Topic: Stealth mic angles and spacing?

[dmaster]

I've been reading threads for a while and I've never found what i'm looking for so hopefully this won't be too dumb of a question..

I'm wondering what the best/better mic angles and such are best for stealth taping..  or at least with small microphones.   Maybe it doesn't matter a whole lot, but I'm having difficulty relating the pictures of the large microphones to my small AT853's.   (long/large bodies and the angles and spacing have me a little confused).

I've been keeping my mics in a hat in what I believe is close enough to an OTRF config and it's worked well enough, but I'm not entirely sure I'm doing it right.   Are different configs better for different situations/venue types with regards to stealthing it?   It seems a lot easier to figure these things out if you don't have to hide things.  

any advice would rock my socks. 

[Sean Gallemore]

what caps are you using?

if you have omnis, use the HRTF setup moke describes.

Explicitly explain how you setup your mics in a hat. I run mine in the sweat band of a hat.  If I want a wider pick-up because I am close, I run them more towards the back of my head.  If I need them to be pointing more straight ahead because I am far away, I run them more to the side of my head.

[Fisherking]

I am running a real budget rig and don´t have that much experience.

If it is a large venue I simply try to stand as close to one of the speakers as possible. Sure the music is in mono but since you get the audience around you in stereo it tricks your mind abit. I have found it hard to get really good stereo recordings stealthing anyway. I know one of the most experienced Springsteen tapers always use this method when stealthing.

[peterbilt]

i have been wondering about this as well. I taped a local band last week and while the sound is quite good, on playback it doesn't seem to have much in the way of a "stereo" sound. I had my SP's under the brim of my hat, maybe 7-8 inches between caps. Granted it is a small room but I'm getting no stage seperation in the recording. Would it be reasonable to run a spinoff DIN setup but with a closer spacing between the caps? I was thinking the cap size might have something to do with it, but I doubt it. I can torrent a few tracks if anyone is interested in hearing what I'm talking about. The band is pretty cool too, one of the better local bands in town.   

i think I'll do that right now actually....

[zhianosatch]

Explicitly explain how you setup your mics in a hat. I run mine in the sweat band of a hat.  If I want a wider pick-up because I am close, I run them more towards the back of my head.  If I need them to be pointing more straight ahead because I am far away, I run them more to the side of my head.

And why we hear of no one else using this method, I cannot fathom!

[dmaster]

Explicitly explain how you setup your mics in a hat. I run mine in the sweat band of a hat.  If I want a wider pick-up because I am close, I run them more towards the back of my head.  If I need them to be pointing more straight ahead because I am far away, I run them more to the side of my head.

So far I've used either a baseball cap turned backwards and the mics mouunted with some makeshift windscreens enclosed in velcro in the front part of the cap, just slightly out of view where the cap opens up, or a Kangol 502 Ventair, also backwards with the mics mounted approximately right above the temples.  Since the Kangol is a mesh cap, it really doesn't get in the way of any the sound as far as I've been able to tell.   Sweatband is too low for me, I keep them off of my head for the most part, usually there's plenty of headroom in the caps I wear, even the Kangol.  I'm just wondering if there's a "best" way other than the "hope it doesn't suck" method.  

oh and they're cardioid caps btw. 

[Sean Gallemore]

And why we hear of no one else using this method, I cannot fathom!

By this, I assume, you mean that "in" a hat would produce crappy tape?  Depends on the hat and how it's worn in my limited exp.  I've got a pair of AT/ES943 cards that, when secured in the headband of a mesh style ball cap with the leads tied to the adjusting band on exit, will sit there just fine and I get no noise from any "head" movement.  Move the hat?... well good luck.  Hating a show sucks too cause you have to be in one place but that's another issue

[Sean Gallemore]

And why we hear of no one else using this method, I cannot fathom!

By this, I assume, you mean that "in" a hat would produce crappy tape?  Depends on the hat and how it's worn in my limited exp.  I've got a pair of AT/ES943 cards that, when secured in the headband of a mesh style ball cap with the leads tied to the adjusting band on exit, will sit there just fine and I get no noise from any "head" movement.  Move the hat?... well good luck.  Hating a show sucks too cause you have to be in one place but that's another issue

I think what he means is that this method gives close to proper spacing, the angle is easily adjustable (sometimes 90 degress doesn't cut it), and your head gets used as a baffle for a  more stereofying, so why don't more people use it???

[Humbug]

All my recording is using stealth equipment and I quite often get good stereo separation.

Mics (SPCMC2) clipped to collar at roughly 90° to each other.

Placement: I usually try and stand Dead Front Centre 3-5m from stage.

[Sean Gallemore]

and for those unfamiliar, Front = Fuckin