Can you use a figure 8 mic as an overhead??

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formerlyfzfile

formerlyfzfile

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I mean I know I CAN use it....but would even be worth it sound wise.

Here's my situation.

I only have a limited number of mics.

RE20 (kick)
Sm57 (snare)
E200 (overhead in fig 8 maybe)
Ecm8000 (originally going for OH but the room is SMALL)
NT3
P45i (peavy sm58-ish)
and a couple of crappy RS mics

I have a Penta, a 286a, Audiobuddy, and Art MP for preamps.

I have a 424MK II 4 track and a VS880 8 track.
Both of these record only up to 4 tracks simultaneously.

I wanted to record my friends band and was thinking about a 3 mic drum kit set up and bass on the first pass and then overdubbing the guitar and vocal(s).

Its just rehersal demos.

I was considering the following plan.

Overhead > E200 fig8 > Focusrite > trk1
Kick >RE20 > 286a > trk2
Snare > SM57 > Audiobuddy > trk 3
Bass > DI from line out of Ampeg bass head > trk4

I had considered recording these 4 tracks to the 424 and then sending the stereo mix of the drum tracks through the Penta's comprssor to tracks 1 and 2 of the 880, to kind of gel them together....if neccessary.

Then I could use the direct Tape Outs of the 424 to run the bass track and a doubled snare or kick to tracks 3 and 4 of the 880.

And then overdub directly to the 880 for the guitar and vox.

Any thoughts.............

-mike
 
Try it, you might like it!

All ya' got's to do is flip the phase on one side of the E200. You should end up with a sound very similar to an x-y setup. That means you'll need 2 tracks for the overhead though (one for each side of the capsule).
 
try switching between the cardiod and the figure 8 and see what you like better in terms of sound.

also you can try that little stereo, one cardiod mic one figure 8 mic trick.. but that would require another mic.
 
Re: Try it, you might like it!

How were you thinking of positioning it? Front to the kit/rear to the room? Sid-to-side would put the null on the kit. Hmm...:)


M.Brane said:
All ya' got's to do is flip the phase on one side of the E200. You should end up with a sound very similar to an x-y setup. That means you'll need 2 tracks for the overhead though (one for each side of the capsule).
Click to expand...

Something's missing here (maybe my brain:eek: ) It's a mono mic right? Flipping one side would be the omni position...?
Wayne
 
I use a Royer SF12 for overhead all the time (it's basically 2 fig.8 capsules at right angles). Definitely don't turn it sideways (unless it's part of a M/S pair). Don't bother trying to get any kind of "pseudo stereo" from a single figure 8 mic, unless you combine it with another mic (of any pattern, really) which will allow you to do the sum & difference matrixing that allows a M/S pair to create stereo. No amount of futzing with the signal from a single mic will let you seperate what the back of it "hears" from what the front does. Period.

Scott
 
I use a Royer SF12 for overhead all the time (it's basically 2 fig.8 capsules at right angles). Definitely don't turn it sideways (unless it's part of a M/S pair). Don't bother trying to get any kind of "pseudo stereo" from a single figure 8 mic, unless you combine it with another mic (of any pattern, really) which will allow you to do the sum & difference matrixing that allows a M/S pair to create stereo. No amount of futzing with the signal from a single mic will let you seperate what the back of it "hears" from what the front does. Period.

Scott
 
eeldip said:
try switching between the cardiod and the figure 8 and see what you like better in terms of sound.

also you can try that little stereo, one cardiod mic one figure 8 mic trick.. but that would require another mic.
Click to expand...

No, that would not work. It requires two mics to put together an MS setup. Without the mid mic in the mid/sides pair, you can not split the two "sides" of a bidirectional mic.

Go ahead and try it.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
DOH!

mixsit said:
Something's missing here (maybe my brain:eek: ) It's a mono mic right? Flipping one side would be the omni position...?
Click to expand...

I think it may be my brain that's MIA. The E200 is a mono mic, so there will be no stereo with that.:o

Omni is always an option for mono. Put it right above the drummer's head. If the drummer plays nice 'n hard it should give you a good balance of the cymbals, toms, and snare. You won't have stereo that way, but you also won't have any phase issues to deal with on the cymbals.:cool:

If the snare comes through like it did for me in that position you can probably lose the snare mic too.
 
Thanks guys.

I was all psyched to try it out this weekend but then I had to work all freakin weeend.

Hopefully I will be able to try some of things this comming weekend.

I'll post how I think the results turned out.

-mike
 
Thanks guys.

I was all psyched to try it out this weekend but then I had to work all freakin weeend.

Hopefully I will be able to try some of things this comming weekend.

I'll post how I think the results turned out.

-mike
 
Thanks guys.

I was all psyched to try it out this weekend but then I had to work all freakin weeend.

Hopefully I will be able to try some of things this comming weekend.

I'll post how I think the results turned out.

-mike
 
Light said:
No, that would not work. It requires two mics to put together an MS setup. Without the mid mic in the mid/sides pair, you can not split the two "sides" of a bidirectional mic.

Go ahead and try it.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
Click to expand...

"one cardiod mic one figure 8 mic trick", meaning two mics... sorry for the confusion.
 
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