Microphone for quiet instruments

[allends]

Hello Gear Gurus,I'm looking to purchase a budget microphone for $600 or less that would have some unique specs for my situation. I'm presently recording my sitar - a rather quiet instrument - in a home studio with a relatively quite PC that sits only about 4-5 feet from the mic. I know, the room setup isn't ideal but that's what I've got to work with.My goal is to choose a decent condenser mic with low self noise that will focus on the instrument and reject as much room noise as possible. With my present omni-directional dynamic mic I'm getting low gain from the instrument and can hear the PC hardrive in the mix. It wouldn't take much to improve this situation but since I'm shopping I'm asking for any advice I can get.Feel free to jump in and offer any advice on mic purchasing even if you don't have the slightest idea how to mic a sitar - the topic is a bit out there .Here's a quick list of mics that caught my novice eye:AKG C 1000 SAKG C 451 BRode NT1-AThanks,-Allen

[ernstinen]

I use a small diaphragm condenser with a cardioid shotgun capsule pointed 180 degrees from the computer. It's a vintage Sennheiser K2-U which I love. I'm sure there are more current mics that would fill the bill.Ern

[sgs4u]

Quote:You also could get a Neumann KM 184... but my choice for your sitar is the C 451 Bgunter the Neuman was what I meant to reccomend. (hic)

[53mph]

Quote:Oh yes. Well the C1000 is probably a bit bulky for strapping to instruments. It's not light either. Why would you strap a C1000 to an instrument? Surely it would be better to use a mic stand, in which case, weight is not important.If you're talking about body pick-ups for performing then that's a whole different ball park. I don't know of any studios that would recommend using a body pick up to record instruments in place of a mic on a stand.Don't tell me you strap a mic to your accoustic guitar when you perform!!! Gunter seems to know what he's talking about...just hope those mics aren't too expensive.

[jeffe]

Ahem....It was a bit of humour after the picture he included in his post. Look see. I still like AKG though.

[allends]

Thanks Everybody,Every sitar player needs gurus like youz! Cheers,Allen

[allends]

Quote:I put the mic over the sound hole about six to twelve inches away. If it is too boomy at the position, I would aim either up the neck or towards the bridge. Close miking like this requires equalization and I also use a compressor so that the guitar recording competes with the rest of the production. Being a soft instrument, you have to make the acoustic sound more aggressive. If you are a soloist without the Pop/Rock backing track then I would take more of a classical approach to recording the instrument mic further away, less EQ and compression if at all.Yes Gunter, that helps Backing away with a cardiod will work much better than close micing with my omni-directional, that's why I need to spend a little money. My PC has a quiet Zalman fan so I only hear the noise from the dual drives. It's nothing that a blanket or barrier can't cure.BTW: Since you mention it, the rule of thumb for micing a sitar without a soundhole is to aim for the wood near the bridge from a distance of about a foot. In a good studio there are a lot more options, but it's good to avoid getting too close to strings, fingers and plectrums: all can be too noisy. I hope you enjoy these exotic factoids. Cheers & Thanks,Allen

[ernstinen]

Hey Allen,Two questions:1.) Do you ever mic the sitar in stereo?2.) Do they still make Studebakers in South Bend?Thanks,Ern

[allends]

Quote:Hey Allen,Two questions:1.) Do you ever mic the sitar in stereo?2.) Do they still make Studebakers in South Bend?Hi Ern,Stereo mics could be interesting if done with subtlety. What I do know is that some studio engineers advocate micing different parts of the instrument and blending them like guitars are done sometimes (BTW: it is something of a myth that the upper gourd is a resonator worthy of micing - its main function is to help rest the instrument off the floor when not in use). I'm also aware that room ambiance is an important sound to capture. Maybe stereo would be ideal for that.You're right, South Bend, Indiana was the home of Studebaker. The company went under in the '60s but their Avanti custom car company kept on building Avanti luxury cars here until the new owners moved the company out of state. Today, South Bend is mainly known as the home of The University of Notre Dame and the College Football Hall of Fame.Go IRISH!More interesting factoids -Allen

[ernstinen]

Quote:Stereo mics could be interesting if done with subtlety. A bit O.T., but the best acoustic guitar sound I ever got was done like this:Takamine guitar pickup; Cardioid condenser near soundhole sweetspot; Cardioid condenser shotgun near tuning pegs pointing down the neck; and a PZM mic on a table about 2 feet away. As I remember, I used very little pickup, and blended the mics to create a stereo field. What a big sound!BTW, I grew up in St. Joseph, MI about 35 mi. away from South Bend. Small world! Oh, and I want an Avanti. Ern