How to record violins (and not spend a lot)

In this video, I talk about how to record violins on a budget.
The track from this video can be found here:
davidhilowitz.bandcamp.com/tr...
The microphones I mentioned in this video are:
Rode M5 (Cheap but still decent): www.rode.com/microphones/m5
Rode NT5 (Medium + slightly better): www.rode.com/microphones/nt5
Coles 4038 (Best, but most expensive): vintageking.com/coles-4038-st...
Support what I do on Patreon: / dhilowitz
Find my FILM & INSTRUMENTAL music here: davidhilowitz.bandcamp.com
Find my ROCK MUSIC here: manwomanchild.bandcamp.com

[@oltech512]

Wonderfully clear and helpful video and fantastic track. Thank you.

[@artphinney8830]

Great instruction David... I'm a "newbe" composer and taking every instruction I can get. My first session recording a violin in my home studio is coming up and your video was "gold" thank you...

[@matrix12x]

Great video! I enjoyed hearing the difference between the the pickup and the microphones

[@peakfiddler]

Thanks David another excellent video, cheers

[@bgaona]

That was fantastic. Very helpful! Thank you for this video!

[@violistanton]

Thank you so much. Tons of useful information in one video. 100% agree with being never happy about recorded sound... I should try your method of playing in the other end of the room!!

[@WEdHarris]

Excellent presentation and very informative! Well done! Thank You so much!

[@thankyoumisterspell]

Thank you so much for this video! I have the Rode M5s and I'm going to be recording violin and cello for an upcoming album. So glad to hear the M5s do a good job on violin

[@RedCarRecords]

Thanks for your insight and experience! 🙏

[@martinbecker2780]

Thanks for the insight, David. I recently had to record a Piano together with a violin in a barrel vault type room and I actually used the rode mics you mentioned. I ended up positioning them quite far from the violin, because the room had some fascinating aspects to its sound... but I also had two mics closer to the violin... those were an Octava and a rode with a large diaphragm... but I was still a little unsure if that would work... kinda trusted my ears mostly. Your Video made things a lot clearer.

[@fourier27]

As always your videos are inspirational and pedagogical masterpieces. Thank you for doing these!

[@SIBONEYMUSIC]

Thank you soooo much! You are amazing! Very easy to follow :)

[@loweffortplunderphonics9619]

Really great advice - I'm a violist & occasional film composer, recording myself playing for scores has always felt like a huge hassle wearing the hats of violist, recording engineer, and composer all at the same time. I feel like I have some new tricks up my sleeve now - thanks a lot!

[@Lantertronics]

I want a tour of your house now... that staircase is amazing!

[@erwinuiterwijk346]

Time for me to buy some new mikes. Thank you for sharing this.

[@BluegillGreg]

Thank you. Before spending money on EQ or reverb plug-ins, explore those functions as included at no extra charge in your recording software. They're probably already better than what you need. Also, a good starting point for artificial reverb is as follows: Slowly add it until you can just barely hear it. Then turn it down just a bit. The best eq is had by placing the musicians and microphones well, and acoustically treating the room so no electronic eq is needed on the individual track. Then use eq sparingly during mixing to balance ensemble dynamics.

[@christophersmith5089]

Very helpful tips

[@gracesviolin]

Thank you for making this video!! It's so helpful. As a violinist myself I love learning all of this and trying to take my recordings to the next level.

[@violin.aj.23]

SAME! Thank you so much for keeping it very simple!

[@fredw2016]

Great stuff! Thanks for this, David. I recently recorded my violin using a beyerdynamic m260 ribbon mic, that I got 2nd hand a while ago. I was really surprised how much clarity there was without the harshness. I've found that the Beyerdynamic ribbon mics are relatively inexpensive 2nd hand, compared to other ribbon mics. The other bonus is that they are cardioid and can be directed away from any source of noise in a home studio. Another thing, regarding recording using a pickup, one use case for that could perhaps be if you process the sound through effects pedals. I have done some of that, but still on a journey with it. Another thing, another recording software is Cakewalk by Bandlab which is free and also has quite good handling of takes. Again, thanks for your inspirational videos!

[@DavidHilowitzMusic]

Thanks! I will definitely have to check the Beyerdynamic ribbon mics. Being able to point them away from noise sources does seem very useful too.

[@thelostviolinist]

Very informative. I wish i should have seen it before buying pickup mic

[@theFriendlyGhst]

If you record with a pickup you have to go through the effort of making it sound like it's in a room. I don't have good mic but I record guitar and I add stereo eq, reverb / convolver plugins, stereo shaping plugins to make it sound like it's somewhere in a physical room. If you want to have other-wise unrealistic control over your room sound though, that's an option. I often go for a bigger room sound than I actually have access to.

[@slobodanzemva3064]

Thank you very much. This is my first look into violin quality recording. In my previous experience I always got very unpleasant results.

[@storagemusic5552]

наконец-то кто-то снял это видео) Спасибо

[@edelcorrallira]

Pick plus condenser it is... Awesome !

[@nofood1]

I don't even have a violin, or ever played a violin, and watched this whole vid, nice one.

[@FilmMakerKlausKusserow]

Thanks for your helpful video! A little point: Ribbon mics are dynamic mics as well.🙂

[@marcomarrone174]

Brilliant as always Thanks David!!

[@J1Bigtime]

I find when having the mic closer to the violin, I get a nicer sound when positioning the mic to point at the halfway point of the strings or about an inch higher than where the neck meets the body. I use a set of rode stereo mics about 4ft above and another rode condenser mic (which I can’t recall the name of atm) about 1.5m away from the sound holes. The last set of recordings I did used that set up and they turned out very nicely though I intend to keep experimenting. I used to point the mic at the bridge (I can’t remember where I learnt it from) and was never happy with the sound.

[@natus49]

Another great reverb plugin for strings is Denise Perfect Room! Also, can vouch for the M5's being a great choice, have used them for years now. That said, I have always felt that on their own they failed to capture the real tone and soul of the violin. Recently resolved this issue by pairing the M5 with an Aston Element, and blending them appropriate for the piece. They sound fantastic together as a pair.

[@distortingjack]

I must say I think the Element is by far the worst Aston mic, and one of the worse mics I've used compared to the hype they had. It's insane bass, harsh treble, and no midrange at all. You would probably do better just using EQ or dynamic EQ on your M5, which can be a bit harsh but is way more accurate.

[@natus49]

​@@distortingjack Honestly, I think you may too quickly dismiss the Element. It certainly has a lot of proximity effect, and I'd more readily use an LDC for vocals or less bright instruments, but the proximity effect is not an issue for recording violins, which is what I use it for. I've not found that the mid range is lacking. What is an issue for violins however is overly harsh brightness, and lack of body, which was almost a perennial issue for me with the M5's on their own. Especially when layering together a large composite of takes to liven up orchestral samples, the harshness really starts to build and doesn't respond very well to EQ alone. Paired together, they work well because of their difference.

[@whatskraken3886]

I'm not sure I've ever seen modular synth and violin paired together. Amazing! edit: Not a big deal, but "electrical current" and "voltage" are not the same.

[@KatrinRomanova]

Thank you!

[@andreafigueroa556]

Thank you so much!

[@EricOehler01]

One thing with most string pickups is that most of them (passive, anyway) require impedance matching preamps. Most of the crappy pickup recordings I’ve made were bad because I screwed that up. :) a Baggs Acoustic DI or Radial Stagebug makes a huuuuuge difference if your interface preamps can’t handle it.

[@TH_TONMOY]

helpful video...thanks

[@JinnyLeeViolinStudio]

Thank you.

[@jotarudy4047]

Gracias x tu tiempo

[@basic-decaf]

Ribbons come in passive and active. Active ribbons do require Phantom power and the SE Electronics VR2 Voodoo sounds great with my violin!

[@SO_Snake]

For Audio Interface I would recommend the EVO-8 or EVO-4 instead of the Focusrite, in my opinion it is more bang for your buck.

[@FLH3official]

1st step: Find a violin. 2step: Find someone to play it. 3rd step: If the 2nd step can't be achieved learn how to play violin . It could take time... 4th step: You're now alone in your home as your all family left because of your violin practicing, so you can record your violin in a calm environment with the proper microphones. 😉

[@untartelette7545]

I'm at step 3 right now

[@FLH3official]

@@untartelette7545 Be patient, it's just a question of time, the 4th step will come 😀

[@kelamuni]

good ideas for string players

[@whatskraken3886]

I was trying to find this video after it was randomly recommended to me one day

[@lc-b352]

Hi, im a violonist and i need to record some... violin (you guessed it xD) but i want also to record some vocals sometimes. Are those mics correct for vocals ?

[@houmangf]

Hey there! So nice video.I am not sure go for nt5 or shure sm81(buying two of them). What is your opinion? Or do you suggest rode ntr(ribon)? My room is treated not bad with panels.

[@PhilipValdesMusic]

If you're recording yourself like most of us do, one of the best things you can get is a wireless keyboard. Just being able to start recording without running across the room takes a lot of the stress out of it and they're only $20-30

[@theviolinoob]

ah this!. my friend give me a wireless keyboard. it saved me

[@1xstew]

A wireless mouse is a great practical idea! (Leave the pointer on the record button and left click 10 feet away).

[@Serenitees]

If you use LogicPro you can use Logic Remote on your iPad or if you use Ableton, you can use LK to remotely control just about every aspect of the software. Don't know about any other DAWs.

[@MrPhildorado]

Reaper has a great remote as well that you can use fun your phone or tablet.

[@MreenalMams]

Any tips with recording with an SM57..? Cuz thats the only option that I have right now.. i have to record a fiddle folk style solo (lead)..

[@eduardovazquezortiz9040]

Thank you very much for the video!! I will be recording multipurpose, but mostly Violin Cover Solo and secondary voices for Pop. What do you think of a pair of Behringer C2s for that?

[@gcioni]

Hi, I found the video very interesting precisely because at this time I am composing a disco 70 song with the typical fast violin riffs in this regard I was thinking of recording it with a pickup could I please give me some suggestions on how to record it and what kind of reverb to use to get as close as possible to the sound of the disco 70 riffs? Thank you

[@skakdosmer]

Great video. Just one tiny thing: The added reverb sounds most unnatural, and I don’t like it. I’m certainly not against reverb, but I think less is better.

[@geoffwhiteproductionllc7693]

Agreed. Most added reverb sounds extremely artificial. It is so obviously fake, it's jarring.

[@B1akTang1dH4rt]

When solod maybe but in the context of a full mix it usually sounds better.

[@avm_official]

How did you skined the Reaper Stock EQ?

[@EandVEntertainment]

While there are a ton of cheap condensers out there, I would argue the sub $1000 category doesn't provide to many good ones for stringed instruments like Violin. Actually, you're be better off with a sub $1000 ribbon, of which there are quite a few. One thing that threw me is that you don't have any treatment in your room. A good treated room with a cheap mic will often sound better than an untreated room with an expensive mic.

[@BluegillGreg]

Will always sound better...

[@cloudstrife6138]

any recomendations if I have dinamic

[@divinodayacap3313]

Whats your pickup mic brand/model?

[@Truthinhands]

Hello, what an informative video, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I just purchased Shure MV88+ condenser microphone and and installed it’s relevant app on my iPhone, which is MOTIV video app. I’m confused about the equaliser settings. In my test recording violin sounds a bit metallic, nasally almost harsh. I was wondering how do I need to adjust this equaliser to make it sound more warmer, fuller and less harsh? This equaliser graph on MOTIV video app looks different than some other equalisers, so I don’t know how to adjust this. If you have experience with it I’d be grateful for a useful advice on adjusting this eq settings to improve the violin sound in my recorded video. Thank you 🙏🏻

[@Michael-kd4oi]

i prefer recording in a dead room/hall because you can always add reverb but you cant take it away.

[@Michael-kd4oi]

also for bow sound and extra noise. you just need to adjust the EQ. low cut will get you a long way and that way you are not restricted to needing the perfect room.

[@shupesmerga4694]

I have been busking inside malls with a pickup. Is there any chance I could get the natural sound of my violin like in a practice room in a busking setting using a condenser mic? I'd like to buy one of it does.

[@Not-Only-Reaper-Tutorials]

04:34 no you DON'T destroy the ribbon with phantom. This is a myth born when Ribbons were at their dawn. But it is something was quickly solved. And moreover: many affordable ribbon mic are very suitable. BTW I'm also violinist and indeed the Ribbon mics are the best but however violin and mic need space and then you get great results. I personally got great results with 2 spaced and not-near Ribbon mics.

[@mejie6792]

@5:11 did you directly connect the pickup to an audio interface or did you connect the violin pickup to the mixer and then mixer to the audio interface?

[@mejie6792]

Hi! I hope you answer my question. Thank you.

[@primo8825]

did someone knock on your door at the very beginning or is it part of the song? I literally thought there was someone at my door lol

[@pbxmusic]

violin recording with piezo mic

[@DanielaTocan]

I for complete recordings Witz May Violine Now with Davinci Resolve. I came from Reaper. Its a good idea zi learn recordings because in zur StudioVersion îs Dolby Atmos integrated. Special the Room Sounds needs to break with traditions. Experimental Potențial îs crom Creative Point of View special for binauricular Dolby Atmos total new artist experiment.

[@DavidHilowitzMusic]

Wow, so you use Davinci Resolve to actually do your recording? I will have to look into that!

[@DanielaTocan]

@@DavidHilowitzMusic Davinci Resolve as DAW îs not in focus of musicians but You can ask me in case, of any questions. You run mac or windows? I tun Hackintosh. I did found the Davinci Resolve Audio & Sounddesign Facebook Group. The Group îs invitation based strictly. Its not necessary to run Davinci Resolve.

[@Tojanmusikcourse]

It's complicated... Make a sumple please

[@bernardwolff8742]

Reverbs effect DOES sound good. For certain demands. But it’s not as real/ pure anymore. My find ;)

[@niccolopaganini6512]

Violin

[@TheCatGoesRawrMusik]

I know this is not cheep either. But if you are gonna record Violins often I can HIGHLY recommond the SE Electronics Voodoo V2 (~500€) and the Cascade Vin-Jet Ribbon Microphones - Stereo Pair (not sure if these are available anymore) Both of these sound utterly amazing. did some googling. Seems like it is called Vinnie Stereo Pair now $590.75

[@shvrdavid]

The best mic I ever bought for an acoustic Violin/Cello cost about 30 bucks.... I know, sounds hard to believe. It does require a preamp though. Where and what you clip it to makes a huge difference. 12 bucks... The strings, bridge, sound post position, and mic position have more to do with the sound than a mic ever will. You don't need a $1200 mic to record an instrument that ranges from 196htz to 4.4 khtz. You actually want one that limits things outside of those ranges. I was very skeptical when a recording engineer showed me one of those mics, I really was. Using one changed my mind completely. They are even cheaper now, as in less than 12 bucks....

[@BielCT]

Which one?