Topic: Stealth sound field

[Brennan]

Not sure if this is okay to post, please remove if it is too "revealing".

When doing stealth shows, I tend to us two shirts and the mics (CA Cards) are clipped inside the second shirt. This is actually helpful at some places, as it can do a sort of natural low cut.

The way I'm doing it though, the mics are not clipped securely and can move around a bit. I can point them straight in front of me (chest level), but then I can barely move at all. I made a point of looking at what 'configuration' they were putting themselves in, and it looks like XY. Here's an, albeit bad, representation:



The right mic is pointed at the same angle as the left, I just can't draw them the same on a laptop, sorry.

I'm wondering, since I know the sound field is a heart shape from the capsule, is this an okay config?

If you guys have any suggestions go ahead and PM me please.

Really appreciate it everyone...

[DSatz]

If I understand what you drew, your microphones are a small distance apart with each one on the side opposite from the side of the room which it's primarily meant to pick up. That's not ideal, since some stereophonic "cues" result from the precedence effect ("which microphone hears the onset of the signal first?") and some of those will conflict with the intensity cues ("which microphone picks up the signal louder?") because of the placement.

There are two ways to avoid that problem and improve your stereo imaging. One--which might be tricky for a stealth setup--is to arrange the two microphones so that the center line of each of their membranes is aligned one above another (a so-called "coincident" arrangement in the horizontal plane). The other alternative is to place them a small distance apart as you have them, but face them outward, rather than to have each one's axis cross the other one's.

One such arrangement of two cardioids that often works very nicely is to set them 17 cm (around 6-1/2 inches) apart and angle their axes at 110 degrees to each other (i.e. each microphone's axis points 55 degrees away from the center line). That arrangement of small-diaphragm cardioids is called "ORTF" stereo recording.

--best regards

[dean]

You won't go wrong with Dsatz's advice there.  Also, and AB config will be better than what you've got going on.  You'll get a much larger sound field.

Funny, when I first opened the thread and saw your drawing, I thought it was two tampons!!!      

[johnnyb]

Funny, when I first opened the thread and saw your drawing, I thought it was two tampons!!!      

LOL

[Brennan]

@dean: not sure what you mean by AB config.

I'll try and draw a better representation of what I was aiming for haha

[stevetoney]

Funny, when I first opened the thread and saw your drawing, I thought it was two tampons!!!      

Question: What did one tampon say to the other? 

Response: We're pulling decent sound, but the reverb's a little heavy in here.  Maybe we should try a different configuration.

<I'm really sorry to the females out in taper-land...but I just couldn't resist!>

[nameloc01]

shoot me a pm,and i'll let you in on what i do.

[cmquinn]

Not sure if this is okay to post, please remove if it is too "revealing".

When doing stealth shows, I tend to us two shirts and the mics (CA Cards) are clipped inside the second shirt. This is actually helpful at some places, as it can do a sort of natural low cut.

The way I'm doing it though, the mics are not clipped securely and can move around a bit. I can point them straight in front of me (chest level), but then I can barely move at all. I made a point of looking at what 'configuration' they were putting themselves in, and it looks like XY. Here's an, albeit bad, representation:

I'm wondering, since I know the sound field is a heart shape from the capsule, is this an okay config?

If you guys have any suggestions go ahead and PM me please.

Get a shirt and have button holes cut under the collar. Feed mics up through the button holes. Use velcro under front of collar to hold mics.

[dean]

@dean: not sure what you mean by AB config.

I'll try and draw a better representation of what I was aiming for haha

Hey Brennan - AB config is both mics pointing straight ahead at the sound source.  They're parallel to each other and perpendicular to the sound field.   

[Brennan]

Ah, great! thanks dean, +T

[MJ]

Get a shirt and have button holes cut under the collar. Feed mics up through the button holes. Use velcro under front of collar to hold mics.

This could be the better way.

[dean]

Ah, great! thanks dean, +T

Bckatcha, Brennan!