Capturing a source with a figure 8 mic.

[tehguitarist]

So i'm looking at getting a Cad Trion 7000 ribbon mic because ive heard some rave reviews about it and,i reckon it would be cool to have a ribbon mic just for some diversity. My question here is say you are recording vocals and you DONT have an isolation booth. Is there anyway to only record one, or should i just make a makeshift barrier behind the mic. Also coz when i want to record amps wouldnt it pick up all the room noise with no way to remove it aswell?

[brandondrury]

A figure 8 mic does mic up sound more or less equally from both sides. With that said, the side of the mic that is being screamed into, for example, is going to be picking up more signal that the side of the mic picking up reflections. It's up to you decide if those reflections are still there.

I often track vocals in omni with my Soundelux U99 to avoid the proximity effect. (I often track vocals with my AT4050 in omni as well but that is to smooth out the upper midrange a bit). Anyway, to pull this off, all I really do is slap my trusty Ninja Turtle blanket on a mic stand (shaped like a T) and put that behind the mic.

This doesn't do much to deal with the sound bouncing around the room and getting into the front of the mic, but it pretty much takes care of the reflections getting into the back.

My Royer R121 is a figure 8 mic. For electric guitar I don't anything different than I would with SM57 or MD421 in terms of the back. I simply put the mic where it sound best. With that said, if there room issues, I have many sheets of Rockwool wrapped in fabric that I keep handy. I'll simply slap one of those behind the mic and this will more than take care of the problem (if it exists at all).

I do think it's just as important to have tools to alter the sound in front of the mic (whether it be to kick the singer in the butt or to block a weird reflection from an electric guitar) as it is to have tools that alter the sound after the mic.

[tehguitarist]

Thanks heaps, would it be worth turning it so the side of the mic is pointing towards the cone of a guitar amp so sound gets in both sides, or is that a matter of experimentation.

[brandondrury]

It's a matter of experimentation, but what do you hope to gain from picking up sound from both sides? If I'm understanding you correctly you are going to actually face the null of the mic towards the speaker. Is that correct?

Brandon

[tehguitarist]

Well im using a quad box so i was thinking of facing the null between 2 speakers to get the sound, would that work or does the mic pattern not pick it up from the sides like that very well, the sound wouldnt be going to the null point of the mic but rather either side if you get where im getting at.

[brandondrury]

What's a quad box?

It really is pointless trying to guess what it sounds like. Just try it and post a clip.

I've heard about certain engineers taking two cabinets and facing them together, placing a figure 8 mic in between them, and then making sure the signal of both amps are in phase. It turned out well, but this was more for engineers having fun than than anything.

Brandon

[tehguitarist]

Quad Box being a 4X10 or are they 12, eh a half stack pretty much.

I'll post a clip as soon as i get some time i have some exams coming up and lifes pretty hectic.

[brandondrury]

Quad Box being a 4X10 or are they 12, eh a half stack pretty much.

Oh, I've never heard that term. Are you from the UK? They like to make up new words (from my perspective) over there.

[tehguitarist]

Worse, Australia, we make up maannyy many words... like bugger. :P Thats why Bugera amps are sometimes a bit funny over here, bugger is something you say instead of like... ahhh cr*p, e.g. bugger i forgot my keys.

[brandondrury]

Worse, Australia

Sorry dude, I didn't mean to insult you by comparing to the UK. I'm from Missouri in the US and I don't get out much!

Bugera amps are sometimes a bit funny over here, bugger is something you say instead of like... ahhh cr*p, e.g. bugger i forgot my keys.

Ha! That's funny. My dad told me a story about the Chevy Nova didn't sell worth a damn in Spanish speaking countries. No va in Spanish means "no go" which I'm assuming ends up meaning "won't run". I thought that was pretty funny.

Brandon