Again noting my drum recording experiences

From a TOMB thread:

FWIW, and I’m strictly a amateur basement recordist, my results on drums was as follows:

Mono drums is OK, and you can adjust balance between, say, kick and snare with gates and EQ; ya might have to sometimes isolate out the snare or kick (I use a track duplicate) and parallel it back in.

Two-mic OH is the same as above, but you can get, obviously, some spread.

Three mic’s with two OH’s and the kick is good, but sometimes ya want to bring up like the snare just during a specific part or fill, and that can be problematic (solvable to some extent as stated re mono, above.)

Four mic’s, 2 OH’s, snare and kick, is pretty damn good altho’ it’s nice to have more control over toms in parts and fills where you don’t wanna raise, say, cymbals, or otherwise change the balance of the OH’s to the other stuff.

Five mic’s is awesome where the fifth is a short room mic and can give ya just that much more general ambiance and specific adjustment (crank it during a fill or part for a different but consistent sound and level).

Spot mic’ing, or even adding stereo rooms, can give lots of options, but mebbe too many, especially with phase and latency issues sometimes arising.

In the low-ceilinged, semi-finished basement I was regularly recording a not-too-even-levels drummer onna mid-level Yamaha kit, I ended up usually going with 2 AT4040′s as spaced-pair, 3-5′ out front, head-high OH’s; E609 on kick; E503 on FT, MXL144 ribbon on room at about 15-20′ and head high; various snare mic’s (usually Beta58); and a “trash” room mic, usually a 635a or RE10 or SM57/58 that doubled as a vocal cue mic from the recording position (most often while I was playing DI bass.)

Also, I did like Glyn Johns (hats off to Greg! ) and Recorderman with the the caveats stated above, and found M/S fascinating but my bandmate(s) hated it, and thought X/Y and ORTF was cool and used them sometimes but with less consistent results. (You can hear those results at the “TFP” link below; track notes are usually included.)
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vlayman; THD; blog; TFP

Lead vocal mic’s

In response to a query at TOMB, I posted:

I’m pretty cheap, and thus do I recommend:

Condensors:

KSM27: about the cheapest of the Shure LDC’s, the more I use it on vocals (all I’ve tried it on), the more I like it – where I prefer it to both of the above;

M-Audio Luna: I love this on vocals (all I’ve tried it on), a very obvious transformer sound, a little dark and thick and pretty unique among what I’ve listed here;

Blue Spark: why people aren’t raving about this, especially at the price, I have no idea – again, only used on vox, but I love it as kinda the opposite of the Luna, a built in EQ adjustment, capable of great clarity, but try not to sing too loud too close into it;

ADK A-51; I have the model V, and am always amazed at how good it sounds on anything.

Tube:

I have a couple/3 cheapies, but the MXL V69ME sounds really, really good on vox and room; it’s just such a PITA to set-up (I leave it up, actually, so it’s always in the way  ) and warm up.

Dynamics:

I know you asked re LDC’s, but lemme shout out the MD421 II and RE320 as nice new LD’s, and note that the Peavey 520i is much cheaper and a little brighter/thinner but close to the SM7b, to what I often choose it over. Also worthy is the Beta 58 – surprised me how nicely it records vocals when used with a nice pre. My fave, tho’ is a MD421n.

Ribbon:

Again, I have a few cheapies but the Beyerdynamic M500 is very reasonable on the used market, and pretty damn cool on vox – but research it, the design is a little weird …
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vlayman; THD; blog; TFP

“Multipurpose LDC pair with a vibe? Low end ribbons?”

As posted at TOMB:

I love the AT4040 for overheads and also vocals, and at US$300 new it’s a little cheaper than the 4050.

I think the slutz is on a big CAD M179 kick, and I like those, too, especially the multi-patterns.

Seems like I just posted about this stuff?

Anywhat, I have a single Blue Spark and a single KSM27, and think they be very cool if I had a pair of each.

Finally, I have this weird thing for ADK mic’s (vox and amps, A-51 V especially), and even the MXL R144 ribbons (guitars, room, some vox); each are actually pretty cheap.

Of the above, the R144′s may be the most vibey (do pull out the windscreens and pack the body) while still being flexible, the 4040 or M179′s the most neutral, altho’ I think they do kinda have a “sound”.

Know what I really want for OH’s, tho? I think a pair of M-Audio Luna’s would rock – I have one and just love what I think is the transformer sound.
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Recording Vox w/ EQ

In answer to a question at TOMB regarding recording vocals with EQ (in this case on a Meek VC3Q), I posted:

One way to approach it, and I did this when I used my VC3Q a lot, is to think of the EQ as a way of getting a sound, vs. as a EQ. By what I mean, I made it sound good going in in the context of how the full song was progressing. Then I did whatever corrective EQ was necessary in the mix.

Lemme note, and this is my current practice, other than pass-filters, I try to make EQ decisions by the mic’s and their placement, as well as the hardware I’m recording through. For example, an SM58 will sound much different than yer Rode through the same recording chain.

To take that example further, I quite often merely change mic’s for the backing vocals, leaving the pre and compressor in the chain set the same (inspired by something cgarges posted, altho’ I’m not saying he does that).

All of that said, if yer vocals are consistently too dark, roll of some bottom, add a cuppla dB at 4kHz, etc.

Talkin’ patchbays correction

I previously totally made a mistake describing my set-up; I blame the martoonies.

My stage-box is actually XLR to XLR, used to extend access to the the typical back-panel XLR jacks on most pre’s. Doesn’t work on my The Brick, of course, so that one’s not patched in.

FWIW, what is is:
Eureka, VC3Q, Altec 1589B, VC16
ISA1 , Summit 2BA-221, VTB1, UA710

Some of the pre’s (Summit, Meek, ISA1) are routing-flexible, so they are connected both to the stage-box via XLR, TS to the patch-bay.

I also have a Rolls MP105 that I only use on bass, so that’s just connected via TS to the patch-bay.

Some stray mic commentary

, … from various posts at TOMB.

I have a RE10 is a go-to for me for BV’s.

——————-

I actually just got a MXLV96ME, which I like, because I so dislike the MXL9000 I have.

——————-

I, too love the Peavey 520i, often using it as the lead vocal mic, with the SM7b (which is darker) for the BV’s.

——————-

I will add that I really like omni dynamics in general, including the Rat Shack 33-1070d, EV635a, the Shure SM63L, and the AT802.

The latter three are “reporters’ mic’s” and serve wonderfully on BV’s (and guitars and percussion and even room), with the 635a in particular being useful on occasional lead vox. As omni’s, of course, there’s little to no proximity effect, and often no add’l EQ required.

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I just bought a used 460 from a fellow TO’er. Of those two capsules, do you reco one, and why?

I’ve a MXLV69ME I recently picked up cheap, quite broken in, and I really like it as is. (I have a MXL9000 I kinda don’t.) My intent was to obtain the 460 as a complimentary but different-sounding tube mic to the 69, for use in the same tracks, and separately. And as I’m new to tube mic’s, I thought to mod it (and the 9000, also).

In keeping with the theme of this thread, I really like tube mic’s as a “winter alternative” to condensors. I live in a tract house where the heating system is forced-air and quite loud, making condensors unusable unless I remember to turn the heat off – I’ve ruined a lot of good takes by forgetting.

And I love large and small dia. dynamics, and use them regularly, but I like variation, and tube mic’s are perfect – they sound quite different, I believe more detailed than dynamics, yet aren’t so sensitive as condensors.

They shall undoubtedly become a “summer alternatve”, also, when the AC is necessary. 

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([After it was noted a “tube” mic is a type of condensor:)

I knew that! I just forgot … 

That said, the tube mic’s I have are far less sensitive to ambient noise then my “regular” condensors.

For that matter, the Luna with its transformer is less sensitive in the same way than, say, the FET mic’s like my AT4040′s, KSM 27, Blue Spark, and various POS Chinese LDC’s from ADK, MXL, Bellwanger and Samson.

FWIW, I find onna kinda general dark to bright scale the following order:

Ribbon – Lrg.Dyn – Sm.Dyn. – Tube – Trnsfrmr.Cndnsr. – LDC FET Cndnsr. – SDC FET Cndnsr.

I’ve not yet used any crystal mics, nor tube/ribbon mic’s nor a SDC condensor with a transformer. And I acknowledge that the above is approximate, and doesn’t account for transformers or not in dynamics nor high vs. low impedance, etc.

Also, I find that scale also roughly corresponds with sensitivity, altho’ most women who know me would rule me unqualifried to comment … 

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…  altho’ I never use the roll-off. I really like the 421 II, also, on voc’s, better than the RE320. I find the 421s to be very smooth and balanced (vs. sibilant, hyped or skewed.)

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Re the SM7, I had read that the Peavey 520i was very similar. I finally got one for a reasonable price and actually find it like a brighter SM7b, and very complimentary for less than 1/2 the price.

I’ve never used an RE20, but do like the RE320 for vox and bass. The MD421 II is totally worthy; while I prefer my 421n that’s as much to do with mojo as sound.

I love omni’s, and invite you to look at the “sleeper vocal mic” thread for mine and other’s comments about various dynamics.

Old AKG mic’s are a trip – IMO, often over-engineered works of visual art.

EV’s almost always rock, and the various N/D mic’s are cool.

I really like the Beta 58 for live rehearsals – terrific rejection and good sound.

Finally, one of my fave amp mic’s lately is the venerable Shure 545.

Talkin’ patchbays

In answer to a question at TOMB, I posted:

PB I

Outs: / Summit/ VC3Q/ ISA1/ MP105 /Meek MC2 L/ Meek MC2 Rt/ RNC/ 163X/ 1176/ Altec/ Open/ Brick/ VTB1/ GM200 L/ GM200 Rt
Ins: ” “

PB II
Outs: / Tuner/ Eureka/ ART TPS L/ ART TPS Rt/ Microcab/ VC1Q/ Open/ Hafler T2/ UA710/ VLA L/VLA Rt/ 166A L/166A R/ 866 L/ 866/Rt/ Open/ 160XT
Ins: ” “

I use a short stage snake with a XLR box to TRS cable ends to the patchbay for the XLR ins on the pre’s. I take the out of the last piece in a given chain (say, Summit pre to 1176) from the patchbay to my M-Audio Delta breakout box.

It looked like this a while back. (PB’s top left, yellow cable to breakout box, snake lower left.)

Re “Play ‘Em Hard”

In answer to a question at lostoverture.com, I said:

There’s a rhythm guitar on each side, my Gibson American (SG) into a Quadra-Sound Blender into a Musicman HD130 head into a 2×12″ Celestion open-back cab, close mic’d witha AKG hand-held and a room ribbon mic.  They’re played immediately after each other with mic’s in place and the same amp/guitar settings, and recorded and mixed exactly the same, except the right side has 10% more room on the mixdown. (The lead is my MIJ Strat into my Marshall what was sitting right next to the other rig – I just turned the close mic on it’s stand to face the Marshall and left the room mic in place, gave it a touch of slap-back in the mix.)

I re-did the vox at the last minute because the refrain was “You gotta look hard” and I thought the new refrain fits better, and I can use “look hard” on another song.   

Wanna see most of my mic’s?

Aiight, so it’s silly, but I took pic’s for insurance, made a slide show with some comments.

Go here, download the pic if ya need the name.

Weird mic applications

Howaboutta Sennheiser E602 on a Hamer to Marshall amp, 18″ distance? Thru an ISA1, no other processing, on the rhythm guitars, on One God Further and Universal.

I am gonna use it again!
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TFP; THD; vlayman; blog