Topic: Mic Configurations for Dummies (including Stereophonic Zoom link)

[kuuan]

T+, thank's, really very helpful!
this, O-Canis's template and the Schoeps overview of recording techniques make a wonderful introduction to the various Mic configurations.

[gunk]

http://www.shure.com/pdf/userguides/guides_accessories/a27m.pdf


Found this while trawling for gear.  I wish I had seen this when I first started out.  A very easy to use guide with angles and degrees of seperation.

This link does not seem to work any more.

Is there a new version of this link?

[flipp]

http://www.shure.com/pdf/userguides/guides_accessories/a27m.pdf


Found this while trawling for gear.  I wish I had seen this when I first started out.  A very easy to use guide with angles and degrees of seperation.

This link does not seem to work any more.

Is there a new version of this link?

try this one: http://www.taperssection.com/reference/pdf/Manual_ShureA27M.pdf

[kuuan]

for the Mic Configuration for Dummies at sure's site go to page 19 in their extensive 'Microphone Techniques for Studio Recording': http://www.shure.com/stellent/groups/public/@gms_gmi_web_ug/documents/web_resource/us_pro_micsmusicstudio_ea.pdf

and another comprehensive guide to 'Stereo Microphone Tewchniques':
http://www.tape.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/Bartlett_Articles/stereo_microphone_techniques.html?L+cassette+nqna2923+995498793
and 'Stereo Recording Procedures': http://www.tape.com/Bartlett_Articles/stereo_recording_procedures.html

and jecklin disc recording:
http://www.josephson.com/tn5.html

and for people who can read german or understand graphics well an icredible detailed article about microphones:
http://www.mdw.ac.at/I101/iea/tm/scripts/jecklin/tt03mikrofon.pdf

[KenH]

I've found the Oade Bros page to be excellent for mic setups for live music:

http://www.oade.com/Tapers_Section/faq-mic.html

/Ken

[Brennan]

2nd page of this PDF works good too

http://www.shure.com/stellent/groups/public/@gms_gmi_web_ug/documents/web_resource/us_pro_a27m_ug.pdf

[rockthing]

  Wow, thanks for all of those links.
This is very helpful for someone who has
just starting using a T-bar and xlr mics.

(after a long time with the mini-jack->MD setup in my sig)


I still have one question about using Near-Coincident Pairs.

   How do you deal with the cables or the back end of the mics?
   

Especially with the wide angle and small spacing of the ORTF method
accommodating the body and cables
leads to about a 3cm difference in the height of the grills.
If one mic is at 90degrees in relation to the ground
the other is at -120 degrees.

I'm guessing this doesn't matter, but it seems like it should...

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[rockthing]

  I thought Mic Configurations for Dummies would be the perfect place for me to ask questions...

I found an answer in the LD mic setup thread, even though I don't have LD mics.

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,17020.msg797031.html#msg797031


So, I take it that having the mics at different heights is no problem, but
I need to get an extension for one of my mic clips
so I can keep the vertical axis angles the same.
Until then, I should try to do something as close to xy as possible, I suppose.

Wow, thanks for all of those links.
This is very helpful for someone who has
just starting using a T-bar and xlr mics.

(after a long time with the mini-jack->MD setup in my sig)


I still have one question about using Near-Coincident Pairs.

   How do you deal with the cables or the back end of the mics?
   

Especially with the wide angle and small spacing of the ORTF method
accommodating the body and cables
leads to about a 3cm difference in the height of the grills.
If one mic is at 90degrees in relation to the ground
the other is at -120 degrees.

I'm guessing this doesn't matter, but it seems like it should...

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[boojum]

This article was a hard read for me to understand.  But I get it now, use the technique and can say it is very helpful.  I have a mild dyslexia so you should be able to read it easier than I.  Check it out.

http://www.rycote.com/products/pdf/The%20Stereophonic%20Zoom.pdf

[Brian Skalinder]

I thought Mic Configurations for Dummies would be the perfect place for me to ask questions...

In general, people seem to pay more attention, and respond more frequently, to individual threads, as opposed to questions tacked on to the end of other (stickied) threads.

[rockthing]

This article was a hard read for me to understand.  But I get it now, use the technique and can say it is very helpful.  I have a mild dyslexia so you should be able to read it easier than I.  Check it out.

http://www.rycote.com/products/pdf/The%20Stereophonic%20Zoom.pdf

Thanks, got it. More information is good.

I thought Mic Configurations for Dummies would be the perfect place for me to ask questions...

In general, people seem to pay more attention, and respond more frequently, to individual threads, as opposed to questions tacked on to the end of other (stickied) threads.

Good advice. Thank you. I always try to avoid making new topics esp. when there is so much I haven't read.

I hope my comment didn't sound lke a complaint....
though it's been a while since I posted it, I don't remember my exact frame of mind.

I think my intention was to say that even though I'm a dummy and this thread suits me perfectly,
I actually found the info I was looking for in another thread.

Always hard to express myself in text.

Perhaps my link to the other thread will be helpful to others.

[Brian Skalinder]

Bump to add Stereophonic Zoom link to original post.

[Len Moskowitz (Core Sound)]

It's interesting to note that a single ambisonic mic (like a TetraMic or a SoundField) can do any of the conventional two-mic techniques that have their mics co-located (positioned at the same spot).  That includes, XY, Blumlein, M/S and others.

It can also do lots more, such as three cardioids facing forward and two hypercardioids facing backwards for 5.1, height enabled Blumlein (three figure-8 mics), and many others.

Before recording you would simply place your one mic where the sound is good.  You'd choose which mic configuration to use during post-production, back at your workstation.  Try XY @ 90 degrees.  Don't like it?  Try it @ 120.  Don't like it?  Try Blumlein.  And so on.

You can even vary the decode in mid post to highlight a soloist.  Or decode the entire recording in different ways for stereo, 5.1, 7.1 10.1 or others.  Or decode it using two different mic models, write them out to files and then mix them together later.  So you could have a soloist mix, and an ambience mix, and a room mix, and then mix them all together in post.

Add a second ambisonic mic and then you can do any of the spaced arrays (e.g., ORTF).

[BodhiTaper]

Curious to know if you can run the ORTF, XY or NOS with hypers or only cards?

[slightlys]

I made some audio clips to give some audible examples of how the different stereo configurations sound and the different stereo sound stages they create.
These were recorded off my home stereo with the stand set up 6' back from the speakers at about 4' high.
Lineage is: Peluso cemc6>(cards)> Bumblebee MiAGi-II silver clad cables>Bm2p+ mod UA-5 > Iriver H120

ortf 110* 17cm
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b0hhg3g/n/peluso-ortf-config-01.flac

NOS 90* 30 cm
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b0hhg33/n/peluso-NOS-config-02.flac

din 90* 20 cm
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b0hhg2d/n/peluso-din-config-03.flac

XY 90* coincidence
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b0hhg42/n/peluso-XY-config-04.flac

AB
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b0hhg14/n/peluso-AB-config-05.flac

Aimed straight at speakers estimate 65-70*
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b0hhg1a/n/peluso-aimed-config-06.flac