...you must first make bad tapes.
Yes, yes, yes. I've been making "bad" tapes for a while now, and hope to turn last night into a learning experience. Hopefully y'all can help me figure out how I could have done things better so I can start making "good" tapes
I'm running at853rx->stock UA-5->JB3. I know that, using small-diaphram mics like the 853 I'm not going to pull anything stellar, and the sound is going to be a bit more harsh. Given that...
I ran the mics ORTF, FOB/DFC(well, actually, just below the SBD, as it's elevated above the rest of the bar), about 8 1/2 ft. off the ground, and maybe 20' from the PA/stage. At that distance and the placement of the speakers, the mics were pointed pretty much directly at the PA. Subs are underneath the stage on each side. The PA speakers are suspended from the ceiling, angled downward. If you shot a ray from the PA speakers (based on their angle downward) it would hit right about the level where my mics were that far back from the stage. The mics were pointed straight outward, not angled up or down. I didn't use any bass roll-off
The resulting tape is decent - good bass response, not much of a stereo image of the band(I think the PA is mixed mono), which I guess makes sense to me if the mics were pointed pretty much directly at the speakers. The one thing that stands out on this tape is that the vocals aren't very strong in the recording, while they were nice and clear in the room. Other instruments - guitar, drums, cymbals, keyboards - come through pretty clear, which confuses me. Why would those come through clear, but not the vocals. I would think perhaps the angle of the mics to the PA may have affected the pickup of certain frequencies, but there's definitely overlap between all those intstruments. Giving it another listen, I guess the guitar is a little weak in the mix as well.
So what may help me walk out with a better tape? Angle the mics slightly upward towards the PA? Maybe a more narrow angle between the mics?
Any suggestions that don't inclue "buy a larger-diaphram mic" are greatly appreciated. I'm toying with the idea of buying a pair of MC-012's or somesuch, but most places I tape I need a very unobtrusive setup - i can't run a stand.
Thanks.
J