Re: [Harp-L] audacity

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 "brian.irving" wrote:
<What type of microphone do you guys use to record acoustic harp to your pc,
<for practice purposes?  I can connect my bullet to the input but would
<prefer to practice acoustically as well as through the hand held bullet set
<up.

The big problem with recording "acoustically"--playing the harp in front of a mic, as opposed to hand-holding it--is that most rooms don't sound very good, and when the mic is out in the open, the sound of the room comes through clearly.  You're recording yourself for practice, as opposed to commercial release, so that might not be an issue in this case.  So practically any mic with a reasonably wide frequency response, like a lot of stick-type vocal mics, could do the job.  A Shure SM57 or 58, at about $100 for either, will work fine, and will probably still be working fine 50 years from now.

My favorite setup for recording "acoustic" tracks is a handheld Audix Fireball V.  It's got a wide frequency response and little to no proximity effect, so it sounds very much the same whether you're standing in front of it or holding it in your hand.  The mic is designed for harmonica, and it makes sweet sounds.  Hand-holding it takes the room out of the sound, so you can record commercial-quality tracks just about anywhere, without regard to the sound of the room or even loud background noises.  I recorded tracks for the BBC series "Copper" (episode 19) in my kitchen with a handheld Fireball V, and those tracks made it to the final mix.  (See http://www.hunterharp.com/recording-copper-episode-19-an-rp255-and-a-fireball-v-does-it/)  Finally, the Fireball V sells for around $125, making it a very cost-effective tool.

It's always nice to have tools that work in a variety of situations.  The Fireball V, or the Shure mics mentioned above, are inexpensive enough to use for practice only, but they're also suitable for professional work.  If you have the budget, I'd consider those mics.

Regards, Richard Hunter






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