Microphones and miking techniques stereo miking techniques. You can explore many variations on the standard xy stereo mic technique by making the angle of the mics greater than 90 degrees. I have always felt that the best drum sounds are achieved when there is a seamless marriage of the closemics and a stereo pair of overhead mics. This can give home recording enthusiasts a beautiful and professional recording if it is done the right way.
While you can always add spaciousness to mono acoustic tracks by utilizing stereo processing, ultimately the only way to capture the sound of an acoustic guitar with depth and accuracy is by using a twomic setup. Kick drums come in lots of sizes, from big, wide bonhamstyle 14. A study of surround miking techniques for both classical and popular music, and of the components needed to build a quality remote recording truck complete this book. The techniques discussed in the book are not centered on scientific, mathematical, or engineering concepts. Stereo miking techniques for acoustic guitar universal audio. Our auditory system perceives width, space, and location by comparing the sounds captured by our ears. This system resulted in a quite even distribution of the phantom sources hearing event direction on the stereo loudspeaker base, with two small. These methods reproduce the instruments and hall reverb in front of the listener, in the area between the selection from recording music on location, 2nd edition book. Posts about overhead miking written by danielloh94. Mikingrecording techniques in the sixties gearslutz.
There are 2 basic ways to use microphones, alone or in groupings. On location recording techniques also describes the paperwork required to plan a live recording session. A visual guide to stereo recording creative field recording. Stereo recording is a technique involving the use of two microphonesto simultaneously record one instrument. This serves to reduce extraneous noise, including room reverberation, and is commonly used when. Mixed together, this provides a full sound with a wide stereo image. Although there are many variations on these techniques they each have strengths and weaknesses depending of what you are trying to capture. Dutch broadcast foundation found a stereo main microphone system by a number of practical attempts in the 1960s. Acoustic guitar recording techniques humbucker music. The use of stereo mic techniques can bring a breadth and sense of spread to the instrument that can give it a life, beyond or in addition to what artificial ambiance can give. The choice of pickup pattern will depend on the acoustics of the room and if there are any other instruments or sounds in the room that you are trying to avoid. I know this may not be the most interesting subject in 2007 on a board like this, but, me and my buddy are really into mid to late sixties sound doors, beatles, love, stones etc.
The idea is to set up two overhead microphones that capture a balanced and phaseaccurate stereo image of the entire drum kit. After you get a pair of nice mics for xy miking, youll want to use them on everything. The technique will not only capture the sound, but. Stereo miking techniques how to mic specific instruments loaded with illustrations and featuring sidebars with details on selected topics for those who want to know why as well as how, microphones for the recording musician gives the practical knowledge needed to make the best possible home studio recordings. Which technique would be best for capturing a performance in a room with good acoustics a good sounding room, if you wanted to capture a. If youre like most engineers, then the xy technique is probably the first stereo miking technique you learned. One thing to be careful of in stereo recording is phase cancellation. E surroundsound miking techniques recording music on. Complex though some of these techniques are, probably the most powerful use of multi miking ive encountered during my investigations comes courtesy of jack douglas, who makes creative use of phase cancellation between microphones.
I hope to prepare the reader for work in a home studio, a small professional studio, or an onlocation recording session. With virtual reality becoming more and more popular, surround sound is making a comeback. The recorder man drum miking technique jon stinson. Knowing what microphone is best for the job does not mean it is going to sound great. Be sure to check out the corresponding audio links, and of course, consider these as starting points for your own creativity. A stereomic approach to a classical guitar composition is nice, but honestly, recording the acoustic guitar in a rock ballad with five other instruments playing isnt.
For mediumdistance stereo miking for choirs, orchestras, and even drum kits, ab stereo may be your best bet. We take a practical look at the pros and cons of coincident and spaced stereo miking techniques. For guitar overdubs, the best eq in the world is the phase eq, which you get by using multiple mics on a speaker. Which technique would be best for capturing a performance in a room with good acoustics a good sounding room, if you wanted to capture a lot of room with the mics. Nashville knowhow this isnt the first time premier guitar has covered this topic. Stereo miking techniques how to mic specific instruments. Here are six stereo miking techniques you can try out today. Mono and stereo miking techniques mpg online music.
Broadly speaking stereo micing techniques can be put into 3 categories noncoincident, coincident and near coincident. This book is loaded with tips on how to use amp sims not only to recreate the sound and feel of iconic amps, but also, to create sounds that were either impractical or impossible to do with traditional amps. Miking a guitar to record an acoustic guitar, use any of the stereo miking techniques as above, except on a smaller scale. Part onetracking in stereo takes a look at the microphone basics as well as. Stereo miking techniques can be used to create the perception of width, space, and location. There are several classes of microphone placement for recording and amplification. Here are the perceptual results of common stereo miking techniques. The sound studio by alec nisbett is centered on audio techniques for radio, television, film, and recording. Back in the 1960s, spiderman and superman comic books. Eargles microphone book is the only guide you will ever need for the latest in microphone technology, application and technique. Microphones used in pairs are often matched to capture a sound in stereo. This increases the stereo width and decreases the strength of the center. Jul 27, 2016 4 surround sound miking techniques perfect for virtual reality. The nos stereo technique is a method of capturing stereo sound the nederlandse omroep stichting nos, english.
Using stereo overhead miking techniques to supplement a multimiked drum setup. Link to check the price of a pair of neumann km 184s on amazon. Microphones for the recording musician the musicians. And in this movie, im going to show you the old school way of doing it. Using stereo overhead miking techniques to supplement a. The most common mic to use on acoustic instruments is a condenser mic. This one is extremely simple to set up just position two cardioid mics usually smalldiaphragm condensers at right angles, aligning the front of the capsules, and youre good to go. There should be but one drum sound, not a collection of mics that are mixed together. The technique will not only capture the sound, but also a. Conicident miking fulfills this requirement, and the most versatile of these techniques is the ms matrixing of a forwardfacing directional microphone with a laterally oriented bidirectional microphone. Microphone techniques here is a very basic, general procedure to keep in mind when miking something that makes sound. A single pair of multipattern condenser microphones can provide at least five distinct overhead drum miking choices with surprisingly different sonic characteristics.
To demonstrate these different sounds, we recorded a drum kit with a pair of ksm44a overhead microphones five different ways. How to mic an acoustic or classical guitar how to mic. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and public events, motion picture production, live and recorded audio engineering, sound recording, twoway radios. Microphone technique is largely a matter of personal taste. Recording different signals for left and right stereo channels mimics the function of two human ears. What situations are best suited to xy, ab, ms, ortf, nos, oss, or wtf stereo miking techniques. A variety of stereo miking techniques exist, and things can get pretty complicated when using two mics to record.
Exploring stereo acoustic guitar miking techniques. Lets explore three common approaches to stereo miking and acoustic guitar. Complex though some of these techniques are, probably the most powerful use of multimiking ive encountered during my investigations comes courtesy of jack douglas, who makes creative use of phase cancellation between microphones. You can also find stereo mics that on their own do a good job of capturing the stereo field of an instrument. A lot of things when recorded in stereo sound much better then the plain old mono, hence this article is going to take you through some stereo miking techniques which can be used to record stereo sound. How you use the microphone is what ultimately will make it wrk to its full potential.
Esurroundsound miking techniques so far weve examined twochannel stereo recording techniques. An introduction to microphones mic types and characteristics basic microphone techniques miking instruments miking vocals and speech stereo miking techniques outboard stuff the cd. This book is intended as a handson, practical guide for beginning recording engineers, producers, musiciansanyone who wants to make better music recordings by understanding recording equipment and techniques. Stereo miking is one of the most popular specialized miking techniques the use of two or more microphones to create a stereo image will often give depth and spatial placement to an instrument or overall recording. All instruments need some space for the sound to develop, and that goes for speakers as well. The nos stereo technique is a method of capturing stereo sound. These techniques are explained in the stereo miking techniques section below. The included audio cd demonstrates topics throughout the book. Nov 22, 20 using stereo overhead miking techniques to supplement a multimiked drum setup. The practical requirements of broadcast and cinema stereo sound dictate the need for good stereo imaging, as well as full monaural compatibility. In close miking, a microphone is placed relatively close to an instrument or sound source, within three to twelve inches, producing a dry or nonreverberant sound.
Recording secrets for the small studio sound on sound. This is the way that amplifiers were miked way back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and is mypersonal favorite today. Whether you use the term minimal, organic, old school, or vintage, theres definitely a renewed interest in capturing that drumsetinaroom vibe that was employed on pretty much any recording prior to the late 1960s, when close miking. Each of these techniques has been used on countless hit records.
Top 8 best stereo miking techniques with recommended mics. Onsurface techniques the threetoone rule offaxis coloration stereo mic techniques goals of stereo miking types of stereo mic techniques comparing the four techniques hardware how to test imaging 8 microphone techniques electric guitar miking the amp recording direct electric guitar effects electric bass synthesizer, drum machine, and. All these questions, and many more besides, are tackled headon in recording secrets for the small studio. Xy coincident stereo miking consists of using two microphones that are placed right next to each other so that the diaphragms are as close together as possible without touching one another. Back in the 1960s, spiderman and superman comic books from the usa had a middle section of pinkpaper advertisements for pretty unbelievable technical gadgets. There are advantages and disadvantages to consider as an audio engineer when placing microphones. Moving beyond the guitar, the piano and drum overheads, almost all instruments can benefit from the life and spread that stereo miking can give including vocals. The bequest includes an akg c 426 b, a greatsounding and ultraversatile stereo mic. There are lots of mic techniques for getting a great kick drum sound. This system resulted in a quite even distribution of the phantom sources hearing event direction on the stereo. Xy coincident stereo miking consists of using two microphones that are placed right next to each other so that the diaphragms are as.
Using stereo overhead miking techniques to supplement a multimiked drum setup davida rochman november 22, 20 contributor. Position the first mic so that it is about two drum sticks height directly above the kit, and pointed straight down at the snare. Stereo miking is a great way to increase the sense of depth in your recording of an instrument. Position the first mic so that it is about two drum sticks height directly above. Stereo sound is something, which makes the listening experience more enjoyable and intuitive. While our techniques have so far addressed relatively close miking techniques, to capture the sound of the live space at golddiggers, the team set up two pairs of room mics and one hallway mic. One,two,and threemic setups for a more natural sound by mark parsons whether you use the term minimal, organic, old school, or vintage, theres definitely a renewed interest in capturing that drumsetinaroom vibe that was employed on pretty much any recording prior to the late 1960s, when close miking became the norm. Stereo miking techniques can replicate the itds and iids that occur naturally. So lets dive into the three most common stereo techniques for recording acoustic guitar.
Microphones for the recording musician the musicians guide. Packed with hints and tips on how to make location recording easier for you this book is a great reference for anyone planning to venture outside the studio. Lets walk through how to mic a drum kit, all the way from kick and snare to toms, overheads and rooms, including mic recommendations and placement. Well start with the basics and then move to some more exciting options. Exploring stereo acoustic guitar miking techniques linkedin. The polar pattern of each microphone is only part of the technique. The mono signalsfrom each microphone areassigned to the left and right channels of a stereo track to create a sense of width in the recording. The microphone book is the only guide you will ever need to the latest in. Using stereo overhead miking techniques to supplement a multi.
Stereo miking involves using two mics to capture the stereo field of the instrument. I learned so much from mikes suggestions that when his newest book appeared, recording secrets for the small studio i did not hesitate to get it into my hands. Aug 15, 2017 stereo sound is something, which makes the listening experience more enjoyable and intuitive. Xy stereo miking is the most common type of stereo microphone setup and the one that youll likely use if you do stereo miking. The left mic would be aimed at the bridge of the guitar, where the strings are connected to the face, and the right mic at the 12th fret, the metal wires that sit on the guitar neck, creating a nice sense of space and. Among other things, its perfect for comparing and contrasting various stereomiking techniques for acoustic guitar. Polish your skills for recording surround sound by following the written and audio examples of different miking techniques. Minimal miking techniques one, two, and threemic setups for a more natural sound. This book contains serious training for achieving superb vocal tracks as well as cool mic techniques for capturing the rich tones of an acoustic guitar. Stereo miking techniques for capturing a tricky instrument imagine that i am a typical pop music engineer, and i get called up for advice on how to record a classical guitar. Join bobby owsinski for an indepth discussion in this video, exploring stereo acoustic guitar miking techniques, part of audio recording techniques.