Instrument
Sitar
A Hindustani long-necked plucked lute with 18 to 21 strings in all (playing and sympathetic), a curved jawari bridge that gives its buzz, and one or two gourd resonators.1
- Sources
- 4 (3 independent)
Mics sources recommend
6 setups from 4 sources, 3 of them independent of any mic maker. Each mic shows how many sources name it for that role, and how many of those are independent. Listed alphabetically: there is no ranking.
Studio
Distant
- Schoeps CMC 6 with MK 211 independent source
- Schoeps CMC 6 with MK 411 independent source
Room
- Royer SF-121 independent source
Close
- Gefell M 2961 independent source
- Shure KSM137 maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
- lapel/conference mic pressed under the sympathetic strings with dough, plus omni room mic1 independent source
- small-diaphragm condenser or ribbon (omni preferred), >= 16 dB EIN margin1 independent source
The 6 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Distant Schoeps CMC 6 with MK 21 or Schoeps CMC 6 with MK 41close (MK 21) or about 3 ft away, 1.5 ft off the floor (MK 41)
Schoeps CMC6 MK21 for close miking sitar, or MK41 from about 3 ft away (search-result summary).
2 - Room Royer SF-12room/stereo
A Royer SF-12 ribbon used with "fabulous results" on sitar (search-result summary).
2 - Close Gefell M 296close/room
Engineers report success with Gefell M296 and Schoeps on classical Indian instruments (search-result summary).
2 - Close high, at the neck: Shure KSM137 + low, at the bridge and body: Shure KSM137
Two KSM137s 7-8 in away, one high pointed at the neck, one low pointed at the bridge.
3 - Close small-diaphragm condenser or ribbon (omni preferred), >= 16 dB EIN marginabout 450 mm (18 in) from the gourd
Good-quality small-diaphragm condenser, or possibly a ribbon; omni if the room allows; mic about 18 inches from the gourd (paraphrase).
4 - Close lapel/conference mic pressed under the sympathetic strings with dough, plus omni room micclose, sympathetic strings
Shravanam pressed a small piece of dough under a lapel mic very close to the sympathetic strings (paraphrase).
5
Range
Main string a fourth above the player's tonic (Sa), second string at the tonic; meend bends a note up to about 7 semitones.1
Where the sound comes from
Recording it
- About 18 in (45 cm) from the gourd; a small-diaphragm condenser or a ribbon, omni if the room is good, otherwise a figure-of-eight ribbon or a cardioid. Look for low self-noise and no presence peak.
- Two mics 7-8 in away: one high at the neck, one low at the bridge and body.
- One engineer presses a lapel mic under the sympathetic strings and adds an omni room mic.4,3,5
Problems to watch
The player sits on the floor, so floor reflections matter: use screens, carpet or a platform, and closed headphones while placing the mic.4