best way to record what my ears hear?

[jnorman]

i tend to use ORTF for my main stereo pair for live venues. i
understand that i typically must place the mics a bit closer than
where i might actually want to stand to listen the the group. in the
studio, i face a similar problem. i do lots of overdubs and recording
of solo tracks for classical instruments, and i like to choose mic
placement by ear. since in a live venue, i place mics closer than my
ears migt suggest, should i also use this rule inthe studio, placing
the mics a bit closer than my ear tells me to? i generally track all
solo lines in stereo, and i am about at the point where i am going to
just start throwing up a pair of schoeps cmc64s in ORTF about 4 feet
out for everything from violins and flutes to horns and classical
guitars. any thoughts on why this might not be a good idea? danke.

[Scott Dorsey]

jnorman > wrote:
>i tend to use ORTF for my main stereo pair for live venues. i
>understand that i typically must place the mics a bit closer than
>where i might actually want to stand to listen the the group. in the
>studio, i face a similar problem.

I don't see this as a problem. If you use a baffled omni, you'll need
to place it even closer.

>i do lots of overdubs and recording
>of solo tracks for classical instruments, and i like to choose mic
>placement by ear. since in a live venue, i place mics closer than my
>ears migt suggest, should i also use this rule inthe studio, placing
>the mics a bit closer than my ear tells me to?

Sure. Although you'll find if you use one ear, you can get a better
sense of your direct/reflected ratio than if you use both. A finger
in one ear can be a great tool.

>i generally track all
>solo lines in stereo, and i am about at the point where i am going to
>just start throwing up a pair of schoeps cmc64s in ORTF about 4 feet
>out for everything from violins and flutes to horns and classical
>guitars. any thoughts on why this might not be a good idea? danke.

Dunno, listen to it on the monitors. If you like it, keep it. If you
don't, move the mikes. Don't be afraid to spend a little time moving
the mikes around until the playback sounds right.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Justin Ulysses Morse]

jnorman > wrote:

> i tend to use ORTF for my main stereo pair for live venues. i
> understand that i typically must place the mics a bit closer than
> where i might actually want to stand to listen the the group. in the
> studio, i face a similar problem. i do lots of overdubs and recording
> of solo tracks for classical instruments, and i like to choose mic
> placement by ear. since in a live venue, i place mics closer than my
> ears migt suggest, should i also use this rule inthe studio, placing
> the mics a bit closer than my ear tells me to? i generally track all
> solo lines in stereo, and i am about at the point where i am going to
> just start throwing up a pair of schoeps cmc64s in ORTF about 4 feet
> out for everything from violins and flutes to horns and classical
> guitars. any thoughts on why this might not be a good idea? danke.

Because, as the man says, "Your mileage may vary." Basically any time
you quit listening and start engineering/recording by formula, you're
setting yourself up to record less than the best sound you can. Don't
get lazy, this is the fun part. If you start to notice that this
position is where you end up most of the time, then it's obviously
going to be a position to try on pretty much every occasion. But if
it's the position you end up using ALL the time, then you're not paying
attention because instruments and music and musicians vary a whole lot
more than that.

ulysses

[Richard Kuschel]

>
>i tend to use ORTF for my main stereo pair for live venues. i
>understand that i typically must place the mics a bit closer than
>where i might actually want to stand to listen the the group. in the
>studio, i face a similar problem. i do lots of overdubs and recording
>of solo tracks for classical instruments, and i like to choose mic
>placement by ear. since in a live venue, i place mics closer than my
>ears migt suggest, should i also use this rule inthe studio, placing
>the mics a bit closer than my ear tells me to? i generally track all
>solo lines in stereo, and i am about at the point where i am going to
>just start throwing up a pair of schoeps cmc64s in ORTF about 4 feet
>out for everything from violins and flutes to horns and classical
>guitars. any thoughts on why this might not be a good idea? danke.
>
>

You are trying to mic according to a formula and this doesn't work.

You need to experiment with mic placement and where it sounds good is only the
starting point.


ORTF might be just dandy for ensembles at distance, but in the studio, I tend
to use an XY pair because I find the ORTF to be phase incoherant when miking
closely.

I have had some decent results using a Jecklin disc and omnis. See "First
Snow" on the RAP 5 CD and judge for yourself.

You will have to experiment to find what works best for your situation by
listening through monitors. Headphones aren't going to cut it.

There is no one technique that will fit every situation.
Richard H. Kuschel
"I canna change the law of physics."-----Scotty