Topic: "Tools of the Trade"

[Nick Graham]

I often read reference here and on other boards about "DIN @ 90°, 17cm" or "ORTF @ 110°, 20 cm"...and while I completely understand what that means...do people actually break out protractors and/or rulers at shows?

I know how to set up DIN/ORTF/XY/NOS, etc...but it's in general terms. I can tell if my mics are somewhere close to 90° (or slightly more or less), and have an educated guess at the distance between the caps, but it sure is hell ain't scientific or exact.

So, how many folks use their engineering degrees in the field?

[Chuck]

I carry a protractor, but I run DIN or NOS most of the time, so I don't use it much. I do however carry a very small tape measure that I use often, for spacing.

[BCostigan]

I usually guesstimate.

[Simp-Dawg]

actually i made a card-stock cutout of a right-angle triangle with points 20cm apart for din config...other than that i guesstimate.

[sexymexi]

all by the eyes.  i don't really care about having it perfect. i can guess 90 and 110 close enough..  the spacing is something i've been thinking about taking more car into, but it looks good enough for me, and its sounded good thus far, except i didn't like the ORTF last week, i don't know if i'll try that in that room again.  i will have to stick a little tape measure in my bag.. peace all.

matt

[blu666z]

I eyeball the angle.  I know the distance between a stretched out thumb and pinky finger on my hand is about 17cm and use that to eyeball the distance.

-Kevin

[Tim]

generally eyeball and guesstimate. many times a stock configuration is not going to be appropriate for the room and pa setup so some modifications are necessary.

I've been taping with mics for 5 years now so I feel pretty confident in my setup.

[John R]

so is the distance to the center of the capsule or to the edge?

jr

[Tim]

good question.

I always go from the center of the capsule. Kind of like spacing speakers you go from the center.

Also, if there are other tapers clamped onto your stand see if they are using a stock ortf/din/nos etc. bar and use that to help you setup.

at Phish I always clamp right below Dave and he uses a fancy schoeps bar that has distances and angles all nice and marked off for you, very handy.

[BCostigan]

I always assumed it was from the center of the capsuals as the center distance never changes but the edge distances would (due to the different sizes cap diamiters)

[John R]

I always assumed it was from the center of the capsuals as the center distance never changes but the edge distances would (due to the different sizes cap diamiters)

very good reasoning, brian

jr

[Tim]

I always assumed it was from the center of the capsuals as the center distance never changes but the edge distances would (due to the different sizes cap diamiters)

exactly.

[he11yeah]

Got a small Stereo recording bar, but for my akg c1000s setup isnt a breeze, they are large mics and space is tight to say the least any ex. c1000s users have suggestions?

[BCostigan]

Got a small Stereo recording bar, but for my akg c1000s setup isnt a breeze, they are large mics and space is tight to say the least any ex. c1000s users have suggestions?

Don't worry about the vertical spacing so much and run one mic on the top of the bar and the other from underneath.  I've seen many folks do this using both the AKG and sabra som bars...I don't think you'd have a problem with the a27m.

[Cooker]

yep - don't sweat the vertical spacing. or get a rapido (all the online taping superstores carry them) to bump one of your clips up higher.

keep in mind, too, that the c1000's capsule is about a half inch inside the end of the mic.

[Chuck]

I eyeball the angle.  I know the distance between a stretched out thumb and pinky finger on my hand is about 17cm and use that to eyeball the distance.

-Kevin

I get 25.4 cm (10 inches) from my pinky to my thumb.

[teajay]

I made some T-Bars that are structured in a way that they capture the mics in a nearly ideal way. I also scribed the proper angles into the t-bar so that when the mic is in the mount, a simple adjustment is all thats necessary to match the scribe lines.
I have bars at ORTF 110*, 17cm/90*, 17cm/70*

With the TL's, I have measured angles at home, and know how to adjust them in the field. The TL's cards/hypers are very comfortable at 17/90, which is a snap to acheive with the Shure Vert Bar.

Got any pictures of these bars you made? That's the weekend project for me, I'm trying to find a way of making one bar to get as many configs as possible. So far the idea will be three pieces of aluminum that are attached to each other (like hinges) with spaced holes along all three. All held together with a bunch of wing nuts, etc....

Something like this http://www.djmart.com/destmibar.html

[Chuck]

I went with the dedicated bar per each configuration. I don't have pictures, but they are something like this;

\_________/, with each leg having a drawn down / mic capture location that is similar to this, (see right leg of the bar) \_______%
The % represents the scribe line between the elastic drawn down holes. The draw down holes are perpendicular to the proper mic angle. The mics are drawn down into a bed of foam that is attached to the bar on either side of the draw down holes.
The bar width is about 1.125" typical.

I'd like to see pictures of that...

[mattb]

I eyeball the angle.  I know the distance between a stretched out thumb and pinky finger on my hand is about 17cm and use that to eyeball the distance.

-Kevin

I get 25.4 cm (10 inches) from my pinky to my thumb.

I used to use the forefinger to thumb measure for 17cm with my Oktavas on a AT (I think) t-bar. Just about right on for me, but now I use my handy custom made t-bar with holes drilled at different spacings with my AT933s. I carry a protractor for the angles (actually been teased for that) but now I'm familiar enough that I can eyeball the 90 or 110 pretty well and only bust out the protractor if I change things up or for verification.