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

  • Thread starter Thread starter formerlyfzfile
  • Start date Start date
formerlyfzfile

formerlyfzfile

New member
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).

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.

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...?

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

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