Recording problem

I have a classical guitar but its not an electric classical guitar so I can hook it up to my amp then to my comp..How would I go about trying to record stuff with my classical guitar...Would I buy a Microphone?
Any suggestions on what to do are appreciated

SM57s are a good first choice as they sound bloody great with guitar as well as working really well with some voices. My voice sounds better through an SM57 than through an SM58, the industry standard live vox mic.

Although SM57s don't require phantom power (+12-48 V DC) they don't have a very hot output which can lead to noise recordings. The solution to this is to use a preamp (even a Behringer will make a difference).

For recording classical, point the mic at the 12th fret about 12 in away.

If you are going to shoot striate into a computer it is worth remember Mic level signal is of a lower impedance than a guitar signal or line level signal and a DI box can make a huge improvement to the quality of your recording.

You can also get contact mics however when ever I have used them they have sounded terrible.

so just buy a decent mic..hook it up to the computer and record at the 12th fret and that should do me good??
sorry ive never done anytihng with recordin stuff

Yep thats about it.

Me, I started with an SM57 straight into a Tascam 424 mk III (not as posh as a computer) and at the time I thought it sounded great.

An SM57 will set you back about 100 USD.
The cable may be a little expensive (XLR to XLR)
Get a second hand Behringer pre (40-60 USD)
a cable from your Pre to your sound card.

You are good for guitar and vox.

I'd also STRONGLY suggest some form of compression and mixing through flat response near field speakers rather than headphones however that is another story for another day.

Mic placement and the acoustics of the room you are in will also influence the sound you get, so a mic stand is a good idea. That way you can reproducibly experiment with mic placement.

Fore example, does it sound better pointed at the 12th fret at an angle or with the capsule facing the fret board ? Does it sound better pointed at the sound hole and if so what angle ?

So don't take my word for it, experiment and find out what sounds best to your ear.

thanks alot..do i need a sound card?? I have an onboard sound card..is that good enough

Yep that will do for a starter.

oook..

The classical sound-ideal differs from the one of steelstring guitars for example. Therefore piezzo-pickups or mics inside of the body are definitely a don't if you want the real classical sound! It is also quite common to put some of the live-room-sound to your recording by placing the mics at a certain distance to the guitar. That requires, however, a good sounding recording room. If you don't have the propper room, you have to put the mics closer to the guitar and add some reverb later.
Usually large single diaphragm condenser microphones are the way to go. The whole of the sound should be smooth and warm. Too much emphasis on the high range is rather not recommended. If you got mics that have very dominant heights you will even have to high-cut the recording a bit.

You´ll get the best sound out of those above mentioned large single diaphragm condenser microphones. Their sound is a bit smoother and they don't produce as much background-noise as regular small-diaphragm mics. You should get the best microphones you can afford. A good choice are two Beyerdynamic MC 740 set on cardioid (polar pattern) and some bass cut at 50 hz. Some mics have a bass cut starting at 80hz, but thats not good for it will cut some of the vital bass frequencies of the classical guitar.
A very important part of the whole process is the preamp. Try to get at least a halfway decent one. A good choice is the Gold-Mike by SPL - its not too expensive and sounds natural and warm plus it isn't just a simple preamp - it also has some additional options like low-cut and presence.
When you go digital you have to use a good D/A device. You should always record at 24 bit at 48 khz. Higher sampling rates (96 or even 192) do not make any difference for a regular CD-recording. But don't use 16 bit. 24 bit is much more accurate and brilliant.

Here are some examples i found on the net, showcasing some of the differnt microphone positions/variations:

Ex. 1 - Recorded with a large single diaphragm condenser mic (LSDCM), distance 20 cm (aprox 7.87 in.) pointing towards the bridge a bit below the soundhole

Ex. 2 - Same mic, same direction, distance 45 cm (17.7 in.)

Ex. 3 - 'close micing' again (7.87 in.), this time pointing towards the wood (top) below the bridge

(i dont have sound examples for the following positions - just go figure)

4. same position, 17.7 inches

5. Stereo with two LSDCM. position 1: rear position (as in example 3) position 2: top below the neck - both microphones adjusted paralell

6. ssame as 5, but this time "directed" (same axis, but 90 degrees turned towards eachother)

7. same as 6 - but 17.7 inches

the soundexamples should be listened to with good headphones since some of the very subtile differences might get lost on cheap speakers.
those recordings have been made in typical home-recording situations.

The room had a normal wooden parquet and was not dampened nore otherwise acustically enhanced. hard surfaces dominating. no curtains or upholstery whatsoever.
the recording equipment was rather home recording standard and is affordable: two AKG C-3000 mics and an old Roland VS-1680 EX Hard-Disk-Recording-Workstation. nofurther onboard equipment, no EQ, no effects. Samples performed by Bernd Maier of the Barrios Guitar Quartett.

hope that helps! ;)

Thanks Azreal...WHat stuff do you use for your recordingS????
Ps. I dont have much money..maybe 30$ at the most..lol

30 bucks eh? you could buy a knife and threaten the owner of your local musicstore to hand you the best equipment he has *LOL*

i personally have my own sound. i dont record the "original classical sound" as you may have noticed. i simply use my Godin ACS Acoustic Multiac and my Boss Me-50 :D
why?
because i have no good (expensive) acoustic guitar.

Originally Posted by: Azrael30 bucks eh? you could buy a knife and threaten the owner of your local musicstore to hand you the best equipment he has *LOL*

LOL



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