Best practice to merge multiple mics signals

[Laimon]

Hi, I started recording some guitars at home with 2 mics, a Shure SM57 and an Audio Technica AT2020. I like both a lot, each has its own sound. The merge of the two signals sounds very powerful (it looks like I got no phasing issue at all, and in fact if I invert polarity for one the two signals almost cancel each other out), but I also find that (of course) the merged signal is stronger in the overlapping frequency range (40 to 15kHz).
How would you guys deal with it? perhaps a high shelf on the AT2020 from 15kHz on? (I doubt that bringing up the low end would benefit)
I imagine that the best way to approach it is to merge the two signals into one group channel, so that the outcome sounds as balanced as possible, and then take the actual mixing from the group channel.
Thanks for your advise!

 

[rob aylestone]

If you want to keep the relative balance the same, then a group would work for me - but you've already experimented and found something you like - you've considered dropping of the top, so what does it sound like? You've found something that works for you, so it's kind of your invention. I probably wouldn't have tried that combination, but that's what recording is all about - in a way, the internet is a bad thing, because if asked before you tried it, my reaction would perhaps have been 'yuk'. You did it, it works, so use it and tuck the trick away for next time. Maybe this is the problem with the net, we average everything out by asking. I wonder if Phil Spector had told everyone about his latest trick if he'd have been talked out of it because it was simply a stupid thing to do? Probably.

In your example, where that 'right' balance is critical, I'd perhaps also do a merge of those two tracks into a new one - not to really use, but just as a kind of security thing in case you mess it up later and can't get back what you had. The tweaks with eq can be tried when the mix is in progress, if you need to!