On Thu, 18 May 2006 12:50:50 -0400, Carey Carlan wrote
(in article ):

"Robert Morein" wrote in
:

I will be recording in public places where, in many cases, the street
performer, or "busker", as they are sometimes called, may be seated
with his back to a masonry or tile wall. According to theory, this
should cause major comb filtering problems, although I do not know
whether the result will be unpleasant.

One way to avoid this comb filtering would be to use a stereo boundary
mike placed on the floor or sidewalk. A ray trace diagram suggests
that above 1K, with this arrangement, the mike could be positioned to
pick up considerably less early reflection than a standard
single-point stereo mike.

What are the more reasonable offerings of stereo boundary mikes that
are suitable for recording music?

Due to the rumblings of the infrastructure, the mike would have to be
placed on a foam pad. Would this impact mike performance?

In an outdoor environment, the combing effect of a wall behind the
performer will be inaudible. Get a good omni and have at it.

Maybe, but I've been in some situations in which a nearby wall, sign, window
or something else has created a reflection that's pretty unflattering. You
really don't know until you get there.

And with omnis, unless you get real close, there's the rest of the street
noise. Maybe a PZM mounted on a board that can be adjusted and aimed at the
talent. Even 18" x 18" (maybe covered in felt on the mic side) might knock
down some of the street noise.

Regards,

Ty Ford


-- Ty Ford's equipment reviews, audio samples, rates and other audiocentric
stuff are at www.tyford.com

In article , Ty Ford wrote:
On Thu, 18 May 2006 12:50:50 -0400, Carey Carlan wrote
(in article ):

"Robert Morein" wrote in
:

I will be recording in public places where, in many cases, the street
performer, or "busker", as they are sometimes called, may be seated
with his back to a masonry or tile wall. According to theory, this
should cause major comb filtering problems, although I do not know
whether the result will be unpleasant.

One way to avoid this comb filtering would be to use a stereo boundary
mike placed on the floor or sidewalk. A ray trace diagram suggests
that above 1K, with this arrangement, the mike could be positioned to
pick up considerably less early reflection than a standard
single-point stereo mike.

What are the more reasonable offerings of stereo boundary mikes that
are suitable for recording music?

Due to the rumblings of the infrastructure, the mike would have to be
placed on a foam pad. Would this impact mike performance?

In an outdoor environment, the combing effect of a wall behind the
performer will be inaudible. Get a good omni and have at it.

Maybe, but I've been in some situations in which a nearby wall, sign, window
or something else has created a reflection that's pretty unflattering. You
really don't know until you get there.

And with omnis, unless you get real close, there's the rest of the street
noise. Maybe a PZM mounted on a board that can be adjusted and aimed at the
talent. Even 18" x 18" (maybe covered in felt on the mic side) might knock
down some of the street noise.

I sure many have seen PZM's mounted on a large clear Plexiglass sheet.

greg

Ty Ford wrote in
:

And with omnis, unless you get real close, there's the rest of the
street noise. Maybe a PZM mounted on a board that can be adjusted and
aimed at the talent. Even 18" x 18" (maybe covered in felt on the mic
side) might knock down some of the street noise.

That's the greatest advantage of omnis. You can get real close. The
inverse square law is the best noise rejection scheme available, plus you
get a very realistic sound. Directional microphones in a noisy environment
are great for spoken word, but the more directional the mic, the more
aberrations you hear--bad things for music recording. And I don't count
PZM's on any size board as a good directional microphone.