Topic: onstage or fob mics to mix w/ sbd

[deadheadcorey]

what are peoples preferences when it comes to doing matrices? do you prefer to go onstage or set up mics fob?

if you like to go onstage whats your go to mic config?

for me if it is a small club or bar def like to go onstage. ive been experimenting w/ different mic config, ive done split anywhere betwee 5-10 feet, nos, healy, xy. all with different results. the least pleased one is xy. I like separation in my recordings

I have put mics at fob to mix in the sbd later on but always seems like there is just too much crowd noise and often don't get the separation I like. with onstage you still get that "live" feeling but not so much chatter.

but ive had problems where the stage is really close to the crowd and the crowd usually doesn't care about the mics and screamin n hollerin' often gets picked up.

[ScoobieKW]

onstage pair, I use Stereophonic zoom to get a good stereo spread. usually works out somewhere near ORTF

picked up a 16 channel interface and I've moved to multitracking the small club hoot and holler shows.

My problem with FOH and SBD is that FOH already has SBD (from the PA) and onstage. adding SBD to that tends make the balance worse not better.

[tim in jersey]

onstage pair, I use Stereophonic zoom to get a good stereo spread. usually works out somewhere near ORTF

picked up a 16 channel interface and I've moved to multitracking the small club hoot and holler shows.

My problem with FOH and SBD is that FOH already has SBD (from the PA) and onstage. adding SBD to that tends make the balance worse not better.

That made me think about some of my favorite MTX recordings I've made. Never really thought about it until just now, but that makes perfect sense. Well put.

[ScoobieKW]

onstage pair, I use Stereophonic zoom to get a good stereo spread. usually works out somewhere near ORTF

picked up a 16 channel interface and I've moved to multitracking the small club hoot and holler shows.

My problem with FOH and SBD is that FOH already has SBD (from the PA) and onstage. adding SBD to that tends make the balance worse not better.

That made me think about some of my favorite MTX recordings I've made. Never really thought about it until just now, but that makes perfect sense. Well put.

yup, and it's why onstage + sbd works so well. it's a mix of the same two components that make up the live sound, stage sound and pa sound. an advantage is also that if the stage mics are in line with the PA hang, you don't have to time align the two. I would often borrow two channels in the house snake and setup by FOH.

[Gutbucket]

Yep.

I'll only add that to take it one step furhter, if I may want more room ambience and/or crowd reaction that I'd get from onstage alone, I'll add a pair onstage facing out into the room and audience (poiniting away from the stuff on stage and the PA, sometimes even under the stage-lip to help block that stuff if there aren't subs under there and not blocked by bodies directly in front).  Takes either more than 4 channels, or recording a single channel mono SBD and a single channel mono room/aud mic to do it with 4 channels though.  I do it with the 6 channels of a DR680 and either run 3 pairs (2 OnStage, 2 SBD, 2 Room), or (3 on stage as L/C/R, 1 SBD, 2 room) if the SBD is mono.  Sometimes mono SBD and one close mic onstage for acoustic bass or something.

That provides control over balancing all three improtant elements in the mix: the on-stage sound for image and instumental detail, the direct SBD sound for clarity and vocals, and the room/audience facing mics for ambience/audience reaction.  An AUD from farther back in the room is a mediocre compromise of all those things, even the room ambience since it is time delayed, and especially audience reaction since the less interested folks chatting with each other tends to hang in back, while the visceral thrill of those totally into it is up in front!  If more audience reaction helps the mix, that's the kind I want.

[tgakidis]

I run onstage + a pair near the sbd + a sbd feed often.  I did it last night for Kung Fu with great results, mixing it as I type.

[chrisdavis]

Onstage. Rainey method.

[tgakidis]

I run onstage + a pair near the sbd + a sbd feed often.  I did it last night for Kung Fu with great results, mixing it as I type.

https://archive.org/details/kungfu2014-03-13.elam260.ck61.sbd.flac

[bdasilva]

I like to run split omnis in the corners of the stage in the space between the monitors and PA speakers... sent back the house snake and mixed with the FoH sound at the board... You get the sound that comes off the stage (and your stereo field) and hopefully enough crowd noise to satisfy. 

               
               https://soundcloud.com/bdasilva/samatha-fish-war-pigs                     my last recording
 

[kingkita]

This my favorite one me and Dr fob did last year.

https://archive.org/details/moos2013-10-03

[chrisdavis]

Pour House stage pulls heat

[deadheadcorey]

anyone ever done mics onstage and fob mics matrix?

[kingkita]

Here is one I did awhile back.

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=549810

[deadheadcorey]

Here is one I did awhile back.

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=549810

wow he busted out he was a friend of mine.  dl'ing now

[achalsey]

I did omnis onstage, cards FOB for a couple P Groove shows a couple years ago.  Just with Church mics, but thought they turned out alright.

https://archive.org/details/pgroove2012-01-05.CA14.mix.omni.card.flac16

http://archive.org/details/pgroove2012-01-06.CA14.mix.omni.card.flac16