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Budget microphones for sampling an organ

Sampling pipe organs and turning them into something you can play in Hauptwerk.
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gingercat

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Budget microphones for sampling an organ

PostThu Nov 20, 2008 8:42 am

Hi Chaps,

I think I'm finally getting to the point where I'm going to sample an organ, but I don't really have much of a budget for microphones (bad, I know!). The best I have come across so far seem to be the Red5 RV6 large diaphragm mics http://www.red5audio.com/acatalog/Condensor_Mics.html They can be picked up for just over £100 for a pair.

I have never done any recording/sampling before, so I'm not sure what kind of results I will obtain, but I have been wanting to do it for ages now and it seems like a good winter project for me. I don't really want to hire mics, I would much rather purchase them, but don't want to break the bank. I'll be plugging them directly into my focusrite saffire.

I'll be planning on using a fixed recording position (for simplicity) in a church with little reverb, so the set should be relatively dry.

Thanks for any advice,
Chris.
Regards,
Chris Blaylock
i5 4670k, 32GB RAM, Win7, 2xELO 1280x1024 Touchscreens, Focusrite Saffire, MIDISport 4x4
4 Manual Console, 32 R&C Pedalboard, 3xExpression, Solenoid coupler tabs
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gingercat

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PostTue Nov 25, 2008 4:00 am

Anyone?
Regards,
Chris Blaylock
i5 4670k, 32GB RAM, Win7, 2xELO 1280x1024 Touchscreens, Focusrite Saffire, MIDISport 4x4
4 Manual Console, 32 R&C Pedalboard, 3xExpression, Solenoid coupler tabs
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pwhodges

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PostTue Nov 25, 2008 6:39 am

I would suggest small-diaphragm mics for this purpose; they are generally more "accurate" (less "rose-tinted"), and the slightly higher noise is not a problem alongside an organ blower. Thomann have their own brand (T-bone) and others in pairs at both below and above £100 - see here. Any mics in this price range are going to be badged Chinese mics from very few factories, so the brand is mainly an issue of quality control. I have always found Thomann very good to deal with.

However, note that cardioid mics by their nature will have a falling bass response. Either you will need to boost the bass (which is hard to do accurately, and is liable to bring up problems with rumble caused by draughts); or you should consider using omnis, which have an inherently flat response and are less sensitive to wind noise. (I would go with equalisation myself - but that's because I have accurately measured mics which I can calibrate to be flat down to 20Hz, and the fancy wind shield to go with that, all of which costs money.)

Paul
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gingercat

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PostTue Nov 25, 2008 8:28 am

Thanks for the advice Paul, I'll investigate the Thomann mics. I have used Thomann before too and received excellent service from them.

Thanks,
Chris.
Regards,
Chris Blaylock
i5 4670k, 32GB RAM, Win7, 2xELO 1280x1024 Touchscreens, Focusrite Saffire, MIDISport 4x4
4 Manual Console, 32 R&C Pedalboard, 3xExpression, Solenoid coupler tabs
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PostWed Nov 26, 2008 11:26 am

I was about to post the same question on a microphone to record organs. However, my attention was drawn towards (a pair of) Shure SM81. These cardioids are advertised as having flat response down to 20 Hz, good for 32' notes.
Has anyone experience with them?

Regards,

Francesco
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gingercat

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PostWed Nov 26, 2008 12:23 pm

No offence Francesco but could you start another thread with that question as I was hoping this could become a "cheap" mic thread, and your Sures are well out of the budget range (for me anyway).
Regards,
Chris Blaylock
i5 4670k, 32GB RAM, Win7, 2xELO 1280x1024 Touchscreens, Focusrite Saffire, MIDISport 4x4
4 Manual Console, 32 R&C Pedalboard, 3xExpression, Solenoid coupler tabs
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pwhodges

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PostThu Nov 27, 2008 7:46 am

Directional microphones are subject to the proximity effect, which raises the bass response at close distances. An unqualified frequency response will typically be measured at 1m or less; and a mic quoted as flat to 20Hz will usually be starting to roll off at 150Hz at a distance (this is true of pro mics too; it is a matter of physics). This is why many people prefer to use omnis for recording organs in particular. I use calibrated equalisation to correct the response of directional mics at a distance, but getting good enough info can be hard.

Paul

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