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Gear / Technical Help => Microphones & Setup => Topic started by: ravingandrooling on December 09, 2012, 10:12:14 AM
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Is the face of this balcony a good potential location for boundary mounting a pair of 4061's?
http://evilvince.com/wp-images/Ben_Harper_Cleveland_HOB_2007.jpg (http://evilvince.com/wp-images/Ben_Harper_Cleveland_HOB_2007.jpg)
Any special considerations or tips? Is vibration a concern?
TIA for any help.
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The Turtle (http://www.circlesound.net/turtle.html) is great for turning a normal SDC into a boundary mic.
It protects the mic. and also has the patented Rycote Lyres as shock and vibration protection.
(http://www.circlesound.net/turtle_files/Turtle-pair.jpg)
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Is the face of this balcony a good potential location for boundary mounting a pair of 4061's?
http://evilvince.com/wp-images/Ben_Harper_Cleveland_HOB_2007.jpg (http://evilvince.com/wp-images/Ben_Harper_Cleveland_HOB_2007.jpg)
Any special considerations or tips? Is vibration a concern?
TIA for any help.
I've done it. The quick and dirty way is to just, you know, tape the cable to the hard back surface. When I have done it I try to do it so the mic sticks a little (1" or so) away from the surface to avoid some of the vibration concerns you are talking about. It's an omni mic, so "aiming" it isn't really a priority. It's not technically a real "boundary mount" that way, but I have the DPA-branded mounts if I really want that.
This is what I got when doing it as described in a ~500 capacity club. I was very happy with it. http://www.nyctaper.com/2011/07/bill-callahan-smog-july-12-2011-bowery-ballroom-and-june-14-2009-music-hall-of-williamsburg-flac-and-mp3-downloads-streaming-songs/ (http://www.nyctaper.com/2011/07/bill-callahan-smog-july-12-2011-bowery-ballroom-and-june-14-2009-music-hall-of-williamsburg-flac-and-mp3-downloads-streaming-songs/)
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I've never seen the DPA boundary mounts for 4060/4061 series mics, but I assume that they would work really well for that purpose. I have a pair of DPA 4090's that I like very much, but once in a while I do wish that I could use the boundary mounts, and also the magnetic ones, since I usually tape in small clubs, and sometimes the best place for mics is right up against the walls or ceiling, or a pillar of some kind.
By the way, I wonder if those DPA boundary mounts can be modified to fit other small mics, Countryman B3's or AT853's, etc., perhaps with the help with a heated metal pipe of the correct diameter?
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I've never seen the DPA boundary mounts for 4060/4061 series mics, but I assume that they would work really well for that purpose. I have a pair of DPA 4090's that I like very much, but once in a while I do wish that I could use the boundary mounts, and also the magnetic ones, since I usually tape in small clubs, and sometimes the best place for mics is right up against the walls or ceiling, or a pillar of some kind.
By the way, I wonder if those DPA boundary mounts can be modified to fit other small mics, Countryman B3's or AT853's, etc., perhaps with the help with a heated metal pipe of the correct diameter?
This is them. They're rubber. I don't think you need any heated metal pipes. A B3 would probably fit in there, though this opening is really made for the config of the DPA.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/354370-REG/DPA_Microphones_BLM6000_B_Boundary_Layer_Mount_Black.html (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/354370-REG/DPA_Microphones_BLM6000_B_Boundary_Layer_Mount_Black.html)
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Thanks Acidjack. I've got the rubber discs, so I'll give it a whirl. It will be a real treat for me as I have only run >:D in a sober, dehydrated state. Looking forward to having an adult beverage or two, using the restroom if need be AND possibly pulling a nice recording!
Should I set them up as far apart as my cables allow?
btw - that link sounded very nice.
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^^ yeah, I would split as far as possible.
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Oops - I forgot the 4061 was a mini tie mic. and not a normal SDC - sorry.
However, the important thing with the 4060 and 4061 used a boundary mic. is to make sure the rectangular capsule is parallel with the surface. Don't twist it.
So you do need to be careful with it.
The DPA boundary adaptor sorts this out as the hole is the shape for correct mounting.
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Should work well in that room. Try to get them underneath the ‘bottle catching safety net’ visible in that photo, around the level of the light-bar or slightly lower if you can reach. Gaff tape 'em directly onto the surface. You'll get cleaner highs than letting them stick out an inch or so and I've never experienced vibration problems doing so, even with them taped to the stage or stage lip. If they are directly against the surface the boundary effect works up though the highest frequencies. As the mic is moved farther away from the surface, the upper frequency limit of the boundary effect drops and you begin to get comb-filtering from reflections off the surface. In a practical sense however, it probably won't make that huge of a difference.
I'd probably space them something like 3' to 5' apart. If you plan on mixing the recording made with them with a SBD feed you can go wider than that without worries.
The DPA boundary mounts provide good protection for the mics when needed. I find using the boundary mounts produce a slightly more peaked high frequency response. Based on the sonics alone I usually prefer not using them unless I specifically want that response. You can compensate for that somewhat by not using any grid on the mic inside the boundary mount, but that does expose the element somewhat more. Grid or no grid, as John mentions, you need to be careful when inserting the mic into the boundary mount to make sure the capsule is pointing out. Taping directly to a hard surface without the boundary mount, orientation doesn’t really matter.
Special note on the boundary mounts- the response and the smooth surface of the mount both can work well for mounting the mics under fabric, making for less fabric noise and some upper response compensation for the fabric. I find the fabric noise reduction is as good or better than using the DPA 'concealers' designed for mounting the mics under fabric, which are a better choice if you don't want the response bump. The concealers can also be used like the boundary mounts whenever you need crush protection, the thin wire is then the most vulnerable part.
The ATs wouldn't but a Countryman B3 would certainly fit in there, but the frequency response is strongly determined by the volume of the small space around the capsule. It may sound peakier and that response bump may shift if the mic is shifted back an forth in the mount slightly, modifying the size of that tiny space. Consider the difference in interior volume of the low and high boost grids and you’ll get an idea of how a slight change in the volume immediately around the mic element can produce a significant response change.
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Thanks for the info gutbucket. Much appreciated. I'll let you know how it turns out.
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The Turtle (http://www.circlesound.net/turtle.html) is great for turning a normal SDC into a boundary mic.
It protects the mic. and also has the patented Rycote Lyres as shock and vibration protection.
(http://www.circlesound.net/turtle_files/Turtle-pair.jpg)
looks nice but at £198 +VAT you would have to be kidding yourself. i would just build something myself.