Here we will talk about how the Chapman Stick and Mobius Megatar tapping basses are played, since this has an effect on how to record the sound you want to capture. We will then consider your amp and effects, so as to best bring out the sound that you want to record. Finally we'll talk about how to choose the best mic for recording the entire sound of the Chapman Stick or Mobius Megatar, and how to record for clarity and beauty. The Chapman Stick was developed in the 1970's, and over the days it has grown gradually more popular, particularly for the reason that the two-handed tapping technique of play for which it is planned is an extremely productive and fun way to create music. The Mobius instrument is a later-design development, and has quite a few design improvements, which many guitarists feel enhances the sound and playability. But the two touchstyle instruments are exceptionally widespread, provide terrific good sound, and are enjoyable to play. The technique of play is essentially simple. The tapping guitars are constructed with an very low action, and no strumming or plucking is necessary. Rather, you merely touch the string to a fret and that will initiate a note. Hold it there to sustain the note, and let it go to end the note. Because of this method of activating the string, these instruments produce a sound very similar to picking very close to the bridge on a normal guitar. As a result the sound will have a larger amount of high frequency content, even when playingeven whilst playing the bass strings (because these unique touchstyle instruments have both bass and guitar-like strings). These tapping guitars also have long scale lengths, more like to bass than to conventional guitars. This gives the best sound for both bass and guitar, compared to using a shorter neck for both bass and guitar. The next determinant of the you will focus upon is your amplification and effects sound chain. As we consider the Stick touchboard, because of the inherent out of tune sound (to persons with keen ears) of all fretted, stringed instruments, and due to the extensive assortment of sound (in consequence of possessing both bass and guitar-like strings), the danger of creating music out of tune may be present to a greater degree than when playing normal guitar. One developed approach for this problem for all stringed, fretted touchstyle instruments is the Feiten Intonation System. However, the Stick instrument does not present this original system as an option. As a result when putting together your amp and effects chain for the Chapman Stick you may wish to use EQ and effects in order to minimize any perception of out of tune playing. Such as, adding a small bit of chorus, distortion, or reverb with reflections. This can generate a extremely beautiful sound. The Megatar touchstyle instruments though are all constructed with the Buzz Feiten Intonation System built-in, and for that reason need no particular processing of that kind. When miking any guitar or bass which is amplified, your considerations of which microphone to use and best mike placement will arise. You may not get the top results using a dynamic mic such as the Shure SM57. You might experience better results using a condenser microphone with a large diaphragm, and good low frequency response. A reasonable starting place with microphone placement would be to place the microphone a few inches from the speaker cone, and after that as you play the Chapman Stick or Mobius Megatar instrument, merely experiment with variations of placement. Hopefully you can select the very best placement to nail that wonderful tone you desire. And therefore, the three things to consider when miking and making a recording of Chapman stick or Mobius Megatar two-handed touchstyle instruments is to first think about the technique of play (two-handed touchstyle), and understand there will be heard more of the highs than with standard guitars or basses. Then, consider your sound chain and use EQ and your sound effects as needed to get a sweet in-tune sound. Third, experiment with various microphone models and different positionings to find the best capture of the sound you see in your mind's eye.
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In this article we will talk about how the Chapman Stick and Mobius Megatar two-handed touchstyle musical instruments are played, because this has an effect on the best way to record. We will then discuss your effects and your sound chain, so as to best get the desired sound on the recording. Then we'll consider how to select a good microphone for recording the entire sound of the Chapman Stick or Mobius Megatar, and how to record for clarity and beauty.
By means of these methods you should now be competent to mic and record Stick and Megatar two-handed touchstyle instruments to get the very best sound in your recordings. Visit the Mobius Megatar factory site for more info regarding the Buzz Feiten Intonation System and the history of the Chapman Stick.
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