Dragging overhead tracks into phase with the snare

[FattMusiek]

I guess I'm so used to slightly out of phase overhead tracks that when I drag them perfectly into phase in Audition, it sounds strange. Theoretically it should sound better because of the increase of amplitude but the added fatness is weird to me. Has anyone experienced this phenomenon?

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

Sorta.

I don't bother dragging those tracks into phase. They sound fine and natural where they are as long as they are equidistant from the snare and kick beater.

I worry more about the BOTTOM mic on the snare and the beater mic on the kick- they are more usually 180 deg. out of phase and causing problems. I just flip the phase and that's that.

Otherwise I move the mics until it sounds right and leave it at that. My guiding principle when using a DAW is "just because you can doesn't mean you should."

Take care,
Chris

 

[mixsit]

... Has anyone experienced this phenomenon?

Yes. Often enough the fattest' version might not be the best.
Consider that any combination of multi-path (out of time) will be only partially in phase. That means no mater where the mics are placed. And yet lots of pleasing sounds are found.

The purpose of a cable is to get stuck under everything in its path.

And this is oh so true. Cables, rope, all that kind of shit is so... devious in that way.