Topic: Help improving onstage recording...

[mmmatt]

Hey Adam,
Congrats on the gig.  Couple of things that were already said here are good advice.  Omni's will give you much more bass. As for cards, X/Y tightens the bass because it is colecting it from a single point (caps are located in the same plane) where as most other configs (like ortf, nos, din) are collecting it from 2 differents spots and the delay between the two points is percieved as more bass.   Bass resonancies are stronger the lower you go (or closer you get to any reflectable surface (wall ceiling, floor), but the original bass frequencies are omnidirectional so the only way to improve bass responce other than diferent mics would be to increase the volume of the source, or to get closer to it.  Keep in mind there are more frequencies coming from a bass guitar than bass. 
     Going to a mic that goes from 40HZ to 20 won't get you squat, and I have used the c-4 omni's quite a bit.  Believe me they go well below 40HZ... I would stick with the c-4 omni's and try to spread them 4-6ft.  Point one at the drum set and one in the general direction of the guitar amp but try to keep them parallel to one another and about 5 or 6 feet from the sound source if possible. 
     Don't be affraid of a little post work.  If you are in the same venue each time it would be a simple procedure that you could follow each time with very little adjustment.  Compression will be the key to ballance out the image a bit.  2 to 1 with a 20db threshold, normalize to -0- before the compression and normalize again to wherever you want it after the compression (I use -0.02 typically).  I use wavelab and it's compressor works great.  I also use a "puncher" after I compress sometimes.  The puncher in wavelab does just what it sounds like it does.  It takes the peak levels of the recording and adds subfrequencies to bring things more upfront.  It's like having a really ugly, lumpy-ass cake, and adding a smooth layer of frosting to make it pretty.  PM me if you want me play with one of your files for you.  You shouldn't have any problems with either the c-4 card's or 391's in x/y.  That is my preference for stage micing with cards.  I like the highs of the c-4's much better so I would personally just stick with thoes if you are using cards also.

Matt

[Tall Adam]

thanks for the input matt.

unfortunately due to space, spread omnis is just out of the question. im already enough of an imposition with the Cards XY. i really just wasnt happy with the omnis in this situation. they didnt sound right to me. not crisp enough, too much "roundness" for lack of a better term (though ive loved them in other spots.)

unfortunately the C4s gotta go (or the 391s, but seeing how theyre the new guys, ill keep them for a while before i sell them)...oh sluttiness...

all that said. i honestly think that wayne just grew very accoustomed to the schoeps sound, and now is disappointed by a different mic (and lower quality pre).

and with regards to post work...its out of the question really. i only have ~30 min to burn 1st set to CD (plenty of time) but not enough for me to start messing with post. whats more, when the shows end at 1...i just wanna get the hell home. i dont care if the tapes arent amazing, so long as i get my money.  ive offered to do post at home, and then give wayne discs, but he wants 2 audio cds, everynight (not sure how the system worked before when it was dats and transfers were involved.) i dont even track or do fades, just 2 1 hour 16/44.1 wavs, burnt to cd. then i go home.

thanks for the input though. +T
-adam

[mmmatt]

I'm surprised he wouldn't want you to do any post... seems strange.  +T backatcha, and good luck!

Matt

[sml42]

unfortunately due to space, spread omnis is just out of the question.

Hi Adam,

Have you checked out the "spaced omnis vs. jecklin disc" thread here: http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=800.0 ? It's quite a long thread, but well worth reading.

I ran my first on-stage recording last night, and this (mini j-disc) was something I intended to build and use for the gig... sadly I couldn't get my act together in time so I ended up running split omnis (dpa4060) with pretty good results. At some point in the near future I'll definately be trying the mini j-disc idea.

best regards,
stephen