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Post by gouge on Mar 13, 2014 2:15:11 GMT -6
I'm curious which mics people feel suit particular instruments/soucrces in their experience. oddball mics just as welcome as 10,000 euro beauties.
i'l start,
bright fender amps - ksm137 fuller orange amps - uher m538 all amps - royer r121
bright snares - beyer m201 fuller deeper snares - atm450
acoustic guitar - jolly modded nt2a (u87ish)
bass guitar - beyer m380
front of drum mic - akg414 drum room mic - rca sk46 drum mono overhead - ev635a
vocals - it varies but I feel like an sm57 works 9/10 times.
for me all of these slots are up for grabs but quite a few of these mics have given me aha moments when used as noted above so I keep using them in those positions with a second or third mic hear what happens.
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Post by jazznoise on Mar 13, 2014 5:43:53 GMT -6
Didn't know you also had an M538 - what do you think of it, out of curiosity?
I think the EV635a or an AKGD160 are better bottom snare/kick beater mics than overheads, personally - but then I love my ribbons on overheads. Blumlein, M/S or ORTF!
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Post by gouge on Mar 13, 2014 6:32:09 GMT -6
I like the uher, it was bought on a hunch because I believed it was an akg d202 in disguise. I've got 2 of those and my music partner grabbed the uher because we were looking for some more dynamics for toms.
i've compared the d202 and the m538 a fair bit on different sources and although they are said to be the same mic rebranded they do sound a little different. I've not compared the guts but the bodies and heads are different enough to suggest a tonal difference. the 202 seems a little more refined.
on fuzz driven orange cabs and heavy detuned marshalls the uher is my pick. it sounds a little dirtier and fuller. I've got an old ribbon mic I need to compare against the uher but have not had a chance to do so yet.
the d202 I use under snare and for kick beater sometimes. kinda where you're using the ev mic. it sounds good there. really balanced. lately I've switched to a ksm137 on beater as the tighter polar pattern gives me less phase issues,
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Post by gouge on Mar 13, 2014 6:38:52 GMT -6
how do you go with m/s on overheads? I use m/s out front but have been wanting to experiment there a little. I noticed steve albini uses a spaced blumlein setup on overheads sometimes with his coles mics. I wouldn't mind trying that at some point.
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Post by jazznoise on Mar 13, 2014 6:56:45 GMT -6
I'd heard the Uher M series were 421 capsules rehoused cheaply. But maybe that's just the bigger cousin - you know, the one that looks like it's from Star Trek!
As I'm limited with my overheads, my collection still being quite small, and the Focusrite's inability to allow you to monitor in M/S with their Scarlett Mix software (If you're reading this guys, fix it!).
I tend to stick to XY or ORTF (I'm guessing that's your spaced blumlein you mentioned there?). M/S is fine, but I think the panning is more finnicky on it and bleed from other instruments can generate messy cues. If you're in a space or situation where you can use that, or the kit is a solo instrument, then I'd be more open to it then I usually am. But timing cues are a double edged sword in location work if you can't control them, and it's hard to do anything about them afterwards.
Near as I know, steve places his M/S pretty low. Maybe 3-4 feet of the ground from pictures I've seen? Vertical changes in mic placement are often the last thing people reach for when drum recording and they make a massive difference in balance - especially with the cymbals, as different parts of them radiate differently. You can also get a usable kick sound out of overheads this way, which means you don't have to just mask it with the close mic completely.
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Post by gouge on Mar 13, 2014 7:05:45 GMT -6
I go low with the front setup as well. based on stuff I'd read from albini but when recording in a shitty room with over the top cymbals I found the magic in that position. so now I set my m/s mics about 2-3 foot off the ground point straight at the kick. I have tried a few mics there. ribbons etc but just can't beat the c414 for me.
as a cheap option stellar do a stereo ribbon mic that sounds great on drums. not as punchy as the akg but plenty of bottom end and a smooth top end. I only stopped using it there when I started preferring m/s and using the akg. for the mid mic I use a rn17 my music partner scored at a sale for a music shop that had done into receivership. now that is a sdc that I wish we had 2 of so I can try it on overheads.
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Post by gouge on Mar 13, 2014 7:15:02 GMT -6
on the uher caps, I have read
m537 is the akg d190 cap,
m538 is the dual cap said to be an akg d202
m539 is dual cap also I think. can't find much about it.
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Post by drumrec on Mar 13, 2014 14:01:49 GMT -6
Not to forget on drums, lovely Coles 4038  |
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Post by Johnkenn on Mar 13, 2014 17:33:17 GMT -6
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Post by Johnkenn on Mar 13, 2014 17:35:26 GMT -6
jsteiger What video was it on Facebook was it that had the three 251's on the toms? Did you post that or was it me?
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Post by jazznoise on Mar 13, 2014 18:29:16 GMT -6
Funny, I never use a Neumann on a Sinatra.
I forgot RE20 for Floor Tom. You're gonna get a lot more ride then I'd normally go for, but when I have access and I need an "authoritative" tom sound I think it sounds f*cking great.
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Post by jsteiger on Mar 23, 2014 8:47:10 GMT -6
jsteiger What video was it on Facebook was it that had the three 251's on the toms? Did you post that or was it me? It is very odd how I only randomly get the notifications when I am tagged. Anyhow, I think R-N-R Rob posted it first. |
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Post by henge on Mar 23, 2014 9:46:29 GMT -6
Excellent thread! Drumrec can you add your mic choices for that killer sound you get please? And yes, I know the sound is really in your hands and between your ears and you've got a great room.;-)
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