Topic: 4 mic mixes from the AUD

[Shawn]

Like blended coffee, or blended whiskey...
not as good as the real thing.

maybe it's more like fine wine. French Bordeaux is often a blend of up to five varieties of grapes (Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit verdot).

[easy jim]

Like blended coffee, or blended whiskey...
not as good as the real thing.

maybe it's more like fine wine. French Bordeaux is often a blend of up to five varieties of grapes (Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit verdot).

As in cooking, simplicity is beauty; a blend, or a complicated dish, is a lot easier to screw up than it is to get right.

[F.O.Bean]

Like blended coffee, or blended whiskey...
not as good as the real thing.

maybe it's more like fine wine. French Bordeaux is often a blend of up to five varieties of grapes (Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit verdot).

As in cooking, simplicity is beauty; a blend, or a complicated dish, is a lot easier to screw up than it is to get right.

GREAT point. I still think having 2 diff setups would be cool just to compare how each setup has its own characteristics. I am gonna get a Busman fr2-le when I can afford it just to have a whole nother setup when I feel like lugging everything to a show/festival I doubt I would matrix the two together, but having 2 diff setups is cool in its own right. Having the option to switch things around liek that is also cool With having 483's and MBHO cards/hypers and a 722 and a busman fr2-le, the options are endless

[Nick's Picks]

I can certainly see the educational value of running 4 mics, and getting to "know" how they sound in various situations.

I guess I covered that ground w/years of running my mics various way in multiple set shows where I could tear down and re-configure. 

i'm sure my lack of mixing experience is what fudged up all my multiple mic mixes.
I like the K.I.S.S. approach.

[Todd R]

GREAT point. I still think having 2 diff setups would be cool just to compare how each setup has its own characteristics. I am gonna get a Busman fr2-le when I can afford it just to have a whole nother setup when I feel like lugging everything to a show/festival I doubt I would matrix the two together, but having 2 diff setups is cool in its own right. Having the option to switch things around liek that is also cool With having 483's and MBHO cards/hypers and a 722 and a busman fr2-le, the options are endless

Bean -- if you have any thoughts of doing 4ch work, you might want to pick up a recorder with a digital output like the HD-P2 or PMD-671 instead of the FR2LE.  Then you can use the digital output of that recorder to provide the clock for the 722.  That way both sources are synced off the same clock and making a 4ch mix is a snap.

[china_rider]

So... I've been watching this thread but was not really going to join in.  I've been playing with some 4mic mixes for a while now and I would say about 50% of the time I've liked the 4mic combo more than either 2mic alone.  However, it is pretty subjective and I could have a different opinion depending on the playback system.  I mix for my ears and systems.   I've mostly used my big ass markbar and run the 480s in the middle with TL omnis split on the sides.  I was not really going for the much wider split omni sound stage but I really like the mix of the 2 brands of mics.  Splitting out the Omnis in most situations is just impractical and sort of like waiting for a disaster unless you have someone guarding the stands.

What got me to post was that I just received 2XSabraSom 4mic bars.  I'm taking off the mic mounts and keeping the bar and putting the SabraSom shocks I already have on the bar.  They work perfectly to mount my 489 guns.

Anyway... I have not tried it yet... But mentioned the bar to another taper who noticed that I had the 4X480s and he suggested taking the 4mic bar and setting up the middle pair in my favorite pattern and then taking the second two 480s and basically adding another 10 degrees on each side.  He had ran that config with Nak1000s for many years and loved it.  Says you keep the sound of your mics, pretty much eliminate any phase issues, and get a much wider sound stage.

Any opinions on this?  I'm going to try it when a good situation presents itself.  He made me pretty curious about the setup.

[F.O.Bean]

GREAT point. I still think having 2 diff setups would be cool just to compare how each setup has its own characteristics. I am gonna get a Busman fr2-le when I can afford it just to have a whole nother setup when I feel like lugging everything to a show/festival I doubt I would matrix the two together, but having 2 diff setups is cool in its own right. Having the option to switch things around liek that is also cool With having 483's and MBHO cards/hypers and a 722 and a busman fr2-le, the options are endless

Bean -- if you have any thoughts of doing 4ch work, you might want to pick up a recorder with a digital output like the HD-P2 or PMD-671 instead of the FR2LE.  Then you can use the digital output of that recorder to provide the clock for the 722.  That way both sources are synced off the same clock and making a 4ch mix is a snap.

Indeed a great point Todd. I havent even thought about that Hmmm. I would mainly do the 4-channel stuff to hear the sources SEPERATELY tho. I honestly dont really plan on EVER matrixing the 2 seperate recordings together. I would just like to have 2 diff sources for some shows so i can hear how each setup sounds on its own and would most likely spread the recordings the same way. BUT you still bring up a great point. Especially if the good ole SBD/DAUD matrix ever comes about. I know I could matrix manually in WL 5's Audio Montage but having one source synched to the otehr would def make those SBD/DAUD matrixes ALOT easier. but to be hoenst, I ahvent doen a SBD/DAUD matrix in over 2 years so its not a huge concern. besides, that Busman fr2-le is TOOOOO damn tempting I coould always get anotehr recordder just to do 4-channel matrixes I guess. And also, If given teh chance to do a SBD/DAUD matrix, I will NEVER be close nough to sync the two together anyway. the one place I could do SBD/DAUD matrix's(Mr. Smalls Theatre) the SBD area is at the VERY back of the room, and I record FOB about 100ft at leats in front of teh SBD, so syncing would be a great idea but not realistic in most cases. and sicne I never plan on matrixing the 2 diff DAUD sources, I guess I can just get the Busman fr2-le as planned

Thanks for pointing that out regardless tho bud

So I guess the fr2-le doesnt have a way to sync at all not even a BNC connector or anything ehh? i guess I should check out the manual for the fr2-le and see some pictures ehh?

[Todd R]

You can't do syncing with the FR2le as far as I can tell.  If you're set on a busman mod though, you could get the busman Hd-P2 instead.  As to the SBD+AUD mixes, distance away from the board has nothing to do with it.  You're not mixing together thru a mixer at the venue, you'd be mixing in post.  So by syncing the clocks, all the samples will line up, you'll just have to find the common point to start them at (eg, find a snare hit near the beginning to line them up).  With your mics further back, the aud source will have more of a delayed start than the board mix, but once you'll line up the sources prior to mixing together, so the amount of this delay will not matter.

4ch is also good if you do onstage recording.  Center DIN/XY pair, and then some split omnis to add in, or use the additional two channels for spot mic'ing (like a keyboard that is far to the side or something else that might be low in the mix like percussion -- congos, tablas, etc).