Topic: Which mics to use??

[obaaron]

Hey y'all!

Recently jumped in to taping and will be rolling at the Belly Up in Solana Beach (San Diego) this Sat. for Greyboy Allstars.  Anyone here going?  Anyways I am looking for advice on what caps to use.  Belly Up is medium sized club and the taper area is in front on the SBD which is located  ROC.   The right PA stack is pretty much about 70 feet or so from the taping area so it is a good location and I have many shows from my old DAT patching days that are smoking!  I have a set of AKG Bluelines (Cards and Hyper caps, active set up) and CA-14's (cards and omnis) and am not sure which combo would be ideal.  Here are my options:

akg 391 or 393's > edirol UA-5 > M10
CA-14 Cards or Omnis > ST-9200 > H4N

Any suggestions?  Based on what I've read I am thinking the 391's and the CA-14 cards but am curious as to how the CA-14 omnis might sound.  I am a total rookie so don't want to have to do much, if any, post mastering.

Any feedback/suggestions would be awesome!

Thanks,
Aaron

[adrianf74]

I think you'll get many different responses on this one but if you're hanging back about 70 feet, I'd definitely *NOT* run omnis.  I usually only run omnis if I'm wearing them and am up close otherwise I'll run cards.

I think you're right in saying the 391's and the CA-14 cards are the way to go.

[obaaron]

Now that i think about it the pa racks are more like 30-40 feet away

[aaronji]

What will the crowd be like?  How high up are the stacks?  How high does your stand go?

You can get a great omni recording from 30 or 40 feet, but the crowd will have to be fairly tame and you'll probably have to get up pretty high.  The cards are a safer choice.  If you expect a boisterous crowd, I'd consider the hypers too...

[cashandkerouac]

definitely the AKGs.  cards or hypers will be much better than omnis at that venue.   

[daspyknows]

If you are using the Zoom, the internals are kick ass   

on a serious note, I agree, run cardiods.  Don't know the AKG's but I think you would go fine with the CA-14s

[obaaron]

What will the crowd be like?  How high up are the stacks?  How high does your stand go?

You can get a great omni recording from 30 or 40 feet, but the crowd will have to be fairly tame and you'll probably have to get up pretty high.  The cards are a safer choice.  If you expect a boisterous crowd, I'd consider the hypers too...

thanks for all of the feedback.  It will likely be a rowdy crowd and I will be taping from an area that is slightly elevated from the floor.  My mic stand is 9.5 feet. 

I am going to run two rigs....the 391's and CA-14 cards.

Looking forward to it!

[rodeen]

Niiice!  I always liked the 391s, especially paired with the UA-5.  Nice setup.  The CA-14(c)  > 9200 will sound very nice too.  Have fun!

[obaaron]

any suggestions on setting the levels on the UA-5 and 9200?  This will be a maiden voyage!

[obaaron]

update...

Awesome show!  Got to the venue as the doors were about to open and set up in the usual taping area next to the sbd.  This is a small venue so it sounded fantastic inside.  Ran both rigs with no issues and from I've listened to briefly both sound great...but very different.   I'll be seeding them at the usual places soon.  Looking forward to Joshua Tree festival in a couple weeks!

[DSatz]

Congratulations!

[Cheesecadet]

Tapers area is only 20 feet back at the board...run cards.  Venue is too chatty for omnis unless you're stealthing.

[F.O.Bean]

Congrats and welcome to an amazing and very addictive hobby

I wouldve ran hypers/PAS[pointed at stacks] but thats just me, the hyper king