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Gear / Technical Help => Microphones & Setup => Topic started by: spcyrfc on December 29, 2009, 09:00:02 PM
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i have recently been recording a band that has three fiddles (at times they function as violins) and a cello played thru a fender twin. the fiddles go thru the meek PA that the fender blows away. I have been setting my levels conservatively, often times with music below the 12db mark. The cello, at times, blows the fiddles away.
should i let it ride and try and boost the quiet parts in post, or should i be riding the levels trying to keep the music above 12db?
recording strings and reeds raises, for me, the same question. these instruments are very dynamic. i record with the philosophy that it is best to avoid OVER. should i revise my philosophy? i record at 24/48
thanks all.
luke
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Is there something that you feel like you are missing by running conservatively?
As long as your equipment is good enough to have a reasonably quiet noise floor, there is nothing technically unsound about lower volume recordings in the 24bit realm. I generally try to run any kind of recording so that I never peak much over -12dB.
Riding the levels in real time is not something I would do, especially in 24bit. As far as adjusting the levels in post at some variable rate, I know there are different philosophies and some people routinely use compression etc. My own preference is if the original presentation is very dynamic, I think the subsequent representation should retain that same dynamic element as well. If it is so extreme that it is difficult to listen to, I might try to compress some parts, but I don't like a lot of production on amateur recordings.
The issue of one instrument overpowering the others is something you might can address with variable gains in terms of making a more listenable recording in terms of end to end volume, but it is fundamentally a "mix" flaw and with two ambient mics, there is only so much you can do.
I don't know if it would help, and can guess it might in fact make things even worse, but I think between a combination of the fact that you are running two distinctly different signals into each mic, and I assume that the Fender is basically in front, it might be interesting to at least see what you get from a Mid-Side recording.
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this band plays is in a small room and, they are the FOH. i guess i'll ask the cellist to turn down a bit.
riding the levels does suck and can cause more harm than good. i try not to do it.
mid-side would be nice. still waiting on senn to come out with an 8000 series 8.
thanks for the suggestions.
cheers