Last days Ma Mi Duo, Nadio MArenco (accordion) and Cristina MIrkovic (violin), made a great perfomance at our studio.
They recorded sixteen tracks from typical tango to Eastern Europe popular themes for their new album “Tango & Co.”.
I worked on tracking, mixing and mastering for all songs.
Very fine musicians and great gears done amazing work.
Enjoy their music:
Hi,
in early june I recorded choir Aspis’s last session with DAD AX32.
Thanks to Audinate Dante Virtual Soundcard I used it like a soundcard with my MacBook.
Session was in S. Pietro auditorium in Milan which it’s charaterized by a very dry sound.
I used two AKG C414 TL-II to ORTF stereo array and four Schoeps CMC6 MK4 as spots on sections.
Choir Aspis’s session
As I checked in my tests (part 1 – part 2) DAD AX32 has an amazing sound!
I used DAD AX32’s premicrophones which have a very pristine sound with a wide dynamic range. They sound very close to my Millenia Media HV-3R.
Record will be released in September.
Cheers,
Lorenzo
It’s not a didactic section (when needed I’ll link related pages on manufacturer site) but so as to explain my approach to recording.
Hi,
today I speak about my solutions to recording drums.
There isn’t a one way to recording this complex instrument indeed I tried several microphones and spots to find the better acoustic sound for single drum or cymbal and the sum of all.
My overall approach is based to find a good sound in and of itself with bass drum and overhead (typical shooting for jazz drums). Other spots are used to add presence and more punch.
To analyze it bit by bit I refer to rock/blues standard drums.
In my opinion is the most hard and controversial piece to take. Actually I use dynamic AKG D112 to take bass reso with a deep low-end and condenser AKG C414 B-ULS (omnidirectional pattern and routed by 90°) positioned inner kick drum and very closed to bass batter. The latter is very good to capture kick attack without too much interference by snare and toms.
Normally I take both snare drumheads. For the batter I use standard Shure SM57, it points to the center of the drumhead. On the snare side I prefer vintage Sennheiser MD409 placed far away snare wired. In that position I tried also Shure Sm57 and AKG C414 B-ULS but they have harsh sound.
Snare up and bottom mike
When I record standard jazz I use one Shoeps CMC6/MK4 on batter drumhead.
I started with Sennheiser MD 421 on every toms (included floor tom) but later I preferred Shure SM57 for small tom (8″ or 10″). Sometimes I use Electrovoice RE20 on floor tom. I position microphones very closed to drumhead near the edge.
Recently I tried with condenser Schoeps CMC6/MK4 (cardiod) and I was really impressed for they fine sound.
Often I take toms reso drumhead to take deep low ending and to use it on batter drumhead tracks gate sidechain. Also it’s useful to find a eighties drums sound.
The best choice is a condenser mic. Now I use a vintage AKG C451e (cardioid), angled by 45° at the edge of hihat top, because it sound very fine with little interference from snare. I worked also with Schoeps CMC6/MK4 and AKG C300 with CK91 capsule (cardioid).
View of Hi-Hat, Snare and Tom1 microphones
My best solution is a pair of Crown PCC-160 upside down attached on ceiling live room. They are in spaced stereo array and capture a wide and airy sound image of the drums without reflections interference.
Crown PCC160 (image from web)
Recently I add two Schoeps CMC6/MK4 which look cymbals bottom and near toms. They add presence on mid and mid-low frequency to cymbals and toms.
Shoeps CMC6/MK4 look cymbals bottom
Microphones preamplifier
I wrote about they on this post.
I use Focusrite to handle drums microphones (kick, snare and toms) and Millenia to cymbals mike.
Typical sheet is this:
List Drums channels
Total ten Focusrite and four Millenia channels.
To make A/D conversion I use Focusrite AD card installed on both ISA428.
During session I change acoustic response of the live room with some reflective wood panels.
See also:
– Technical backstage: microphones that I chose
– Technical backstage: microphones preamplifiers
Cheers,
Lorenzo
Copyright © 2013-2014 by iuatwest. All rights Reserved.
This material has been copyrighted, feel free to share it with others; it can be distributed via social media or pingbacks or added to websites; please do not change the original content and, provide appropriate credit by including the author’s name @ http://iuatwest.com and your readers shall not be charged by you under any circumstance.
It’s not a didactic section (when needed I’ll link related pages on manufacturer site) but so as to explain my approach to recording.
Microphones is a delicate questions, they are a pressure transducer and realize the passage of the sounds from air pressure to electric signal. Ok, this is a early assumption of the tecnologies about microphones(*) but what we want from them?
Several stuff like:
– wide frequency response
– wide dynamic range
– perception
– off-axys rejection (directional mic)
– no coloration (are you sure?)
– robust construction (when possible)
…and with a beautiful design (why not?).
I didn’t include cheapness because the quality is not cheap (in any field).
(*) to take a deeper look into microphone theory – Brüel & Kjær Microphone handbook vol.1
Searching for the best audio recording I work with a different brands of microphones, models and tipologies in relation to the kind of instruments and sound I’m looking for.
I bought eight amplifier Colette series (CMC5 and CMC6) with different microphones capsules, in detail:
MK4 – cardioid
MK8 – bidirectional or eight figure
MK21 – wide cardioid
MK5 – mechanically switchable cardioid to omnidirectional figure
I use Schoeps to record many situations like choral ensemble, symphony orchestra, any acoustic instruments (guitar, strings, harp, double bass), several parts of drumset (toms, cymbals, hi-hat).
Here an example of studio recording what I made with close-miking techniques.
Schoeps MK4 + MK8 are perfect to made Mid-Side techniques, sometimes I use MK21 in lieu of MK4 to take a central’s large-scale section.
Here an example of live recording what I made with Mid-Side techniques with Schoeps.
Also MK21 is a very interesting solution to capture mainly low frequency in close miking.
I bought two MK5 (matched pair) to obtain major flexibility and to try spaced techniques. I use them omnidirectional in close-miking to record percussions like djembe or bongo.
I worked many times with Schoeps on stage to amplifier acoustic ensemble (classic and jazz) without problems.
I like Schoeps, they are a finest microphones with amazing and useful sound reliable for any situation. They are my high quality set.
I bought two used U87ai, they work very well.
I use them to record vocal (typical) and sometimes with Shoeps to make mono coloured low-end.
Here two examples of acoustic guitar recordings what I made Secondamarea and Manuel Consigli.
I own only old microphones models: C414 B-ULS, C414 TL-II, C451E and C391 (C300 + CK91) . I bought two C414 XLS (first series) but I don’t liked them because their sound were knock-off and lifeless.
C414 B-ULS is very flexible microphone, it works fine with acoustic instrument (acoustic guitar) and percussions.
I used for many time C414 B-ULS for snare bottom and lately I use it very close to kick drumhead.
C414 TL-II is a transformer-less version of C414 B-ULS, with a slightly mid-high frequency presence. I own a stereo matched set and I use often them to record choral ensemble, symphony orchestra (here an example of record what I made with C414 TL-II Mid-Side array), acoustic piano and acoustic guitar.
I have been lucky to find a C451E, original version, because it sounds amazing, Shoeps like, with an amazing off-axys rejection. In studio I use it to capture hi-hat and in live recording it’s a nine microphone of my high quality set.
C391 is a good microphone with a good price. It’s not a cheapness choice. It’s useful on-stage and good alternative in live recording.
I bought two PCC-160, a boundary microphone, to capture speech on theatre.
Three years ago I tried to use them for drums overhead (what? But they are a floor microphones!). Wait, I fixed them tip over on ceiling in front of drumset in stereo spaced array. I was very impressed for very wide and smooth sound without wall reflections problems.
RE-20 is a cardioid fine broadcast microphone, very good for voice. It’s construction minimize proximity effect and place in-face vocal record. You can see and listen his neodynium-equipped brother RE27N/D in “A Prairie Home Companion” movie.
I used it on voice for special effect, like speech into songs, to make a superior warmth and presence.
I used it sometimes to record bass drum and I tried it to record guitar amplifier.
I own three old MD 421, two black and one white (with tuckel).
I use them to percussion and brass. Very good and warmth sound. I like it.
I found three years ago one MD409 (dates back to the 1975). Actually I use it on snare bottom and to record guitar amplifier.
D112 is a successor of D12 (very acclaimed microphone for vocal in the seventies). D112 is manufactured to use with instruments with a depth low end like bass amplifier or bass drums. I use it to record bass drum in out position with AKG C414 B-ULS positioned very close to the kick drumhead.
DX98, I bought this microphone many years ago and it’s perfect to amplifier tenor and baritone saxophone.
A77, it dates back to the fifties and it’s a broadcast microphone. I used it on stage with a singer to enhance his nasal voice, very cool.
A ribbon oldest microphone (dates back to the thirties) which I bought in 1998. I fixed it and occasionally I use it to record voice with oldest flavour.
I tried JRS-34 model for a newspaper and I like it, but I haven’t unfortunatly. I guess probably I’ll be buying it pretty soon because I’ve been very impressed by its vocal presence and smoothed sound.
Cheers,
Lorenzo
Here a gallery of my microphones:
Copyright © 2013-2014 by iuatwest. All rights Reserved.
This material has been copyrighted, feel free to share it with others; it can be distributed via social media or pingbacks or added to websites; please do not change the original content and, provide appropriate credit by including the author’s name @ http://iuatwest.com and your readers shall not be charged by you under any circumstance.
Today I started a little column where I brought into focus technicals stuff.
I’ll write short review about equipment in my studio and some tracking techniques that I use and why.
It’s not a didactic section (when needed I’ll link related pages on manufacturer site) but so as to explain my approach to recording.
I’ll post this column once a week (probabily sunday).
It’s a stereo tracking technique by Alain Blumlein based on a coincident array of two microphone, one directional (typical cardioid) in front of the audio source (orchestral ensemble or musical instrument) and one bidirectional (or eight figure) turned by 90 degrees. DPA microphone about polar patterns.
Signals by Mid (cardioid) and Side (eight figure) using a matrix to achieve Left (M+S) and Right (M-S) channels (stereo signal).
L = Mid + Side and R = Mid- Side
It’s possible switch any stereo signal into a Mid-Side couple with another matrix where Left/Right are summed into Mid (L+R) and subtract into Side (L-R). This is a fine technique used, for example, in mixing and mastering to adjust center component like vocal or electric bass (you have to think on a stereo signal builded with three components: Left/Center/Right) and to broadcast stereo signal on FM modulation, where Mid (L+R) is a mono signal and Side (L-R) is component to rebuild the original L/R signal.
A particulary development of Mid-Side technique is double MS technique to make a surround recording (5.1). Shoeps on double MS technique – pdf (very interesting paper)
I like this technique for his nice and wide stereo front, mono compatibility (when stereo signal is collapsed Side dissapear) and fundamental possibility to encoding comeback (to rebuild original Mid-Side signals).
It’s important to highlight the front position of the cardioid microphone (Mid) because it’s the best way to shot center audio source. Unlike ORTF and XY where the microphones are angled and the recording may be less accurate for the off-axys coloration.
Since 1997 I realized M-S technique with several microphone: Rode NT-2 (cardioid) coupled with AKG C414 ULS (eight figure), with two matched AKG C414 TL-II and actually with a Shoeps CMC6/MK4 (cardioid) or MK21 (wide cardioid) to Mid and Shoeps CMC6/MK8 to Side.
Most of my recordings of strings ensemble or choir were made with this technique, sometimes I added close microphones (multimicrophones technique) to capture several instruments.
acronym of Organisation de Radio et Television Française
Developed by French public television, it’s composed by two matched pair microphones spaced at 17cm each other and angled by 55 degrees. It’s a near coincident technique. DPA microphone about ORTF tecnique.
Less wide than M-S tecnique I like it to record stereo close miking (like acoustic guitar), small vocal ensemble and, generally, when I need to minimize environmental reverberation.
It’s not monocompatible but it still works well.
Also this technic has been developed by Alain Blumlein, he used a cardioid (originally eight figure) matched pair microphones angled 90 degrees each other with coincident capsule. It’s a coincident technique. DPA microphone about XY technique.
With a stereo front narrow, XY is the solution for small audio source (like a musical instrument) where it’s important monocompatibility, to attenuate a problematic environmental reverberation and to realize a simple stereo technique.
In this gallery I arrange microphones in ORTF and XY techniques.
Copyright © 2013-2014 by iuatwest. All rights Reserved.
This material has been copyrighted, feel free to share it with others; it can be distributed via social media or pingbacks or added to websites; please do not change the original content and, provide appropriate credit by including the author’s name @ http://iuatwest.com and your readers shall not be charged by you under any circumstance.
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