Recording mandolin...

Anyone with experience recording mandolin? I'm trying to record some more intimate playing (NOT bluegrass chops) on a good instrument and I'm getting an uncomfortable amount of pick noise. I'm having trouble cutting it out with EQ without destroying the tone of the instrument. Any clues on reasonably priced mics to use, how to place them, any other techniques? Thanks!

Hello, I've dabbled in a little "Rock" mandolin and the only thing I could think of is the usage of a magnetic or Transducer/piezo body mount pickup(s) so you could go "in" direct. Someone here must know of a good mic.. or a good mic technique for the mando though. Good luck, len PS. The ol' boy has been known to use felt and/or different pick materials for different effects too!

Treat it as an acoustic guitar. A good condenser mic 10-12 inches away from the body/neck joint or try the same mic (or a second mic) from the players right shoulder looking down. Put on some headphones while the player plays so you can hear where to get the best sound as you move the mic around.

the mandolin has a naturally loud pick noise, so although true---you want to get the actual tone of the instrument, the pick noise is part of the tone itself. to cut down on this though, assuming you have 2 microphones, aim one at the lower body of the mandolin, and one towards the soundhole.

I once got a great sound on a mandolin using an AT4050. It was back about a foot or so and a bit higher than the mando aimed slightly down (just a bit). It was a soft and melodic part behind acoustic guitar not mean to be so bluegrass - more traditional "italian mandolin" (think Vivaldi's concerto for 2 mandolins). If it were a solo mandolin you may want to go ahead and try a stereo set of mics (XY or MS) for more body & air. The secret (as mentioned) is to pull back from the instrment to minimize the pick noise. Also, a large part of "mellowing out" the pick noise comes from the player and his technique.