using 3 mics?

S

stainlessbrown

New member
any thoughts on using 3 mics on an acoustic? I usually use 2- an LDC ~12" off the sound hole pointing about the bridge, and a SDC ~12" off the neck/12th fret point towards the nut

I'm wondering how much "bang" for the buck/effort" adding a room mic, say 8 - 12 ' back midway between ceiling/floor?

Thanks for any comments
 
It depends...so try it and see what you get. :)

When I do mic an acoustic in recent times, I've gone for a single mic and position, though lately I don't even mic acoustics, preferring to use one of the Dean Markley ProMag pickups, since most times my acoustic tracks are mixed in with electric guitar tracks and other stuff…and the ProMag just works out best.
If it's going to be only acoustic and a vocal...find a nice room...mic it up....1-2-3 mics...whatever works in that situation/location.
 
.. Whenever you'd like to to bring in some room effect, add a depth factor. Short reflections can pull a track back away from the front of the mix.
 
I could just set a 3rd mic and start moving it around, but i was looking for thoughts opinion on as far away as possible? level with the guitar, at ear level, if using a 3rd, why not a 4thy (stereo)?

my acoustics have pick-ups : a Taylor 614 ce, and a 30+ year old Guild D-25 with a LR Baggs, but I prefer the mic'd sound over the dryer pup sound

but wondering if a room mic would provide enough ambiance to eliminate any verb treatment of the tracks

it's supposed to rain this weekend, maybe I'll get out of my lazy-ass mode and try something:rolleyes:
 
There's no hard and fast rule on room mics (but try to keep it away from boundries). Move it till it sounds good.
Yes you could use a 4th.

The thing to watch out for is phase issues. Keep that in the back of your mind while you are moving them around.

cheers
 
Whether to add a room mic is really application dependent. You'll really just have to experiment. If it's a solo guitar piece, then yeah, a room mic might be really cool. In other contexts, perhaps not so cool.

I do have to disagree with Guido #2 on the staying away from boundaries. Sometimes a room mic a an inch or two from the floor or wall can be just the ticket. With the ambient mic close to a surface, you avoid a lot of the phasing issues caused by multiple reflections. Boundary mics (PZM's) were developed on this principal.

Again, experimenting is the key.
 
Well, that's another thing entirely....
I guess you could still call that a room mic though. I do that with drums sometimes with a mic against the window pane.
 
Naw- not really. It's just the way I look at things.
Usually when you say "room mic" you think of a mic up in the middle of the room. At least I do, anyway. Bad habit I guess.



From outdoors. Took me a moment to get that:)
 
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