Howdy, I've recorded a LOT of banjo over the last 35 years and have always found it challenging. Typically I was trying to give the banjo picker the sound that he or she desired. And often they referred to it as a "fat" sound. A 1930's Gibson will give this sound pretty readily but with a lot of banjos it requires more work.

For the last 15 years or so I've used a Rode NT1, AT-4033 or and MXL when recording banjos although it's been a few years since I last worked with one. From my experience a decent quality large diaphragm condenser mic (like those mentioned) is the best. I place the mic about 8-12 inches away favoring the bottom third of the "head." I would mix with a very small amount of reverb and perhaps slight EQ boost around 1K. Also I would avoid having the banjo face a window or other "bright" surface. Of course, now days, for me it's all banjo RealTracks!

Bud

Last edited by Janice & Bud; 05/05/13 12:10 PM.
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