Topic: what pattern should I be setting my AT4041's in?

[mikesalvo]

dont know why Ive waitwd so long to ask this question, but what pattern is most effective??? Im sure there is a thread somehwre explaining in detauil what type of mics should be set up in certain situations. Any help would be geatly apprciated. I feel Im losing quality in my recordings due to improper setup pattern.

thanks ya'll!

~Mike

[Eigenklang]

hmm thats difficult...

If you want to make true stereo recordings use google, keywords like "stereo recording technique" might be helpful.

For recording voice or a single instrument things are still complicated in theory, but not as it is the fact with stereophony.


What kind of pattern to use depends on several things. Read a bit about X/Y and A B placement, some about MS and not to forget ORTF, DIN, NOS and so on. These kinds of setups are stereo systems that require two microphones with equal patterns (X/Y, A B, ORTF, DIN, NOS) or different patterns (MS).

Schoeps has a brilliant introduction in some of the techniques on their website, but its only available in german: http://schoeps.de/E-2004/miscellaneous.html

[DSatz]

Eigenklang, I'm working with the author of those essays on a revised version and a translation, but it will be some months before it is ready.

In the meantime maybe the most important thing to state plainly is that there is no one "best way" to record; it depends hugely on the acoustical circumstances as well as personal preferences.

There are many two-microphone stereo recording techniques which can give a natural-sounding pickup, but they aren't always effective when amplification is being used--you might get a wonderful recording of everything except the singer(s), for example. (Been there ...)

All in all, I'd say most people on this board seem to be continually experimenting and trying to get better and better all the time.

[Eigenklang]

DSatz: Great to hear that. The english version will help me to improve my english skills...

When I read the essay first, I came to the conclusion that for the beginning it is best to just buy some omnis and do it the binaural way 

[DSatz]

Eigenklang, just in case you were serious about what you just said: Binaural recording can be totally amazing when heard through headphones, but it isn't such a good choice for the far more common situation in which people will be listening through loudspeakers.

There are no easy answers that are really satisfying--that's part of what makes this an absorbing hobby and/or profession.

--best regards

[Eigenklang]

Yes that was serious and I knew from the beginning on that the results will be not acceptable on ludspeaker playback.
But its the only technique from that you can say "what you hear is what you get".
The recordings I made are really amazing: A drum concert with more than one stage; means: drums all around me. Oh man I was so lucky just sitting there and knowing this tape will sound killer... and well, it did 

At the time, I'm getting familiar with X/Y.