[loretta]

Hello everyone,

I`d like to record my djembe from a microphone to my computer. I can´t get a decent sound. The bass doesn´t even pick up. Has anyone got a suggestion? What kind of microphone to use?

Thanks alot,

LH

[bubudi]

recording music can be a complex subject, that's why most cd's are recorded, mixed and mastered by audio engineers. you can do a fairly good job by yourself with the right knowledge and equipment. it would help to know what exactly you intend to be recording and for what purpose? then people can make some recommendations.

[bops]

recording music can be a complex subject, that's why most cd's are recorded, mixed and mastered by audio engineers. you can do a fairly good job by yourself with the right knowledge and equipment. it would help to know what exactly you intend to be recording and for what purpose? then people can make some recommendations.

Bubudi, sounds like you have some tech support experience... lol

[bops]

I hope I didn't kill the thread ... I kid because I work in tech support on this type of thing, and Bubudi's response was perfect - in fact I might have to borrow it.

Loretta, a single microphone can't really capture then entire sonic range of a jembe. If you really want to capture the sound, you'll need 2 mics. I've gotten good results with the following setup:

1. A condenser mic positioned about 1 ft. from the drum head
2. and a kick drum mic placed under the horn

This way you get the whole spectrum of sound. Of course, with this setup you'll need an external audio device such as a Firepod, which connects to your computer via firewire. And you'll need some multi-track recording software. But it's worth it if you want to do your drum justice.

[Dugafola]

I hope I didn't kill the thread ... I kid because I work in tech support on this type of thing, and Bubudi's response was perfect - in fact I might have to borrow it.

haha...it's dead bro.

actually...mods may want to move this thread to a more 'appropriate' forum so it can get some more airtime...

[bops]

Yeah, I get the sense that my nuggets of wisdom are going to waste out here in this remote corner of the Djembefola galaxy...

[Garvin]

I think that getting a decent quality recording of your own djembe in your own home can be done relatively cheaply. Depending on your computer setup, all you might need is an audio interface and a decent mic. I'm not saying this is the ultimate djembe mic, but I've gotten the right sound from a single AKG C-1000S (about $150 mic). I just run that through my audio interface into garage band and use the onboard effect of garageband to add a touch of reverb and tweak some other little things and thats it. I believe one of the members on here named onetreedrums has a really great little field recording setup as well that requires no computer equipment at all. Perhaps he'll chime in on this subject eventually.

[cyberfola]

What do you guys think about using this mic for djembe and dunun... http://www.paia.com/proddetail.asp?prod=9506K&cat=14

Super wide stereo...

I'm drooling.........

[bubudi]

that looks like something out of a 1960s sci-fi flic
at around $70 it's super cheap but for a single stereo mic you can't go past the rode nt4. they currently start at $380.

[djembefola.com admin]

Found this article on djembe recording microphones

[neuroanimal]

You can also try much cheaper PCM Recorders, i.e. Olympus LS 20M.
It has built-in microphones and included HD video camcoder.

Test in a room:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVO52FwFOus

Test in a hall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vReTn3Hgqy0

Models and prices:
http://www.getolympus.com/us/en/audio/p ... rders.html

I did not find any video of using it with djembe.
You can check it out and give us a feedback.

[michi]

You can also try much cheaper PCM Recorders, i.e. Olympus LS 20M.

These recorders do a good job (I have a Sony PCM-M10 myself), but they can't compete with professional studio microphones in terms of quality. To get a truly good recording of a djembe, I'm afraid you'll have to resort to something better than a portable recorder.

Cheers,

Michi.