Topic: aiming microphones..............

[ts]

most of us don't ever "point our mics straight forward".    I've never had to run so far off center that I still couldn't run DIN or xy etc.  if I did I would just point at the stacks.

i guess i didn't ask the question clearly. i was referring to the center axis and whether you left it pointing straight forward or if you tried to rotate it more toward the center of the stage or stacks??

the reason i ask, is i ran schoeps hypers at ratdog in vegas. i was clamped to a stand with a guy running the classic nak setup with the 2 guns and the super omni in the middle. we were about 20ft ROC and he had the guns pointed straight at bobby which turned the center axis about 10-15 degrees. my recording turned out completley lacking the low end and was wondering if this off center axis would have caused this?? i've ran the mk41's plenty of times and had great results, but this was by far the worst!!! and it sounded pretty damn good in the HOB.................

That was robr you were clamped to. The dude is famous. Reason you are lacking bass is the bass player, not your mics.

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

We were at our club tonite, I checked out our position...  Its weird, I'll have to draw a pix tomorrow, but I'm combining both my thoughts and Swampy's???  I'll show you what I'm doing, I know I'm an idiot, so running F-ed up wouldn't surprise me...

T

Here you go.  This is about how the Pour House in Raleigh is laid out.

[RobertNC]

Generally ditto, but in some clubs down here, we are literally forced to the wall, requiring one mic virtually straight on, and the other one adjusted depending on how far back we are, and location of the PA. 

So I am curious.  Will be taping at the Beacon basically on the right wall.  Since you have some experience in this scenario, what do you recommend when taping *way* off center?

TIA

[mmmatt]

If you have decent phones, you can allways throw the mics up in the air and use your ears... I do that quite a bit.  Even when you are dfc it doesn't mean you are in the sweetspot.  Keep in mind, for most rock-ish shows there is a lot of sound coming off of the stage, and not just the stacks, and on top of that many shows are not in stereo through the PA so dead ahead may give you the best sound wherever you are.  If you don't know the room and/or the band you really need to use your ears IMO, even if it is just your ears and no phones.  Proximity to the stage, stage volume, mono or stereo pa, volume of the show, sound of the room, the alignment of the stars in relation to Jupiter, type/flavor of mics or pre, your personal taste, and type of music all make a difference in how best to run your rig.  To say do it this way every time or do it that way is nonsence.  Run your rig how you think it might be best, keep good notes of how you did it, and then try it another way next time and compare.  Experience and experimentation are what make good tapes.

my .02

Matt