Topic: HOW TO: Recording a House Party...?

[hexyjones]

Hey - I have a great jam band booked for my friends NYE gig...he has large-ish house...there will be slews of people...

In the past the tapes have been a bit chatty-er that we would like...

This year I want to try to do better...

The room is somewhat dead...there is wall to wall carpet...maybe 20 x 15 or so.
Probably using cards...I like the tightness. With the carpet...I could probably get away with the omnis...but I expect people to be loud and close...

In the past (other venues, same band and PA) I have gotten pretty good results with

mics on stage + sbd mix (just drums and vox in sbd mix)

and that is most likely how we will do it this time...

the question...

should I keep the mics low?...like just above the monitors and more on axis with the guitars...
(I usually clamp a mic on each guitar players vocal mic stand)

or

should I fly them in from above somehow...?

I'm afraid the latter might be a bit too "drummy" - - - but the former will put the mics a bit more at risk from drunken sillyness...(will be running the pop/wind filters for sure...)

or

close mic each guitar and use a third mic on the bass...add the sbd feed(drums and vox)...and I am essentially making my own Sbd mix...
sub question: Is it important for the bass mic to match...(shit I just sold a D112!) - - - ? For some reason I would be scared of taking a DI from the bass...

This would seem to be the most risky approach as the bass could get really wierd...but might also give the best results...

[Chanher]

close mic each guitar and use a third mic on the bass...add the sbd feed(drums and vox)...and I am essentially making my own Sbd mix...
sub question: Is it important for the bass mic to match...(shit I just sold a D112!) - - - ? For some reason I would be scared of taking a DI from the bass...

If you have access to the soundcheck then I think this is definitely worth looking into. I've done stuff like this more than once and when I was able to find the right mix it turned out great.  When I tried to rush it and practically mix on the spot it didn't turn out.

What are you mixing with?

[hexyjones]

close mic each guitar and use a third mic on the bass...add the sbd feed(drums and vox)...and I am essentially making my own Sbd mix...
sub question: Is it important for the bass mic to match...(shit I just sold a D112!) - - - ? For some reason I would be scared of taking a DI from the bass...

If you have access to the soundcheck then I think this is definitely worth looking into. I've done stuff like this more than once and when I was able to find the right mix it turned out great.  When I tried to rush it and practically mix on the spot it didn't turn out.

What are you mixing with?

I'm using this Yamaha mixer...

http://www.yamahaproaudio.com/products/mixer/a_mixer/mg_series/mg10_2/img/img_front.jpg

Yeah - definite soundcheck access...

[Chanher]

Try it out at soundcheck and see how it sounds.  If it's not working maybe the guys will be nice enough to let you try something else out during sc; the sbd + onstage mics sounds like your next best option.

ps, I believe you're definitely going to have to go DI on that bass unless you can get a mic to handle a bass.

[nic]

why are you scared of using a DI on the bass?

we usually have the bass on 2 channels: DI and miced, then mix them togethor.
makes a nice fat yet detailed sound