Room mics

M

mjhigg

New member
Anyone have any experience employing room mics?

I prefer an ambient sound over using digital reverb any day, particularly with acoustic instruments and vocals. My living room sounds great, with plaster walls, wood floors, lots of windows, and just enough stuff to damp the sound so that it's not too much reflection. I record everything in there, usually positioning a large diaphragm condenser a few feet back from the source.

But every time I read Tape Op, they're always talking about using room mics (usually Coles), and compressing them to bring up the room, and then mixing them in with the source. I can't afford Coles. Would small-diaphragm condensers also be used for this?
 
This is one of those "there are no rules" moments.

The key here will be placement...I mean, even if you had a coles, just sticking up wouldn't be enough...you'd still have to experiment.

Now having said that, you can make almost anything work if you're up to it. Stick it up and try it.....I'd keep it low and try to capture more drums than cymbals. You said you have wood floors.....some folks with nice floors will even point the mic at the drums literally laying on and taped down to the floor.

Sometimes pointing the mic away from the sound source and at the opposite wall works great. Even try putting the mic RIGHT up to the opposite wall...hell try right up against a nice wood coffee table...as close as possible without touching. Different things reflect the sounds differently...some will sound warmer than others.

Another thing I've done is put a baffle between the mic and the drums....could be an office cubicle, could be a big chair. This will get darker room sounds with much less cymbals if the cymbals are being a problem.

The key here is experimentation and the WAY you use the mic rather than WHAT mic you're using. Get all guerilla about it, man! If you're reading TapeOp, that should be rule 1!

Hope this helps,

heylow


EDIT: HA! I reread and realized you were talking more about guitars and vocals. The principles are the same though.
 
If you want to try an Omni the cheapie Behringer's (that I can't remember the name of) aren't too bad but they are a bit flat and boring sounding. PZM's can also work well.

I like using an extra LD condensor if I have one available as a room mic on drums. Just take an extra mic, preferably a condensor, and see how it sounds. Sometimes using one mic a few feet away as the only mic can work great.
 
Nice post, heylow. Very Tape Op!

I'm getting a pair of the Octava MK-012s, the cheapies that everyone's always buzzing about around here. Figured I'd try experimenting with those a little as room mics.
 
Ha! I guess I'll take that as a compliment!:D

BTW (and I hope no one gets all nuts about this) If you haven't already, check out the TapeOp message board as well....it's a cool place as well and one can never have TOO many sources of information, can one?

As far as the Oktavas go....I haven't used them but lot's of folks like em' and a pair of small condenser in your arsenal is a good thing whether you find them suitable as room mics or not...especially if you are into recording things like acoustic instruments.


heylow
 
TexRoadkill said:
If you want to try an Omni the cheapie Behringer's (that I can't remember the name of) aren't too bad but they are a bit flat and boring sounding. PZM's can also work well.

I like using an extra LD condensor if I have one available as a room mic on drums. Just take an extra mic, preferably a condensor, and see how it sounds. Sometimes using one mic a few feet away as the only mic can work great.
Click to expand...

ECM8000 - For 40 bucks it'd be worth a try. Not bad little mics.
 
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