Topic: AT943 swirling sound

[ironchef]

I've had a little trouble with this swirling-type sound with my AT943s (SP-CMC-08).  The recording goes from sounding great to sounding a little muffled and then clears up.  I'm using the Sound Professionals SB-11 battery box with bass roll-off set at 95Hz into a new Edirol R-09HR  Sometimes it sounds great, and sometimes I get this almost swirling sound on the recording.  The guys at Sound Professionals haven't figured it out, and I'm running out of ideas.  Anyone have similar problems?

[Chuck]

Are you using windscreens? When you say swirling, are you recording outdoors, or near fans, or near any moving air at all?
Moving air recorded by microphones without wind protection can give you a swirling sound.

[setboy]

can you post a cilp of the sound? are you recording with cards? or?

[ironchef]

I haven't used the windscreens, but I've had a thin shirt on over them, so it acts as a windscreen.  All the shows have been indoors and at different venues.  I don't recall fans being on or having any air movement around me.  The mics are cardioids.  I'll post a sample later on.  Thanks.

[deedee]

stand or stealth?
if stealth,... were you moving at all?

[Brian Skalinder]

I haven't used the windscreens, but I've had a thin shirt on over them, so it acts as a windscreen.  All the shows have been indoors and at different venues.  I don't recall fans being on or having any air movement around me.  The mics are cardioids.  I'll post a sample later on.  Thanks.

An audio sample would help.  If you've had a thin shirt over them, as you say, then it sounds like the mics are mounted fairly low.  Your own body movement could cause artifacts from the shirt material moving over the capsule, your own movement could cause phasing, and the movement of others around you could cause phasing and/or muffling.  Mounting the mics higher and without any clothes material touching them may help.

[su6oxone]

Mounting the mics higher and without any clothes material touching them may help.

This sounds like a good idea to me.

[nameloc01]

Its probably your shirt rubbing on them or some air from a fan or A/C..even if you can't feel the air, and may not notice it...your mics will.
Those are cards right? are they facing the sound source while under your shirt? A stiff collar is your best friend.

[ironchef]

Its probably your shirt rubbing on them or some air from a fan or A/C..even if you can't feel the air, and may not notice it...your mics will.
Those are cards right? are they facing the sound source while under your shirt? A stiff collar is your best friend.

Yes, they are cards and are facing the sound source.  I could see it being my shirt moving over them, but it's the same way I've worn my mics for the past 10 years, and I never had this issue with my CoreSound cardioids.  I have made a conscious effort to stand as still as a statue so my body movement doesn't cause this.  I'd love to mount them higher and in the open, but I'm only using these mics for stealth shows.  I'm wondering if it's because the shows have been so loud that the battery box isn't keeping up, but then again I recorded Metallica with no problem and it wasn't exactly quiet.  I'd post a sample, but I haven't figured out how yet.

[Church-Audio]

Its probably your shirt rubbing on them or some air from a fan or A/C..even if you can't feel the air, and may not notice it...your mics will.
Those are cards right? are they facing the sound source while under your shirt? A stiff collar is your best friend.

Yes, they are cards and are facing the sound source.  I could see it being my shirt moving over them, but it's the same way I've worn my mics for the past 10 years, and I never had this issue with my CoreSound cardioids.  I have made a conscious effort to stand as still as a statue so my body movement doesn't cause this.  I'd love to mount them higher and in the open, but I'm only using these mics for stealth shows.  I'm wondering if it's because the shows have been so loud that the battery box isn't keeping up, but then again I recorded Metallica with no problem and it wasn't exactly quiet.  I'd post a sample, but I haven't figured out how yet.

The CS cardioid mics have some felt over top of the capsule so they in a sense have a partial built in windscreen that + your shirt for most gigs probably would have been ok. The AT mics have no wind protection built in what so ever.