Topic: Stereo config suggestions for subcards

[jnarchive]

Hey all.

I've been taping with card and hypercards for a long time, but haven't done much with subcards or omnis. I just got my SC elements for my AT853s and am going to be playing with them this week.

I've been thinking that DIN or ORTF will be a nice place to start... likely on-stage or close to it. Something spaced, not coincident, I'd think.

Anyway, if anybody has any words of wisdom or caveats, I'd be happy to hear them.

Many thanks.
j

[page]

Hey all.

I've been taping with card and hypercards for a long time, but haven't done much with subcards or omnis. I just got my SC elements for my AT853s and am going to be playing with them this week.

I've been thinking that DIN or ORTF will be a nice place to start... likely on-stage or close to it. Something spaced, not coincident, I'd think.

Anyway, if anybody has any words of wisdom or caveats, I'd be happy to hear them.

Many thanks.
j

personal rules of thumb:

wider is better (since you have a less directional pattern, it will take more difference in angle to create a bigger stereo). This goes for both angle and spacing when doing far-field taping. If I were doing stuff on stage, I'd actually run a coincident pair at about 130 degrees. I find ORTF to be almost too big onstage, but 110 coincident to be ok, and it gives me the option to proverbially tighten the angle in post if I want. ymmv.

[datbrad]

Hey all.

I've been taping with card and hypercards for a long time, but haven't done much with subcards or omnis. I just got my SC elements for my AT853s and am going to be playing with them this week.

I've been thinking that DIN or ORTF will be a nice place to start... likely on-stage or close to it. Something spaced, not coincident, I'd think.

Anyway, if anybody has any words of wisdom or caveats, I'd be happy to hear them.

Many thanks.
j

I have never personally used subcards, but based on recordings I've heard made by close friends who have them, I think they sound best to my ears 90 degree XY, DIN, or NOS. Recordings I have heard with wider angles sound strange to me, except when they are pure XY or in completely open air outdoor environments with zero reflections. It would seem intuitive that wider angles and spacings would be better, but my ears tell me differently. YMMV

[ashevillain]

One of the worst recordings I've ever made was with the AT853 subcards XY 90º. I'd be hesitant to run the subcards XY again unless I was in FOB territory. Also, I think they might want to be opened up to XY 120º FOB...or I bet they'd sound great onstage too.

Nearly every time I've run the subcards DIN the recording has been great. Even got decent results NOS(ish) once. I've never run them ORTF and I never will generally due to the fact that I don't like that pattern at all. I would most certainly run nether DIN nor ORTF onstage. Either A-B or XY onstage.

[Gutbucket]

Try A-B on stage like omnis, the slight directionalilty can help manage the level of front row fan exitement and bring a bit more presence to the on-stage instuments.

They don't really have enough directionality to make X/Y work well IMO, unless you want a very stable center-heavy mono image.  Generally I'd go for increased spacing over increased angle, though the two are  interrelated of course.. just somewhat less so than cards, and even less so than supers.

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

Always works  for me.   

onstage

figure eight      center
cardiod             ortf or din
hyper               din a
omni                split 3 feet or more
sub/wide card   nos

[scb]

I will never run the dpa wide cards xy ever again.  I've never liked the results...