Bass roll-off on mic AND pre??

Raydio

New member
I am tracking using a Neumann U87 going into an Apollo, using their Neve 73 preamp. Do you recommend doing a bass-roll on both the microphone and the Neve 73? Or just one one of them? Thoughts?
 
Hi,
They're going to roll off by an amount per octave so stacking them will double that amount, making a steeper roll-off curve/slope.

As to one or the other, I don't think it really matters unless they have different characteristics and one of them sounds better to you.

If you're recording, rather than streaming, I'd probably leave them both off and just use a plugin.
That's just personal preference. :)
 
Hi,
They're going to roll off by an amount per octave so stacking them will double that amount, making a steeper roll-off curve/slope.

As to one or the other, I don't think it really matters unless they have different characteristics and one of them sounds better to you.

If you're recording, rather than streaming, I'd probably leave them both off and just use a plugin.
That's just personal preference. :)

I guess Im trying to see if this is normal for most studio engineers. And if not, do you prefer to roll-offf at the mic or at the mic pre.
 
I guess Im trying to see if this is normal for most studio engineers. And if not, do you prefer to roll-offf at the mic or at the mic pre.

IMHO it depends on where you are recording. If you have any kind of air management(ac/heater blower), equipment noise , traffic rumble. etc that is nearly always present or possible in the mic feed when auditioning with headphones turned up, I would tend to use the high pass on the mic. Micing a guitar cab I would usually not high pass at the mic, more likely at the pre.

If you have a quiet enough room, I wouldn't bother unless you are tone shaping.

Remember that even low level low frequency content will take up a bit of the dynamic range, so if there is mud going on might as well check if it's better with high pass on.
 
Despite the present fashion to build pre amps that response into the lower MW radio band, it is always preferable to limit the frequency response of a system to around the frequency range you are recording.

Thus, unless recording something that goes below 100Hz say, cut it off.

I am also not enamoured of DC coupled ***t!

Dave.
 
I am tracking using a Neumann U87 going into an Apollo, using their Neve 73 preamp. Do you recommend doing a bass-roll on both the microphone and the Neve 73? Or just one one of them? Thoughts?
No one can say for sure, all the responses are just guesses as it depends on these things:
1. The voice of the singer
2. The room you are in
3. Your recording techniques (proximity effect as one of 100 variables that can change the sound)
4. Your personnel taste
5. The sound you want for that specific vocal

So knowing all this now, you will have to take a few minutes sand try both of your scenarios out and see what fits that specific recording session with that specific singer. It will take you 60 seconds to record 2 short takes to see what works best for you.
 
I NEVER do it on record. It's a post choice for me, because on the mic it's all or nothing, in eq, you can be more controlled and aggressive or light. Removing it on record, then wanting to add it back never works well.
 
I'll use one or the other in the notion of capture as reasonably close to the 'final need -with considered cautions. The cautions being simply that it's a lot easier to 'think rather than actually being right going down that road :>)

Sometimes I like that some of my pres (Chameleon 7602s) have some nice EQ options -picking your HP filter point is a nice option.
Then there's the the many mics and the rest of the pres with neither on them. No problem there either.


Oops. 'Both? Why on earth :>)
 
"Oops. 'Both? Why on earth :>) "

Quite! ^ If you combine two simple, first order, 6dB/oct HPFs you get a second order, 12dB/oct at the same turnover frequency. (how you make 'em FCS!) But if you combine two filters of different T/O/f in different parts of the signal chain you will get some bastard Frankenstein response! You might even synthesise some sort of "hump" (shut up that boy at the back!) or notch.

K.I.S.Sir.

Dave
 
You have to ask yourself if there's going to be an usable information below 100hz and if so don't high-pass going in. Otherwise ALWAYS high-pass.
 
You have to ask yourself if there's going to be an usable information below 100hz and if so don't high-pass going in. Otherwise ALWAYS high-pass.

+1! There is a very, very old saying in the PA/recording business..."The wider you open the window, the more the **** flies in"

Dave.
 
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