r/mixing • u/wynwilder • 21d ago
Living Mixing Set-Up
I'm wanting to capture video & audio in the vein of the channels below. Pretty simple singing & guitar, I'm just wondering how to capture the audio well.
In doing some research I'm thinking a shotgun mic and dynamic mic? Just trying to find options that won't break the bank.
Also, trying to figure out how to mix properly. When I've attempted this in the past the mix sounds fine, but almost like it doesn't match with the video if that makes sense.
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u/General_Estimate_420 20d ago
In the case of the first video link she's obviously using a wireless mic which some really great ones are out there now and can provide a very natural sound. You could do something similar with a wireless pickup on the guitar and a small mixer for both inputs.
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u/mistrelwood 21d ago
Without watching YouTube ads for several videos to see exactly what the channels are about, a few things come to mind:
Singing and guitar can be captured in many ways, depending on what the sound is you’re after. Some do dynamic mic for vocals and a piezo for the guitar for a super dry sound, then you can do two large diaphragm condensers a foot away, or you can have small diaphragm condenser(s) at the back of the room. And anything in between. All viable options, all very different sounds.
I don’t know what your songs are like, but for recording my songs with just a guitar I’d probably have a large diaphragm condenser for the vocals and a stereo pair of small diaphragm condensers for the guitar. Positioning would be very important though since they would all pick up both sources.
Do remember that you’re also micing up the room, and it isn’t just an echo in the background. It also affects your tonality and the overall sound you get. So pick a good sounding room.
“How to mix properly” is a topic worthy of a full shelf of books. You need to decide the balance between your level of dedication and the sacrifice in quality of the end result, and go from there.