Aussiesucker
1127 posts
May 17, 2012
5:46 PM
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Would like to pick the brains of some Mic specialists? I recently purchased a Blue Yeti USB condenser mic which I use to record extra tracks onto backing tracks using Audacity. It is a very sensitive mic which reproduces with exceptional clarity if not entirely accurate. The mic is great for vocals which it seems to fatten , smooth & colour with fabulous tone. But for harps it reacts the opposite way by increasing treble & thinning the tone. Trying to fix in Audacity only muddies the sound.
I used to, & still do, use a Fireball mic>Delay>Amp & record through the air to a H2Zoom & download into Audacity but I had no control over individual tracks for editing. But tone was good. I have used the Fireball >delay>amp through the air to the Blue Yeti but again it reacts to thinning the tone. I have looked for info on Blue Yeti in relation to harp recording but haven’t come across anything. I have read on the forum here that Christelle uses a Yeti & also Nacoran? Would like to know what they are finding? I suspect it may be Audacity?
Thanks for any info.
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HARPOLDIE’S YOUTUBE
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nacoran
5698 posts
May 17, 2012
6:39 PM
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My Yeti is currently bound back to the factory for repair... for the second time. I know Christelle used one for a while. Mine has been good when it's worked, but been broken a lot. It's meant I haven't had enough up time to really fine tune the sound.
What setting are you using?
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Nate
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Last Edited by on May 17, 2012 6:40 PM
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Aussiesucker
1129 posts
May 17, 2012
8:14 PM
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nacoran, I'm using the stereo pattern setting & ca gain between 1/4 & 1/3rd. I use Windows 7 Pro with Audacity. I find that I can record with the mic comfortably up to 6ft away. Typically voice shows up in Audacity as a very smooth graph signal whereas my harp shows a graph pattern of mostly vertical lines. I use 48khz sample rate & 16 bit rate settings in Audacity. It is so far not very friendly to my harps.
Concerns me to hear that yours is back at the factory for repairs a second time. It looks and feels like it should be indestructible.
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HARPOLDIE’S YOUTUBE
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nacoran
5699 posts
May 17, 2012
8:22 PM
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The first time it had a buzz, the second time it seems to be an intermittent power issue. Maybe I should have just left it on my desk. I used to pack it up and take it over to my friends. It would be interesting to see if someone could customize one of them for harp.
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Nate
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Aussiesucker
1130 posts
May 17, 2012
8:49 PM
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Mine just sits on my desk. No need to move it.Needs a hat! Takes up a bloody lot of room though. What it needs and what it lacks is an on/off switch for power. Did you find that when working it did not reproduce the harp sound with any real warmth or fatness of tone? Mine is great on voice but goes into reverse once it hears a harp! Also are you using windows or Mac? The best reports I have read on the Yeti are with Mac.
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HARPOLDIE’S YOUTUBE
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JohnnieHarp
115 posts
May 18, 2012
11:36 AM
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I've had a Blue Yeti for a couple of years and it works great. Run it with Audacity on a budget PC.
The audacity recording settings I use are 44.1 khz and 32 bit. I set the audacity recording level at about 50% and mic gain knob at about 80%.
The mic sits to my right aimed towards me about 18" from my harmonica placement.
The only thing I do post-recording is to sometimes add a bit of delay to my track to better match it to any delay effect on the backing track.
Last Edited by on May 18, 2012 11:39 AM
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nacoran
5701 posts
May 18, 2012
2:00 PM
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We were going to make a little vest.
First I had buzz, then by the time I got that taken care of I was having problems with my speakers. By the time I got a good set of headphones to listen with it started having power issues. I did get a few recordings with it, and I'd agree, they didn't sound really warm, but I didn't mess around with mixing them too much because they weren't particularly great takes. I've got a PC. Hopefully I'll have the Yeti back soon and I'll be able to tell you more. Christelle sure seemed to be getting great tone with it, but I don't know the rest of her recording setup.
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Nate
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tookatooka
2943 posts
May 18, 2012
2:53 PM
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All I know is Christelle used a Mac. Her sound was good.
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Aussiesucker
1131 posts
May 18, 2012
6:17 PM
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JohnieHarp thanks for this info. I changed settings and it does seem to give me a bit more control @ 44.1khz & 32bit float & 50% input volume in Audacity plus cranking up the Mic gain to ca 80% on the Yeti. Literature I received with the Yeti said to set the sample rate to 48khz & bit rate to 16 plus the recording volume at 80% & mic gain at or under 50%, so I had automatically set this. I'm still not entirely happy with the tone of the harp at the new setting but it has seemingly taken some top edge off the shrill.
Nacoran> I like the idea of a little vest might keep him warm and warm up the tone as well. Plus make a good dust cover.
tooka> yes I understood Christelle worked with a Mac. In fact Apple stores promote the sale of Yeti mics for their gear. Probably more control in Garageband than is available to users of PC's with Band in a Box & Audacity? When I was researching USB condenser mics the clincher for me was in seeing one of Christelles youtubes with a Yeti in front of her. Her sound is great.
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HARPOLDIE’S YOUTUBE
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