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Hey,
I am recording stereo acoustic guitar. The only mics I have are a Shure SM57 and a Shure SM58 - so I'm using 1 near the 12th fret and 1 near the bridge.

Trouble is I need to turn the gain right up to get a decent (loud enough) signal with these mics, but then I also get a lot of noise (hiss). I don't notice the hiss when singing into them, only when doing quite stuff like acoustic guitar (singing is louder and more directed I guess). It doesn't seem to matter if I turn the gain up on the mixer, or in my recording package the hiss is still there.

Would you expect this hiss with these mics (I'm going into a PreSonus FP10) in which case maybe I should get 2 small matched condensers?

Or would you expect their to be very little hiss in which case I should look to fix the problem (maybe I have a dodgy FP10, but I don't want to go down that road unless I'm certain its not just the mics).

Thanks,
AM.

Comments

Boswell Thu, 10/30/2008 - 01:16

It's not the mics producing the hiss, it's the input stage of the FP10 when run at the gains necessary for capture of instrument sounds using these mics.

A carefully chosen pair of SDCs (e.g. NT55s) may well give a higher output than the dynamics, and so should get round the hiss problem, but be prepared for the very different sort of sound you will get from going that route.

RemyRAD Thu, 10/30/2008 - 19:51

I want to make sure that you do not inadvertently have the PAD engaged?

The level on your FP 10 virtually needs to be balls to the wall, as in turned up fully. Phantom off. Pad off or out.

And how far do you have these microphones from the guitar??

If you want them to be a closer match, just unscrew the metal ball from your 58. Then you have a 57. You want your microphones to be within 1 foot of the guitar. There might be some audible hiss but you shouldn't be drowning in it.

If necessary, you can utilize noise reduction within software to alleviate most.

But sure, you can get a pair of those Octava SDC & you'll love them. They're half the cost of your 57 & 58. They actually sound rather remarkable I must admit.

There you go!
Ms. Remy Ann David

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