Topic: Just ordered my new set up - should recv by the end of the week

[djspurlz]

Hi all -

thanks for the replies to my original post

Decided to go with -

Olympus LS-10

Deluxe Audio Technica Stereo Cardoid Microphones   SP-CMC-2

Mini Battery Module to power the Microphones

ordered everything through Sound Professionals .com  -  Nice place,  very helpful ; free shipping.

should recv my set up by the end of this week.

The show Im going to to record -  is next Fri 4-18 - so I should have some time to get ready.

any other suggestions or opinions would be greatly welcomed


thanks

[Belexes]

Let us know how you like the Olympus LS-10.  Those AT831's are nice price entry-level mics.

[thespangleman]

Good luck with your new rig. I am thinking of buying a set of SP-CMC-2's to go with my R-09 and batt. box, so I will be interested to know how you get on on the 18th. 

[Dede2002]

Hi all -

thanks for the replies to my original post

Decided to go with -

Olympus LS-10

Deluxe Audio Technica Stereo Cardoid Microphones   SP-CMC-2

Mini Battery Module to power the Microphones

ordered everything through Sound Professionals .com  -  Nice place,  very helpful ; free shipping.

should recv my set up by the end of this week.

The show Im going to to record -  is next Fri 4-18 - so I should have some time to get ready.

any other suggestions or opinions would be greatly welcomed


thanks

+T
Enjoy your gear.

[newplanet7]

Congrats and welcome aboard!
+t for taking the plunge.

I just need a solid recorder to tape a live show - I dont plan on taping many other shows in the future but that could all change I guess.

I hope you'll stick with it in the future.

[nameloc01]

Here's a few important tips:

1.831s-Cardiod mics? Point those mics DIRECTLY at the stacks.
2. Be still,be very,very still.
3.Is there a "line in" on that recorder? Probably have to use it instead of mic in
4. Use fresh, quality batteries.

Good luck

[stevetoney]

Also don't assume anything, so setup and record some music from your stereo before the show.  Also, don't stop there.  Practice downloading the music to your harddrive and mastering the sample with whatever software you'll be useing before you try with the 'real thing' (unless you're experienced at mastering shows).  Practice absolutely EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING before you do it for real.   Even the simplest thing _WILL_ come up and grab you when you're out in the field because that's where Murphy lies in the shadows. 

Murphy is a miserable bastard and he preys on newbs. 

Please trust me on this because preparation and practice are your best friend when you're time limited before a show with new gear.  If something bad can happen it will happen and you want to learn those lessons at home where it doesn't matter.

[nameloc01]

He's right. You should definitely be able to completely set that rig up in minutes,undetected, and basically know the complete layout of the recorder controls and get it going correctly immediately. Fast and smooth. Try it home, and practice until you can do it perfectly.
 
Some more advise..
-Don't talk
-Don't put your hands in front of the mics while the music is on to sip a beer
-again..DONT MOVE
-clip your mics on SECURELY
- and the single most IMPORTANT thing to do... Piss several times before the show begins. You haven't had a real taste of dissapointent until you have to walk away from recording a very important show out of fear of pissing yourself.

[Sunday Driver]

1.831s-Cardiod mics? Point those mics DIRECTLY at the stacks.

I'm curious why you would suggest this...just curious. Was it personal experience? I sold off my 831s, but when I had a pair, I found they worked better when pointed more towards the outside of a pair of line arrays. With a SP battery module, I found they distorted slightly on the low end when aimed right at the stacks (or one of the stacks).

The 831s with a SP battery module also do not work well (at all) at greater distances from the sound source.

[Dede2002]

He's right. You should definitely be able to completely set that rig up in minutes,undetected, and basically know the complete layout of the recorder controls and get it going correctly immediately. Fast and smooth. Try it home, and practice until you can do it perfectly.
 
Some more advise..
-Don't talk
-Don't put your hands in front of the mics while the music is on to sip a beer
-again..DONT MOVE
-clip your mics on SECURELY
- and the single most IMPORTANT thing to do... Piss several times before the show begins. You haven't had a real taste of dissapointent until you have to walk away from recording a very important show out of fear of pissing yourself.

Excelent point.

[nameloc01]

I meant that he should not clip the mics on pointing sideways,straight up,downwards,ect. Cards are directional..they need to be "targeted" in on the source of the sound,obviously not directly side by side both pointing straight forward... But basically right toward the stacks.

[stevetoney]

- and the single most IMPORTANT thing to do... Piss several times before the show begins. You haven't had a real taste of dissapointent until you have to walk away from recording a very important show out of fear of pissing yourself.

In fact, if you're really committed to the recording, you might not want to drink before the show.  I mean, realisticly who can hold it for two hours if you've had say three beers before the start of the show.  

This is one of the reasons I don't go undercover anymore.  I just record BTAT so I can setup open and just enjoy the show.  It frees me to do four things at a show which improve my enjoyment ten-fold...1) I can dance, 2) I can drink, 3) I can talk, and 4) I can pee.

[Jeremy Lykins]

Do you really have to stay motionless in the same spot for the entire show?  What does it sound like if you're not a "human mic stand" while stealth taping? 

[stevetoney]

Obviously, if you turn your head to look at the girls boobs next to you, you're gonna hear that in recording.  To convince yourself, you stick your mics on your hat in binaural fashion and walk around the house.  It's amazing how 3D it sounds.

In terms of standing dead still, of course that's not a big deal.  You can shift around and maybe even move a little right and left to get away from talkers, but other than that, you're gonna hear the movements in how the balance is created between the stereo mics.  Yeah, it can be subtle and some people may be more anal about this than others, but you can hear the difference. 

Part of the problem is that the dynamics of a room can change significantly if you standing in point A versus point B and they may only be a few feet from each other.  I tape at a place in pittsburgh where the dynamics of the room are can change HUGELY in just a few feet.

When I stealthed, I liked to have the mics on my hat...then if I really needed to I could take my hat off and leave the hat pointed forward while I turned my head to sneeze or whatever.

[djspurlz]

wow - thanks guys for all the great info  I was def not planning on drinking anything during the show - espec because of the " pee " factor

im def going to practice before the show

any other thoughts , suggestions - are def welcome

thanks

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

Practice taping BS bands at your local music club.  Bands you don't care to tape, but you go and see just to get out - practice using your gear.  Most cities have a taper friendly club, so you could do it without any hassle.

Terry

[Jeremy Lykins]

Obviously, if you turn your head to look at the girls boobs next to you, you're gonna hear that in recording.

If you're not allowed to look at boobs while stealth taping I want nothing to do with it! 

[Belexes]

Obviously, if you turn your head to look at the girls boobs next to you, you're gonna hear that in recording.

Must....avoid....the.....temptation.

[stevetoney]

im def going to practice before the show

any other thoughts , suggestions - are def welcome

Actually, a couple more thoughts did come to mind. 

It's been a good number of years since I stealthed, but I actually practiced setting up my gear by putting all of my gear in my fanny pack at home and then setting up with the lights off.  If you can setup by feel, when you get to the club you can just stand in the crowd while you just keep on looking forward and you never have to check your stuff until you're actually rolling.  Once I got good at this, the ONLY time I ever needed to look down was only once to check that my levels were center cut.  Yeah, I could set levels more ideally for the recording, but since I was stealthing, I was more interested in having my levels center cut so that there was LOTS of headroom at the start of the show.  That way I never had to check levels during the show. 

Having trust in your own technique will go a long way to getting good recordings because the more you mess around with your gear checking levels during a stealth show, the more apt you are to mess something up.  For getting good stealth recordings, you are often your own worst enemy.  Common problems are pulling out 1/8 inch mic connectors...causing digi-noise due to rattling the connectors while checking...accidently punching a button messing around pulling the deck out and putting it back in your pocket or fanny pack, etc.  So, once you get good, have trust and resist the temptation to check levels every ten minutes during a show.  It's REALLY hard to resist that urge, but you must because it will pay off in the long run.

EDIT:  In reality, I would often wire myself up before I got to the venue, or maybe in the bathroom before the music started.  But knowing how to start your recording and knowing which holes the mics get plugged into by feel are invaluable 'field recording' skills.

[nameloc01]

Here's another tip:

If your recorder has a "lock" feature to keep it in record mode...most definitely use it when you get your levels set. You don't want to bump the "stop" button by accident and lose the recording.

[TheGame]

Thanks for useful info and tip!
However, i really wonder if you really need to freeze while enjoying the concert when going stealth. Are you not able to move, clap your hands without distroying the tape? I mean, arent cardiod less sensitive for crowd noise and general talk between the audience?

[nameloc01]

Basically, if you put anyting in front of the mics, it will disrupt the imaging. When you listen to your recording at home, and it sounds nice...then all of the sudden you hear the moment you moved around,or talked to your GF or whatever...its gonna really bum you out. And you will NEVER get another chance to fix it. Think about it that way. There is really nothing enjoyable about running stealth,really,there isn't (except for watching the show of course). A lot of times it really blows,standing there for 1.5-3 hours motionless and silent. But if you can do it, you will be handsomely rewarded.

[Dede2002]

Basically, if you put anyting in front of the mics, it will disrupt the imaging. When you listen to your recording at home, and it sounds nice...then all of the sudden you hear the moment you moved around,or talked to your GF or whatever...its gonna really bum you out. And you will NEVER get another chance to fix it. Think about it that way. There is really nothing enjoyable about running stealth,really,there isn't (except for watching the show of course). A lot of times it really blows,standing there for 1.5-3 hours motionless and silent. But if you can do it, you will be handsomely rewarded.

What he said.
BTW, you're right when you say "cards are less sensitive for crowd noise and general talk". But make no mistake: cards are way more sensitive when it comes to handling noise. So if you start to move around, not only your image will suffer, but you're going to introduce noise generated by, for instance, bumping the mics or messing with your wires.
To make long stealth story short: stay still, you are nothing but a mic stand with a driver's license

[thespangleman]

To make long stealth story short: stay still, you are nothing but a mic stand with a driver's license

Love that! Great way of summing up a taper.

[Dede2002]

To make long stealth story short: stay still, you are nothing but a mic stand with a driver's license

Love that! Great way of summing up a taper.

Glad you like it

[Sunday Driver]

Yes, and staying quiet includes no sudden bursts of singing either.  Messed up a tape with that. And try to keep stealth...steath. That includes the people around you. If someone near you manages to figure out what you are doing, usually their first instinct is to clap loudly, for whatever the reason.

[TheGame]

Im not the topic starter, but i highly appreciate the great feedback this forums have. All this info is great input for us starters!
I was NOT aware that you needed to be in the freeze mode when doing records, so this was kind of big news to be. Perhaps i havent read enough, but on the other forums non have mentioned it so clear as here. I doubt i can be a mic stand throughout the whole show, but i might surprise myself!

I`ve read in an other post that there might be some sensitivty issues with the Olympus LS-10 recorder. Will be very interesting to hear your opinion after you`ve tested it.

[Keyser Soze]

What he said.
BTW, you're right when you say "cards are less sensitive for crowd noise and general talk". But make no mistake: cards are way more sensitive when it comes to handling noise. So if you start to move around, not only your image will suffer, but you're going to introduce noise generated by, for instance, bumping the mics or messing with your wires.
To make long stealth story short: stay still, you are nothing but a mic stand with a driver's license

This is so true.  I just recently taped a show in a small venue with a set of SP cards.  The tape turned out okay, but I was too close to a couple of screaming/yelling drunk guys.  I tried to move my mics to a better location (away from them), and I got all kinds of surround sounds while I moved and re-setup.  Mics in general sound better if you're able to "set up in advance and forget them" mode.

And I love Sergios saying: "a mic stand with a driver's license".  That's so true, hahaha.  +T.

[Liquid Drum]

Hmmmm... I've never 'froze' while taping. I always collar mount my mics though, so that I can move my head around freely. As long as you get near the front it won't matter much having the mics a little lower (rather than on your head).

I don't move much while taping but I do move a little bit because it does get uncomfortable standing in the exact same pose all night. I always clap after songs too but I 'fake it' so you won't hear it on tape. I often swicth which leg I lean on too. Its only minimal movement but you CAN move a little. Just don't move suddenly or make big movements. I've never had any phasing on my recordings apart from the 1-2 times someone has walked/pushed past me, and even then it wasn't 'that' bad as what I thought it would be.

[djspurlz]

wow guys - such a wealth of knowledge -  i got my gear the other day now Im practicing and cking out the equipment -   the standing very still tip is def a great piece of advice I never would have realized

in less than a week -  ( fri - 18th ) I do my first taping with this gear

many thanks everyone

keep it coming with all the help

the  LS-10 has a  " mic " in jack and a " Line - in " jack - previous poster stated I should use the line in with my external microphones  - sounds right from my manual

[hawghunter]

look at the girls boobs next to you, you're gonna hear that in recording.

Sometimes I wish I would get that recorded.