Dan's questions are great.

The bottom line depends a lot on the situation.

Do the players "know" what they are looking for? In other words, do they have experience in a studio/recording environment. If so, like Sherwood said, you should listen to what they want.

 

The classes I took on recording were great. 

We'd take a instrument like drums, and the teacher would show us a couple of well known mic set ups (and mic choices for each position) and talk about where each mic type might be placed. Then we would listen to what that sounds like, move each mic around, then switch mics and then switch drummers. 

After that class we'd book studio time and meet in small groups and experiment with that instrument group.

We did that for each instrument type.

After that we booked talent and studio time and recorded a complete song.

We also used a pretty good book.

The Recording Engineer's Handbook by Bobby Owsinski 

Amazon's got it on Kindle.

That class was a great experience and it taught me how much is trial and error until you've put in your time.

And always use your ears!

They play a lot of live music, but are definitely not a recording band and this is just a small part of the band performing an impromptu concert on the island. Regardless of what I manage to record, it is more a learning experience than anything else.

18 minutes ago, VPI said:

I am hoping it is fishman performer amps across the board, not even sure how to add a mic to a standard guitar amp.

Wouldn’t it be the same?  Just a mic in front of the cone and then fine tune it to taste?  (Some prefer on-axis, some prefer off-)

You'd be surprised how much most  bands/musicians know about recording and preferences these days.

Most are experienced with some sort of recording/production software/hardware.

They don’t know what a Neumann U87 is.

24 minutes ago, Dusty Chalk said:

Wouldn’t it be the same?  Just a mic in front of the cone and then fine tune it to taste?  (Some prefer on-axis, some prefer off-)

No I mean I do not know how they would add their vocal mic to a guitar amp.

28 minutes ago, VPI said:

No I mean I do not know how they would add their vocal mic to a guitar amp.

Oh.  😐

So wouldn’t you just mic their mouth holes?  😬

2 hours ago, VPI said:

Definitely like that style of stand, but at its narrowest, it is still too wide to hold the Sub 25. 

 

Yeah, I think I will pass on that monster.  

Think my setup will now be SM57s on the amps and Lauten LA120s on a stereo bar out front in ORTF config.  Just to play with both types of recording and mixing a nice soundstage.  

Got the textbook.  I like that it starts from the very basic.  He seems to like small condenser more than large condenser mics.

Edited September 15, 20205 yr by VPI

 

Got the rest of the information for the recording this weekend.  Three guys, all with mic and acoustic connected to their own amp.  I can record line out from each amp for the easiest setup.  Orrrr, I could record line out plus throw mics on the amps annndd a Neumann U87 in Omni at my recording position in front of the band.  Probably just too many things for me to screw up.

you have the 10 channel mixpre, right? 3 line out, 3 amp mics, u87 omni from the best sounding spot in the room

Yeah, I will be using the 10 II in Music Mode. As this will be outside on the island, I am leaning towards line out and amp mics and not bothering with the Neumann. 

The bizarre option I came up with since I do not have enough small mic stands for all the mics. 
 

 

More difficult than I imagined.  Three very different acoustic amps, only one of which had a line out, so I ended up recording with my contraption mic around 8 feet back and one line out feed from the lead guitarist.  All outside on the island, while major construction was taking place on a rock wall behind the beach.  Vocals suck but I think the guitars are okay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 20, 20205 yr by VPI

The Arturia Polybrute looks and sounds pretty amazing. I want to get good enough at keyboards to feel justified lusting after it.

I like Nahre Sol's channel on YouTube quite a bit. She has amazing insight on music. This video about pop music is particularly interesting

 

If you like it check others she made about flamenco, jazz, blues and other genres.

Evidently Sweetwater sends you a free Thunderbolt cable with a $900 interface but you are on your own for the $3,300 dollar model. 😞

 

Sounds right.  Did they send you Bit-O-Honey, too?

I think there was a Bit O Honey in this one but the Earthworks instrument mics I got yesterday had some weird banana one instead.

Edited September 23, 20205 yr by VPI

I have some sweets coming my way next week too!!!

You should give those Indiana boys a call. 

That or contact UAD direct.

Super nice guys over there in Scotts Valley. 

Universal is a small shop with just a few guys outside of the assembly area. 

They have one of the most awesome collections of vintage gear since they need the real thing to model most of their plugins.

A gorgeous Live Room for recording and testing too (they make some killer empanadas too!).

Got to spend the evening there on an AES event.

This video was shot there about the same time I visited.

 

They also have a building in the woods in Santa Cruz I stumbled across once.  

They are only open for support about 3 Hours a day.

They also seem to have a problem with putting you on hold for extended times and then just randomly hanging up on you.  Been trying for almost 30 mins and have yet to get to a person.  Maybe they have grown too big for their mom and pop shop format?

18 hours ago, Dusty Chalk said:

Sounds right.  Did they send you Bit-O-Honey, too?

I bought some rack rails for my Parasound Z rack I made, and found a Bit-O-Honey in there. Forgot how much I liked them. I haven't been much of a candy guy since my early twenties, but I really enjoyed it and the memories it unleashed.