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A less common, though very useful technique, is to position a stereo pair or single Spark Digital microphone just outside of the piano,
either in the curve of a grand, above an upright, or a few feet away from the cabinet. This will give you a classically-oriented sound with a
significant amount of natural room reverberation to add liveliness.
Violins, Viola, Cello and Bowed Instruments
When recording bowed instruments, especially the violin, the room conditions become even more important. Since violins tend to be very
bright, recording them in a lively room can leave you with a harsh sounding recording. For starters, try hanging a blanket or two on the
surrounding walls to slightly dampen the room’s natural reverb. Once you’ve taken control of the sound of the room, place Spark Digital
about one or two feet in front of the bridge of the instrument. If you are recording a violin or viola, this means you will need to place the
microphone above the person playing, pointed down toward the bridge of the violin or viola. If the instrument sounds harsh (too much high
end), try moving the mic slightly toward the side of the instrument and away from the “f” holes. If you are recording multiple string or bowed
instruments, simply place Spark Digital about 3-6 feet above and in front of the instruments, pointed toward the players. Try and arrange the
players evenly in front of the microphone, as to avoid picking up one instrument more than all of the others.
Acoustic and Electric Bass
Recording acoustic bass (upright bass) and electric bass are very different tasks, but Spark Digital will help you to achieve great results
for both instruments.
For acoustic bass, start by placing Spark Digital about 8-18 inches away from the front of the instrument, and point the microphone in between
the bridge and the fingerboard to capture a nice balance of low-end frequencies and string attack. If you want to capture more of the low-end
thump of the bass, and less of the attack of the strings, position the mic about 3-8 inches away from the bass, and aim it about halfway between
the bridge and the tailpiece. The most important thing to do when recording acoustic bass is to listen to the bass while it is being played, and
determine a microphone position that suits the particular bass and use case. When recording electric bass, it is important
to have a decent amount of available space to record in. The sound waves a bass amplifier creates have a much longer
wavelength than most instruments, and as a result require a little bit of space to fully develop. Start by placing Spark Digital
about 2-12 inches away from the speaker, directly in front of the center of the speaker cone. For less punch and more of a
smooth low end, position the microphone between the center of the speaker cone and the edge of the speaker cone.