Tracking Bongos?! posted by ledeux_ma...

Tracking Bongos?!

Posted on Sep 18, 2005 07:31 am
ledeux_machina
Member Since: Jun 04, 2004

Hi,
I`ve been playing around recording a pair of bongos and I just can`t seem to get it right! I tried double micing them by putting an sm57 underneath them to get the bassy sounds and a C1000 about 1 ft above them and that seemed the best way but it still doesn`t sound full enough!
Any tricks out there?
Also, should I compress it at all? I`ve been adding very light compression. And lastly, it`s really hard to get a nice sounding reverb on it...(I`m using Logic v5.5) and I put a "Platinum Verb" on a Bus but it just sounded tinny and strange!
Anyway, all help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks alot and take care,
Alex

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Rigsby
Ultra Magnus
Member
Since: Nov 13, 2004

Sep 19, 2005 02:41 am

Personally i don't double-mic bongos, just go for the C1000 (c451 i like personally, but they have some similarites), a foot and a half above, if it's a little bright roll off a little of the top on the way in to the recorder. Listen to the sound of the bongos in the room, are you getting a full enough sound when you're playing?

n.andrew munger
we prefer "percussionist"
Member
Since: Jul 21, 2004

Sep 21, 2005 03:49 pm

For that matter, bongos don't really have that "full" of a sound to begin with. With bongos, you really just want a bright, cutting "crack" sound and not much else. They're designed to cut through more than sit in the mix - pretty much a solo instrument.

ledeux_machina
Member
Since: Jun 04, 2004

Sep 21, 2005 04:58 pm

well, these bongos are pitched quite nicely and I really want that resonance to come through. They add a really nice percussive sound to an acoustic, bazouki and 12 string track but I just need that bit more textured sound. It`s hard to describe.
Anyway, thanks for all the help guys, I`ll play around with those techniques.
Cheers,
Alex