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Gear / Technical Help => Microphones & Setup => Topic started by: otherone on August 09, 2011, 08:19:45 PM

Title: Maiden Voyage For My New Gear
Post by: otherone on August 09, 2011, 08:19:45 PM
After a couple of extremely busy weeks at work, I'm finally able to test out my new CA-14/9200 setup.  I'm going to be taping a brass band that I've taped before (I've only ever used my M10, with pretty good results IMHO).  But now I get to play with my new(est) toys!  Even figured out a way to make them compatible with a NOLA bar by making an insert out of a small wooden flag purchased at the local A.C. Moore (craft store).  Then after some more brainstorming, I bought some PVC and created two more mounts, both compatible with the inserts for the NOLA bar.  Eli Whitney and MacGyver would be proud.

So I've got an ORTF NOLA bar, a DIY PVC DIN bar, and a DIY PVC NOS bar.  All of my previous recordings of the band have been omni, so tonight I'm thinking about CA-14(c)->9200->M10 and using my DIY DIN bar.  I'll post some pics of the rig in action tomorrow.

Wish me luck!  ;D
Title: Re: Maiden Voyage For My New Gear
Post by: rastasean on August 09, 2011, 08:24:51 PM
looking forward to the pictures and the recording!

good luck!
Title: Re: Maiden Voyage For My New Gear
Post by: F.O.Bean on August 09, 2011, 08:51:33 PM
Best of luck. I <3 my CA-14 Cards :)
Title: Re: Maiden Voyage For My New Gear
Post by: otherone on August 10, 2011, 02:10:32 AM
Success!  It was a great show, and based upon a cursory listen via the auxiliary input on my car's stereo (and then a closer listen for a few minutes over a nice set of cans at home) it sounds like I got a pretty good pull!

I ran the CA-14 cards at about 8' high, at what "should" be the equilateral triangle sweet spot.  The stage was elevated by about 2.5'-3', so I figured that 8' would put me in roughly the same plane as the bells of the brass instruments.  I was a bit afraid that I might get some reverberant sound bouncing back from structures hanging above the bar, but I think I was ok.  I had the M10 set to 4 and the 9200 set to 30dB gain, rolled off about halfway to get my peaks at right around -12dB.

The band hasn't given me permission to post to the LMA yet, but as soon as I've chopped up the songs, I will post some samples for comment and any tips that can be offered.  Same goes for pics of the rig.  But for now, I'm off to bed with some James Brown stuck in my head...

Title: Re: Maiden Voyage For My New Gear
Post by: F.O.Bean on August 10, 2011, 02:43:13 PM
Success!  It was a great show, and based upon a cursory listen via the auxiliary input on my car's stereo (and then a closer listen for a few minutes over a nice set of cans at home) it sounds like I got a pretty good pull!

I ran the CA-14 cards at about 8' high, at what "should" be the equilateral triangle sweet spot.  The stage was elevated by about 2.5'-3', so I figured that 8' would put me in roughly the same plane as the bells of the brass instruments.  I was a bit afraid that I might get some reverberant sound bouncing back from structures hanging above the bar, but I think I was ok.  I had the M10 set to 4 and the 9200 set to 30dB gain, rolled off about halfway to get my peaks at right around -12dB.

The band hasn't given me permission to post to the LMA yet, but as soon as I've chopped up the songs, I will post some samples for comment and any tips that can be offered.  Same goes for pics of the rig.  But for now, I'm off to bed with some James Brown stuck in my head...



Thats good to hear man :)
Title: Re: Maiden Voyage For My New Gear
Post by: otherone on August 11, 2011, 12:20:19 AM
Some quick rig pictures.

So I started out with an ORTF bar from NOLAfishwater.  From there, I went to the local craft store (A.C. Moore in my case) and bought a small plywood flag. The UPC on the back reads "Raw Wood Spirit Sticks"...Style # ACFLGAP-8, SKU # CRPACFLGAP-8.  Made by Crafty Productions, Inc.  It cost me a whopping $0.53!  Here's what she looked like:

(http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/3862/img0527wa.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/11/img0527wa.jpg/)

I bought her because the dowel comprising the flagpole fit perfectly (nice and snug) in the NOLA bar.  I ended up chopping the flag up into smaller pieces to create two inserts:

(http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/2394/insertsy.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/263/insertsy.jpg/)

These inserts then fit into the NOLA bar.  I was hoping to run the flat part through the channel in the bar, but couldn't seem to get the spacing to be correct.  So instead, the flat part runs vertically, allowing a flat surface to mount my CA-14's on (the marks on the inserts denote where the clamp from my mics should go to ensure proper spacing).

(http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/8703/frontaleg.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/37/frontaleg.jpg/)

And the view from above, mounted in a fuzzy-half-of-velcro-lined JM27SM (to make up for the gap):

(http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/5629/aerialv.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/231/aerialv.jpg/)

So to make a DIN and an NOS bar, I bought some 1/2" PVC, because it fits perfectly into the JM27SMs.  What I decided to do was to drill a hole (0.295 size bit) into a 45 degree joint and then use a hacksaw to cut out a channel, creating a key-hole shape.  They're not perfect, and I'm certain that there's some play, and thus room for error in the angles created, but they're good enough for now!

(http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/6113/closeupr.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/811/closeupr.jpg/)

The inserts then fit into the pipe and are held in place by these keyhole shapes.  See the picture below of my rig in action last night:

(http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/4223/rigu.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/64/rigu.jpg/)

And then again, running about 8' high:

(http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/3733/inaction.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/163/inaction.jpg/)

All to see the band Brass Heaven:

(http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/1803/brassheaven2.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/854/brassheaven2.jpg/)

These guys are fantastic.  They've played with The Roots on several occasions including this year's 4th of July celebration which aired on televsion.  Oh, and the guy playing bass with them at the moment had been touring with Lauryn Hill's band previously.  Good stuff.

I'll try and get some samples posted after the weekend.
Title: Re: Maiden Voyage For My New Gear
Post by: F.O.Bean on August 11, 2011, 04:48:25 PM
Awesome pics, thanks :)