Re: recording a 9 guitar ensemble !

"Ray Thomas" > wrote in message
...

> A project in a few weeks sees a 9 guitar group

Must be southern rock.

Either that or Blue Oyster Cult got back together.
--


Neil Henderson
Saqqara Records
http://www.saqqararecords.com

[Paul Stamler]

"Ray Thomas" > wrote in message
...
> A project in a few weeks sees a 9 guitar group (classical/acoustic gtrs
all)
> in a quiet hall with a great acoustic, arrayed in a slight "bow"
> shape/semi-circle for eye contact. My intuition is to have a 7" spaced
> cardioid or omni pair as main pickup, with perhaps 4 SD condensors (Rode
> NT5's, or similar) arrayed across the players at 3-4 feet distance panned
> L-R as spot mics.
> Live to 2 track via laptop with Dat backup.Recording at 24 bit 44.1 or
88.2
> should see no need for compression going in, perhaps some reverb added to
> spot mics on the way in to match the hall acoustic (or not...advice ?)
> How does this sound as a starting point ? Your thoughts and guidance will
be
> greatly appreciated,

I'd skip the spot microphones unless you're recording multitrack; there'll
be comb-filtering effects from the difference in distance between the mains
and the spots, and if you're not obeying the "rule of threes" you'll get
more comb-filtering between the spot mikes. I'd go with an ORTF pair of good
small-diaphragm condensers -- Schoepsim if you can get them, Neumann KM-84s
if you can't. That should be plenty. Might need to put a couple of rugs on
the floor between the mikes and the players.

Peace,
Paul