Topic: Newbie very confused about mic configs

[Bdifr78]

So I have done a lot of reading and I understand all the different mic setups.  But it seems like most of the stuff I read talks about different configs for cards, what about omni's?

Also how the heck do I know what config to use in different situations?  I understand that alot of it is just trying it out and see what you like, but are there general guidelines I should follow so I don't mess up my first few tapings?

Any insight into mic set up would be tremendous.

Joe

[Bdifr78]

Joe,

A lot of info can be found here at DPA Mic University:
http://Http://www.dpamicrophones.com/page.php?PID=1

omni's techniques; stealth or open?

Always open!  I have skimmed the info on DPA Mic University but unless I missed something it doesn't really talk about what to use when, or how to choose.

Another question I have is do people actually measure this stuff out?  I mean does everyone bring like a ruler and protractor to the show with them?

As you can tell I haven't actually done any taping yet.  I am going to the Haymaker Festival in 3 weeks, I will do some practicing at home with my stereo and with my roommate playing his quitar, keyboard, and bass.  I might get to a show before the festival, but I would just hate to go to that amazing festival with so many of my favorite acts and f-up all the tapes I pull.  I mean I know I am not gonna pull great recordings the first time out but I want something listenable ya know.  Anyway I am sure I will learn alot while there and afterwards while listening to my recordings, and I will do a much better job at the Roo'.  But I am just trying to figure this configuration thing out slightly so I have an idea of what to do when I get the my first festival of the year and as a taper.

By the way Moke, thanks for all your help on this and other posts. If I could give you a +T I would!

Joe

[Bdifr78]

Right on brother! I know it's gonna be long learning process and I couldn't do it without this amazing website and all the people that are willing to help out.  I am not gonna stress over it, just have some fun and try a bunch of differnt things for my first festi.  I have the piece of mind that I might suck at first, but 6 months from now it will all start to pay off and a year from now i will probably be pulling sick recordings.  Thanks

Joe

[sml42]

Outdoors = omnis. Best scenario for them! Especially in amplified music.
Might I suggest a look into the Spaced Omnis vs. Jecklin type disc thread, here in our mic section. Another classic favorite is spaced omnis. You place the mics about 4'->10' apart for really huge sound. I prefer the baffle, as it keeps things together, which makes a huge difference in an environment where you don't have total control, with lots of people moving about, etc.

Pardon? I ran omnis (DPA4060) outdoors at a festival last year (glastonbury), and I wasn't terribly happy with the results. At the time I was relatively new to this taping lark, and DPA4060 was all I had to work with... but I thought received wisdom was that you should run something very directional (hypers, or even shotguns) for outdoor festival setups?

Enquiring minds want to know... I'll be hitting glastonbury again next month I'm toying with the idea of running an open rig (even though this is the UK I think I could get away with it in a large festival setting) so I may well have a few questions of my own later

best regards,
stephen

[Brian Skalinder]

I thought received wisdom was that you should run something very directional (hypers, or even shotguns) for outdoor festival setups?

No need to run shotguns, or even really hypers IMO - unless you're far from the sound source or the SPLs are insufficient.

Omnis sound great outdoors because you aren't capturing all the nasty reflections that take place within a closed environment.  'Course, if the surrounding crowd is a bunch of drunkard, blathering boneheads, running more directional mics will help minimize their impact on the recording.

[d5]

Another question I have is do people actually measure this stuff out?  I mean does everyone bring like a ruler and protractor to the show with them?

Since I usually do ORTF, I bring along a cheap plastic protractor that has a 6" ruler on it. I can get 110 degree almost exactly and can get pretty close to 17 cm (6" plus ~1/2).

[d5]

Pardon? I ran omnis (DPA4060) outdoors at a festival last year (glastonbury), and I wasn't terribly happy with the results. At the time I was relatively new to this taping lark, and DPA4060 was all I had to work with... but I thought received wisdom was that you should run something very directional (hypers, or even shotguns) for outdoor festival setups?

Enquiring minds want to know... I'll be hitting glastonbury again next month I'm toying with the idea of running an open rig (even though this is the UK I think I could get away with it in a large festival setting) so I may well have a few questions of my own later

best regards,
stephen

Distance to the sound source also is a factor in the equation. How close were you? You'd want to be fairly close to run omni's, but if you are and the venue is outdoors, then the results can be very good.

[marc0789]

forget all that. Marc Nutter says just run the stand up and point at the stacks!!!!

[Bdifr78]

I thought received wisdom was that you should run something very directional (hypers, or even shotguns) for outdoor festival setups?

No need to run shotguns, or even really hypers IMO - unless you're far from the sound source or the SPLs are insufficient.

Omnis sound great outdoors because you aren't capturing all the nasty reflections that take place within a closed environment.  'Course, if the surrounding crowd is a bunch of drunkard, blathering boneheads, running more directional mics will help minimize their impact on the recording.

Yeah well some of the recordings I downloaded from last years haymaker had a lot of idoit chatter from f-d up people but I figure with the 12' stand I will eliminate alot of that right?

[sml42]

I thought received wisdom was that you should run something very directional (hypers, or even shotguns) for outdoor festival setups?

No need to run shotguns, or even really hypers IMO - unless you're far from the sound source or the SPLs are insufficient.

Omnis sound great outdoors because you aren't capturing all the nasty reflections that take place within a closed environment.  'Course, if the surrounding crowd is a bunch of drunkard, blathering boneheads, running more directional mics will help minimize their impact on the recording.

Sorry for the thread hijack... but this is all good info and I have some more questions... +T's all round, your input is appreciated.

Just to give a little more background on my experiences outdoor festival taping last year. At the time I was running dpa4060 > mic2496, I've ranted several times on here about the mic2496, the deal is that even on the lowest gain setting it still brickwalls like crazy with even moderate SPL. My solution? Move further back. Which obviously worked, but... well... it *sounds* like it was recorded from way back (and, this being the UK, I had problems with wind causing some serious phasing throughout many of my recordings).

Now I've ditched the mic2496, I can go much higher SPL. So obviously one option would be to run omnis up front. Although I was also toying with the idea of getting a stand, and running that towards the rear (the idea being, away from the crowd, set it up, no need to be a human mic stand, kick back and chill). This being the UK, I'm not sure I'd be able to get away with running a stand way FOB

Outdoors = omnis. Best scenario for them! Especially in amplified music.
Might I suggest a look into the Spaced Omnis vs. Jecklin type disc thread, here in our mic section. Another classic favorite is spaced omnis. You place the mics about 4'->10' apart for really huge sound. I prefer the baffle, as it keeps things together, which makes a huge difference in an environment where you don't have total control, with lots of people moving about, etc.

Interesting stuff, +t!

Lots of food for thought there, thanks guys! I'm seriously tempted to try running a stand up front... provided I can get all the gear together in time (and there isn't *too* much gear to schlep around) it would be a VERY interesting exercise... hmmm... I'll have to give this more thought

best regards,
stephen