Topic: Blumlein Question

[WiFiJeff]

I have run the AKG C426B that Teddy helped me get twice now, both times in Blumlein configuration.  With a piano, the result was remarkable, perhaps not as accurate as Josephson C617s but a really great room acoustic, absolutely "live" sound.  But this past Friday I ran it with a sting quartet, which was already a bit mis-balanced to favor the outside voices (first violin and cello), pointing the AKG caps at them at 90 degrees suppressed the second violin and viola even more.  Compared to a a Jecklin disk recording with the C617s the Blumlein recording did not sound balanced at all.  Since I can't move the mic stand into the middle of the group to point the caps betweem the two violins and betwen the viola and cello, is it possible to get a good Blumlein recording with a 75 degree angle?  Has anyone tried this?  What are the drawbacks?

Jeff

[Sanjay]

This is not directly answering your question, but when I record small string quartets with my c34 I often will suspend the mic by the cable from the ceiling.  If its in a theater its very easy to do this by lowering a boom and hanging it off there.  This way the mic can be in the center of the group without having a footprint on the ground.

Having never tried what you propose here are my thoughts from a theoretical standpoint...
Running at a 75 degree angle will create IMO a very akward balance if running straight blumlein, since the AKG pattern box offers 9 patterns why not try to make the pattern somewhere between hypercard and figure 8 for each in order to focus the pickup more towards the instruments which are the weakest in the mix.

Congrats on the 426b, its a fantastic mic. 

[John Willett]

Seeing as Blumlein invented M&S - try it in M&S you can then steer the mics in post to get stereo.

[BobW]

 70^ should cause a few strange things to occur, I beleive
first of all, you will be recording almost monophonic
second, you will be almost omnidirectional
This with some strange phase issues

X-Y at 70^ approaches mono, but for closer mic placements should be OK
I have had great results with 70^ X-Y LD cards from the section

Blumlein done wrong can be best heard on the Kentucky Colonels' recording "Appalachian Swing"
Two or three songs on it may cause dizziness.

BTW, can the 426 be run on just P48?
sweet mic!

[WiFiJeff]

BTW, can the 426 be run on just P48?
sweet mic!

The cable goes to a remote pattern-selection box that breaks out the channels
to two XLRs, each one takes 48V phantom.  The draw is said to be only 2 mA,
with 2 mA more if you keep the lights on to get that geewhiz studioish look.  I
have been powering them with the phantom 48V from the Sonosax MiniR82,
which is dwarfed by the remote box, it's a bit comical.

Jeff