Mike's Oud Forums

Recording OUD

gzubristol - 4-17-2005 at 01:48 PM

hello every body!!!

i have a dissertation about the OUD to do!!! and i bought a oud probably not the best one but fair enought , it was cheap!!!
with my university, i have to record my oud for the dissertation!!!
if anybody known how to record a oud and got the best way to record a oud !! it could helpful to known it!!*

thanks before for your answers:bowdown::bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:

;)thanks GZUBRISTOL

habeebkum - 4-17-2005 at 02:23 PM

am sure u'll get really sophisticated answers on this forum and u will find out all u need to know. but if its just a normal recording that u want, then u can record it on ur PC via a cheap mic and save it. then u can burn it onto a cd. thats the easiest way, even i managed to do that!;)
good luck and hope u can post ur whole dessertation on this forum cos any info is good info.

gzubristol - 4-17-2005 at 03:13 PM

hello!!habeebkum

thanks for your answer !!! in my university we have all the devices to record properly !!!
i just ask if some people has already recording a oud and which way they use to record a oud !!!
that s it !!!
and for my dissertation if i can put on it off course is gonna be!!
:xtreme:
bye take care GZUBRISTOL

eliot - 4-17-2005 at 05:50 PM

What's the expression about the "many ways to skin a cat?"

I've had luck with a range of mics and preamps: large-diaphragm condensors in omni mode; small diaphragm condensors about 1/2 metre away... ribbon mics close-up... depends on the "sound" you want to go for.

If you mic it well, you will not need compression or eq. But oud sounds best in a very "live" room - go into an acoustically deadened room and the oud will sound awful, guaranteed.

tezza - 4-17-2005 at 10:04 PM

eliot is right, there are many methods. Do you have someone there who is familiar with recording acoustic guitar or at least done an audio engineering course? Convince them to help out. Otherwise use the best condenser mic you have in the studio positioned about 1/2 a metre away from the oud with the mic parallel to the oud face. If you can have several mics at once, I recc. an SM57 (you'll find one in every studio) as a secondary mic as close to the bridge as comfortable for your playing. If you're studio is good, perhaps you can have the luxury of another mic to capture the 'room' sound. if the recording room in the studio is a 'dead' one (like eliot says, acoustically deadened) you'll need a little reverb to give the oud a sense of space. If you record using the three mics, get into the control room and mix the sound levels of each recording mic to get the best 'real' sound. As eliot says, if you mike the oud properly, you shouldn't need to use much compression or eq. Angling the mics to get the best sound is better than having to use eq, especially if you're not familiar with how to use this stuff. Make sure your oud has a good, fresh set of bedded in strings and does not have any buzzes or 'non musical' sounds that it makes from either a loose brace or a bad nut or bridge piece. Good luck!

gzubristol - 4-18-2005 at 01:22 AM

thanks for your answers !!!
i will try because we have some good stuff at the uni!!!
what do you thing about put a piezo mike on the soundboard?
because the oud is an instrument relatively directionnel, i mean to listen oud the thing is to be just in front !!!!!!

if somebody test piezo mike already , if he can explain how he used to do it !!! thanks

thanks again ezza!!!!!:xtreme::bowdown:

eliot - 4-18-2005 at 11:18 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by gzubristol
thanks for your answers !!!
i will try because we have some good stuff at the uni!!!
what do you thing about put a piezo mike on the soundboard?

Will sound awful, guaranteed!

The oud has a beautiful sound character from its interaction with the room acoustics. Play it in a dead room, or mic it to minimize room acoustics, the recording will sound awful!

The further away you can put the mic (even 2-3 meters, if you have good omni small diaphragm mics), the better... but for a "modern" sound you can close mic it. Close means a half meter, not right on the soundboard...

tezza - 4-18-2005 at 10:52 PM

agree with eliot, it will sound dreadful. if you have access to good mics etc. don't waste your time on it -- spend more time on mic positioning.

gzubristol - 4-19-2005 at 01:37 AM

cool eliot and tezza again for your help!!!!
if somebody try to record his Oud with an other technique tell me!!!!:xtreme:
;)thanks for your answers:applause:

:wavey:take care phil

gzubristol - 4-19-2005 at 02:48 AM

hello evrybody !!!
for my dissertation i need to known the frequency range from a oud,
but i have no idea !!!???????????

to determine the micro phone i need it ........(bull<b>shoot</b>;) lol

just try is probably the best way to choose the microphone.

bye :buttrock:

Greg - 4-19-2005 at 03:49 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by gzubristol
hello evrybody !!!
for my dissertation i need to known the frequency range from a oud,


A number of people on this forum could list the primary frequency of all available notes on all known oud tunings, but that would be of little use to you in determining what microphone/s to use and where to place them.

Like all musical instruments, the sounds produced by an oud are characterised by the timbre of the instrument. It is the timbre that allows the listener to recognise the difference between a trombone and a violin when both are playing the same musical note. Timbre is determined mainly by the harmonic content of a sound.

Recording engineers with many years of experience know which microphones to use and where to place them for best effect. There are many books available to assist the novice in this selection process. But there is no "silver bullet" solution that will allow you to translate the measurable frequency range of an instrument into a recipe for microphone selection and placement.

Is your dissertation on oud or on sound recording techniques?

Regards,

Greg

gzubristol - 4-19-2005 at 05:04 AM

thanks greg !!!!
i know already all that tou wrote before. the point is !!!!
i have a dissertation about the oud to do.
but i am in muse at uni!!!! and i have 10000 words to write on the oud
there are many part: structure , history , recording, sound production, synthesis!!!!!!!!!!!!
that is it!!!!! i need information, becuase it isin two weeks and with the exams closer is going to be hard to record it and do some test!!!!

regards,

phil:airguitar:

Africain - 4-20-2005 at 06:59 PM

I have tried an oud recording before
I think If you use one professionel mic condenser 1 metre far from the sound hole, and another condenser mic very far from the oud to take the atmosphere sound.
the room must give enough naturel reverb.
the frequency response must be 20 hz to 20 khz
there is no difference beteween a violon mic, guitare and oud mic.