and not the guitar/player.
Dynamic, condenser and ribbon microphones can be used to record electric guitars, but they each serve a different purpose. Some guitarists like to turn it up LOUD. Something magical happens when an amp is turned up so far it starts to break up. If you're recording a particularly loud guitar amp, use a dynamic mic.
7 Critical Tips On How To Mic An Acoustic Guitar
- Do not place the microphone directly in front of the sound hole.
- For a balanced sound that captures high end, place the mic about 12 to 16 inches away from the 12th fret.
- For a balanced sound that adds a little more bass, try positioning the mic a little above the sound hole or behind and below the bridge.
- Fender Acoustasonic 40 – Best Overall.
- Behringer Eurolive B205D Ultra-Compact 150-Watt PA/Monitor Speaker System.
- LyxPro SPA-5.5 Small PA Speaker Monitor Class-D Amplifier Active Speaker System.
- Roland CM-30 Cube Monitor/PA.
- TC-Helicon VoiceSolo FX150.
- Powerwerks PW50BT 50 Watts RMS Personal PA System With Bluetooth.
Best Microphones for Recording Acoustic Guitars in 2021
- AKG PERCEPTION 170 Professional Instrumental Microphone.
- MXL 990 Condenser Microphone with Shockmount.
- Samson C02 Pencil Condenser Microphones.
- Audio-Technica AT4040 Cardioid Condenser Microphone.
- AKG Pro Audio C214 Condenser Microphone, Cardioid.
