Is an LDC mic worth it if my room isn’t treated

[rumpystumpy]

I’m a hobbiest/session player/small time content creator.
I have a few budget mics -SM57, 58, Rode M5 SDC (was a pair but 1 is humming).
They don’t really pick up the instrument(s) right. Thin, harsh overtones. (My DPA 4099 sounds pretty OK though)
The room is about 9ft x 12ft x 8’’6 tall. Carpet, plaster walls, instruments hung on the walls, desk, window 3ft x5ft.

So….. pretty much the title.

Thanks.

[Bren]

I have no idea but am interested to see the responses.
Many people seem to get good results from the mikes you already have.
.
Also I don't know what you mean by your room being "treated".
What would that involve?

[Caberguy]

Also I don't know what you mean by your room being "treated".
What would that involve?

Sound treatment. Sound absorbing panels, bass traps, things like that: https://sonicscoop.com/main-types-ac...treatment-use/

[Caberguy]

I'm far from an expert, but I think that short answer to the OP would be... "it depends." Certainly spending a couple grand on an LDC without also investing in sound treatment and an improved signal path would be less than ideal.

On the other hand, some fairly inexpensive LDCs can do a really good job, and some sound treatment can be improvised or made on the cheap.

The other side of that, though, is that if you're getting poor results with the mics you already have, that maybe the mics aren't the problem.

There's my crack at it.

[Don Grieser]

You might try a microphone that has a flatter response like the Line Audio CM4. I ordered a pair through No Hype Audio in Belgium--I was put on a wait list but it didn't take long to get them. Most lower cost LDC mics will have the same high end boost that your M5's have.

The 4099 is a good mic. Where are you pointing the mic? And what kind of mandolin: ff hole or oval hole? Pointing at the neck/body joint will give you a brighter sound and more string than body. Pointing at the body (lower ff hole or behind the bridge of an oval) will give you less string and more body. The 4099 should eliminate most room sound. Also, do you have the strings muted between the bridge and tailpiece? You might be hearing those overtones. I'd play with placement of the 4099 before I bought another mic. And try finding a spot in the room where you think your mando sounds the best. That could help too.

[keith.rogers]

Well, without hearing your recordings (or knowing what you expect to hear), it's speculation. But, I'd say good (i.e., real, not foam) treatment or a couple of "gobos" would likely be a better direction than another mic. Honestly, the SM57 is not a terrible mic for mandolin, and the RØDE M5 is decent as well. If the DPA is right on the instrument and sounding Ok, then that tells you that it's the room that's probably causing the problems you're hearing.

I'd like to see a video of you recording and the recording setup, and hear the recorded track.

[rumpystumpy]

Here is a video as requested. Roast me :-)

[pops1]

I am not a sound engineer, nor do I record at home. My son does recording and I have done a lot of live sound over several decades. On those occasions that I have performed with a mic I place the mic behind my hand, behind the bridge between bridge and tailpiece. I get the best sound there. Hanging wool or thick blankets on the wall that are 1" away from the wall will help with room acoustics. You could also use foam, or egg cartons, anything to get away from a flat wall and absorb sound.

[keith.rogers]

It sounds like a mandolin to me!

There's some background noise - I'd skip the Behringer mixer if possible. Are you using it for gain on the [dynamic] Shure? I'd go just through the interface which should have a bit cleaner gain, so maybe stick with the small condenser, or using something like a Cloudlifter with the dynamic mics, if you decide you like that sound better. (p.s. RODE mics generally have a good warranty, so I'd look into that if your pair is covered.)

You can probably do more experimenting with the mic choice and placement. It sounds like you might be getting a bit of soundhole "woof" in there, so consider, like @pops1 has done, with a mic that's aimed behind the bridge, and then different angles - maybe more to the treble side. That neck/body join area, which I sometimes use with a guitar, may be more limiting with the higher pitched and smaller mandolin. (I confess I've only recorded my f-hole mandos and bowed fiddles, and so don't have specific experience with an oval hole mandolin.)

Lots of hard surfaces in that room. I'm a big fan of [over?] treatment in small rooms, using the kind of standard, dense material from compressed fiberglass or mineral/rock wool covered in a breathable fabric. It will make a noticeable difference. At the least, or to start, perhaps, I'd consider getting a heavy "blocking" drape for the window, which can provide some damping, and cut down on ambient noise entering through the window.

The guitars on the wall behind you, should they get "excited" and add any resonance, are in the "ideal" spot to contribute to whatever is entering the mic. So, IMO, if you want them on the walls, you might put them on the side walls, where they won't be aimed directly at the mic. A nice, heavy quilt/duvet behind you, in lieu of acoustic panels, will reduce other sounds in the room that ultimately bounce off that wall and enter the area of most sensitivity of the mic.

[rumpystumpy]

So I'm currently being persuaded that an LDC is not worth it with the room as it is.

[Don Grieser]

I'd follow Keith's advice on skipping the Behringer mixer and go straight to your Scarlett. And pops advice about aiming the mic more toward the body. Some people have used packing blankets to deaden a room, but they will mainly take out the highs so that might help. Definitely put something over the window. Your recording doesn't sound that bad to me. Trying the few things mentioned could give it a more polished sound, especially getting the Behringer out of the recording chain. I'd try those things before buying another mic.