Topic: Split Omnis

[marc0789]

....or you can split 'em a foot at times, with great results. Eric Swanson's 03 McPanic tapes, adk a51 tl(omni)>v2>1k are excellent. front or second row ts, can't recall.

[Brian]

since this seems like hte official split omnis thread....

http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=18841

can't wait to keep trying these type of things out. as moke has discussed many times before, he really feels that the j-disc would really help with cutting down on the boom that most of us seem to despise.  

[phishn]

What would happen with a wide split pointing each omni at the opposite stack kinda crisscrossed?  Then criss cross the cables where the left mic would be the right channel and the right mic would be the left channel?  Would the cone effect go away and allow a wide split?

[Brian]

if anything, at least in my mind, this would make the phase cancellation issues a lot worse, especially in the high frequencies since omnis are more directional at the high frequencies. it's hard to explain without drawing it out and i suck at ascii art.  

[wbrisette]

All this talk of Split Omnis and I haven't responded yet, what the hell is wrong with me? ;-)

I've been using a 1 meter piece of wood that I custom made for about 18 months now. I use a simple C-Clamp and a custom piece of wood to hold it onto the microphone stand. Works great and I only need 1 stand to do this. I usually run 3 or 4 mics with a 4 channel mixer (Wendt X4).

For those who are lazy and don't want to make their own 1 meter spreader, you can buy one from Wes Dooley (AEA). You can see them and then faint at the cost here:

http://www.wesdooley.com/aea/Microphone_Array_Positioners.html

For those who want to sample a nice four mic / 2 channel recording, go to Archive.org and look at the Big Head Todd show I did at Austin Music Hall.

Wayne

[Rob D.]

Here's one way to split them/how I do it:

[ts]

Yea, the 3/8 inch hex bar, with sabra mounts is def. the easiest. I bought 2 12 foot lengths of hex bar and cut many diff. sizes from it, for myself and others. I use a 39 inch for omnis. Very cost effective, although finding the hex bar is not easy. I bought it from a local steel supplier. After cutting to length and finishing the ends, some polishing needs to be done.

[Rob D.]

Yea, the 3/8 inch hex bar, with sabra mounts is def. the easiest. I bought 2 12 foot lengths of hex bar and cut many diff. sizes from it, for myself and others. I use a 39 inch for omnis. Very cost effective, although finding the hex bar is not easy. I bought it from a local steel supplier. After cutting to length and finishing the ends, some polishing needs to be done.

You found a lengthy hex bar? What you see in my pic is a circular bar I picked up at home depot. I'd love to replace it with a long hex bar, though.

[ts]

I thought that was a hex bar.  I might have some pieces laying around. Let me know if you'd like one. I think 39 inches was the same length as that real expensive Schoeps bar, which is why I cut mine to 39 in.(1000 mm). Made my own kwon type bars, for NOS and DIN.
TS

[Todd R]

Another split omni experiment: 6.6.04 Mule show in Vail.  Tim and I both did the split omnis deal.  My AKG 480/ck62>V3 source is up on COtapers.org.  FOB/DFC, at about 50', omnis split 10'.  Sound is pretty damn good, esp at very high volume levels, and the show was incredible.

[creekfreak]

nothing is smoother than omni's, after listening to 4 recordings I did with them, some spread around 3', some 7-8 inches, both sound different, but very good.

[mickeybs]

I always heard that you didnt have to separate omni's any wider than the width of a cap bill,,,,, The only thing  is the 360* crowd noise!

[Tim]

I always heard that you didnt have to separate omni's any wider than the width of a cap bill,,,,, The only thing  is the 360* crowd noise!

you don't have to but it sure helps the stereo image... wide but not too wide, it's trial and error.

[wbrisette]

you don't have to but it sure helps the stereo image... wide but not too wide, it's trial and error.

In "classic" split mode, used for years recording classical music, the rule was approximately 1 metre apart. This gave the best overall image of the music while it prevented the "hole in the middle" effect that occurs when you spread omni's too wide. There is certainly some trial and error involved, but if you go back and study why and how things were done in the past, things start to make a lot more sense.

A very good book to look for is "On Location Recording Techniques" by Bruce Bartlett & Jenny Bartlett. This book provides a lot of great background information on the why's. Not so much on the how's, but definitely something I recommend to people.

Wayne

[bagtagsell]

I am going to be running splits, with card in the middle this thursday for yonder.  If, and only if, I can build some steel contraption to hold up my TLS.  I am very intriquied by this omni notion