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Author Topic: NPR Tiny desk concerts  (Read 694 times)

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Offline barrettphisher

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NPR Tiny desk concerts
« on: February 12, 2026, 06:25:17 PM »
Are they using shotgun mics for vocals?  Seems like a pain if so.
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Offline VibrationOfLife

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Re: NPR Tiny desk concerts
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2026, 09:41:02 PM »
Josh has an entire rundown from when he worked there (many years).  It's on youtube and will be an easy find.

He also has a new venture called global sound concerts that is very much worth following if you like to record live sound.

He's also very personally approachable.

Offline GLouie

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Re: NPR Tiny desk concerts
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2026, 10:42:18 PM »
The short answer is yes. And it seems to sound fine, to me.

Josh Rogosin is the former NPR sound person who did Tiny Desk. The NPR site also has some old articles by him on the techniques and mics.

Offline Niels

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Re: NPR Tiny desk concerts
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2026, 11:39:25 AM »
It is a mid-side stereo mic and it shows that all those “you can’t this or that with xxx mic” claims are irrelevant when a person knows their tool.
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Offline opsopcopolis

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Re: NPR Tiny desk concerts
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2026, 01:39:08 PM »
Josh has an entire rundown from when he worked there (many years).  It's on youtube and will be an easy find.

Article here as well: https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2019/04/02/705579879/tiny-tech-tips-microphones

Offline Gutbucket

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Re: NPR Tiny desk concerts
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2026, 04:18:27 PM »
The approach has grown more complex at Tiny Desk over the years.  They are branded by use of Sennheiser MKH 418S, it's silhouette serving as the Tiny Desk logo and viewers expecting to see it used.  I bet its been quite a long time since that was the only mic used for Tiny Desk performances though.

It is a mid-side stereo mic and it shows that all those “you can’t this or that with xxx mic” claims are irrelevant when a person knows their tool.

Not so much irrelevant, just more that there are reasonable reasons yet few hard-fast rules.  The important details surrounding most things like are "shades of grey" relationships more so than this-or-that dichotomies. No pushback on knowing your tools though!  This from a guy who's been using a stereo shotgun mic in combination with other mics to record live music regularly for years.. often in situations that are far more "off-label" with regard to standard recommended shotgun mic usage than the ways in which they are used at Tiny Desk. ; )
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Offline VibrationOfLife

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Offline goodcooker

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Re: NPR Tiny desk concerts
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2026, 09:31:15 AM »

I very much like that this series of concerts uses so many shotgun mics (in direct opposition to so many who say that it shouldn't be done that way) and that the results sound so fantastic.

It very much feels like thumbing their nose at the "establishment" who would say "you are doing it wrong" so much so that they made the mics their logo.
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Offline VibrationOfLife

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Re: NPR Tiny desk concerts
« Reply #8 on: February 15, 2026, 05:25:47 AM »
I've spoken with Josh many times, and he is not only incredibly helpful, he's just a wonderful person.  I want to support his ventures in life so much.

He has truly dedicated his life to live music recording.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2026, 05:28:17 AM by VibrationOfLife »

 

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