Topic: Schoeps question?

[discopanic1]

I just purchased a rig 2 weeks ago thinking the buy wasn't bad.  I have Schoeps Mk4 running through a Sound Devices MixPre amp.  My taper friend here in Starkville says the preamp was a bad buy with the Schoeps setup.  I'm trying to read up and see but nothing says the tapes should come out bad.  Thought??

[discopanic1]

i went to ebay, now where?

[creekfreak]

the question is...do you like the way it sounds? Its your ears, not his....while not a popular combo, it is in no way a bad one.

[discopanic1]

All of my tapes so far with the exception of the last made have been horrible because of the mic placement.  It is however seeming like I was 50' away being only about 15' away actually.  But I actually think it can crank out some good tapes with practice and patience.

[dnsacks]

I'd worry more about properly configuring your setup before throwing more money at it.  If I remember correctly, you were running the mics into the mixpre via line in using attenuators and had distortion/problems.  Did you take steps to get around this problem (i.e. are you able to get what you already have to run properly?).  Nothing WRONG with a mixpre at all, should enable you to pull GREAT tapes with the mk4/cmc6 (right?) setup running into a mix pre --

Post how you have this configured so far and I'll see if I can add any suggestions.

[dnsacks]

mic placement and mic configuration are the two most critical variables in any recording. 

Where are you recording at?


Basic, super overgeneralizaiton -- a) try to place your mics (if possible) in a position that's close to being the tip of an eqilateral triangle, the base of which are the main speakers (i.e. if the speakers are 30' apart, you'd want to be dead center, around 30 feet from each speaker), going a bit back from this (i.e. maybe 30' back from the stage) should be fine, otoh, setting up near near back or side walls is not a good idea at all (echo) b) with schoeps mk4's, the ortf configuration is GREAT (17cm spacing between the capsules, capsules angled at 110 degrees from oneanother)

[Jason R]

I see some folks that don't know how to run a MP-2.  Try running it as hot as you can.  Use that limiter. (Lights flash above level adjustment knobs on MP-2)  Its a soft limit but to my ears it sort of ends up being a warm pre.  I think some folks might think with the Schoeps being dark that the pre/mics combo isn't too good.  I don't know.  I never heard that combo. 

[nickgregory]

best advice I can give, dont listen to anyone except yourself.  I run a MP2 who alot of folks dont like, yet I cant begin to count the number of comments I get from other tapers that say, "you know, I really love your tape of <insert band name here>, and while I dont like the MP2, this sounds great."  This leads me to believe alot of the abuse that people put toward the MP2s are from them (1) hearing crap tapes with that in the lineage...of course the crap tape could have been caused from other things, (2) it is popular to bash the MP2, and (3) the pre just may not sound good with the mics, but that is up to you to decide...dont trust anyone elses word on how it sounds, you can get knee deep in expenses in this hobby if you do

[F.O.Bean]

very wise words nick

[dnsacks]

to clarify, a sounddevices Mixpre is very similar to a sounddevices mp-2 (or is it the same? is "MP" short for "Mixpre"?)

[Kwonfidelity]

Yeah, and I've run the sd442 with schoeps all the time and t is basically the same front end as the mp2, but more stout capacitance in the preamp - but that only equates to more warmth.  In theory people should be hating my tapes given that dark side meets dark side should create a shun...

Doesn't matter what has been done and by whom.  You have a stellar pair of mics, preamps are important, but not as important as location and configuration.  Take it from yourself, not me or anyone else.  Listen.  Listen.  Then adjust.  Who cares what other people hear, you're not hear to impress anyone but *your* ears.

[discopanic1]

When I've set the mics up in the past, it was nothing right about it at all.  I did the xy configuration with each mic placed directly horizontal over each other, in the only good recording I've done.  In the past I've tried ortf with no good tapes.  I think it was bad since I was not having the mics 17cm apart, probably about 12cm.  Where is the best webpage with configurations besides the oade site?

[nickgregory]

http://www.dpamicrophones.com/

click on microphone university on the left bar

[creekfreak]

Never liked XY with the schoeps...ORTF or DIN is the way I ran my mk4's DINA for the mk41's........

[Cooker]

waste your next tape trying a bunch of different configs, and placements. try din, dina and ortf. try raising and lowering the stand, moving around, find the placement that works. don't forget to write down what you did before what song, otherwise you're back to guessing what sounds good....