Topic: binauralor cardoids. which are better for a small room

[yawnfactory]

by small i mean less that 200 capacity.

i have sound pros bcm 12 and sound pros cmc 8 w/low sensitvity modification. rooms like the empty bottle (chicago)are really small, so any info
would be appreciated. the cards have been hit and miss there.

[Brian Skalinder]

Since you have both cardioids and omnis (binaural is simply the mic configuration you're using...the mics themselves are omnis), why not try both and see which you prefer?  Everyone has different preferences, and only you can decide which you prefer.

That said, in what way have the cards been hit or miss at the Empty Bottle?  Other small venues?  What about omnis...which of your recordings in small venues have you liked or disliked and why?

Understanding what you have and have not liked about your cardioid and/or omni recordings may help reveal whether switching to the other pattern, or changing your configuration, could change the sound in a way you find desirable.

[sunjan]

the cards have been hit and miss there.

I assume that you are stealthing the cards, which means you have to be pretty accurate with the direction. During the bad recordings, did you ensure that you were in the sweet spot, each mic pointing towards the stacks, or was the configuration more random?`That could explain poor takeup.

Personally, I avoid omnis if I have the least suspicion that the audience will be chatty/unattentive/drunk. For disciplined audiences in a small venue, onmis can be great though.

[su6oxone]

Personally, I avoid omnis if I have the least suspicion that the audience will be chatty/unattentive/drunk.

Yeah, you're really best off using cards in most taping situations if there is a crowd that makes noise.  Otherwise you will be picking up significantly more crowd noise, which for me, is the number one thing I hate the most on my tapes.

[paulbaptiste]

agreed on all fronts.  It is nice to have the option of cards or omni's.  mics with removable caps, or what you have, bring both sets.  If you know a band and venue, sometimes you can guage the crowd.  For example Ray Lamontagne in a seated show, i was pretty safe in the 5th road Dead center to run some omni's, but had card caps just in case.  Avett brothers, didn't even bring em. 

IMO omni's will sound better in a "perfect" world situation with a great sounding room and a respectul crowd, they'll win every time.

[manitouman]

When I first joined this forum it was to ask a similar question. Why do my recordings sound like I'm in a telephone booth? It was because of the core sound binaurals I was using in small indoor theaters. My outdoor recordings were great, but I couldn't figure out why my indoor recordings sucked.

And then the big discovery of all these different mic choices opened up. I was told because they are omni mics that they pick up too much of the sound bouncing off the walls of the venue. Switched to some cards for indoors and have never looked back. Cards are my personal choice for indoors.

[boojum]

It depends.  It depends on the room, the musicians, the music and whether it is acoustic or amp'ed and your location, among other things.  A chamber quarter in a good small room might sound great with omni's.  With omni's you are recording more the "room" than with cards.  That is the simple side of it. 

[yawnfactory]

thanks for all the suggestions. might run 2 rigs 1 night and see how it goes.

[boojum]

thanks for all the suggestions. might run 2 rigs 1 night and see how it goes.

I am often running card's and omni's together and work with them in post.  I usually run more to the card side with some omni in there for room sound and bottom end.  Try it!  You'll like it.

[paulbaptiste]

I've been doing that also.  Ran split omni's stage lip and subcards about 10' back.  Did it the opposite the week before (seemed to make more sense at the time) but really like the last results, get the bass response and fullness of the PA from the back, and the artists themselves up front with the omni's.  fun stuff.