Coresound Binaurals?

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deathofamind

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I've been into home recording for about a year, and I've been using a pair of Coresound Binaural mics. I bought them a while back because I figured they'd serve a dual purpose... besides home recording, they are very "stealth"-like and I can use them for bootlegging concerts. Heh. It works great... they can barely be seen.

But anyway, now that I'm actually learning the proper way to do home recording, I'm thinking about buying a Shure SM-57 or SM-58. Everybody says that those are great for vocals and guitar (and drums, if I ever wanted to add those). But here's the thing... the Coresounds retail for around $200... so would I really be getting better sound out of a Shure mic that sells for half that?

Oh, and while I'm asking... which one would be better, a SM-57 or a SM-58? The 58 would be better to get, right? Maybe that's a dumb question... I don't know. But I see a lot of people praising the 57, so it makes me wonder which is better for home recording.
 
Stealth mics are great aren't they? I've actually used them for some of my recordings (not bootlegging). I went with Studio Professionals mini cardiods.

Yep the sm57 is a recording standard--guitar cabs, drums etc. It gets used for vocals *sometimes*. But it is regarded primarily as an instrument mic. It's good to have a pair around. They make great utility mics.

The 58 is more of live usage mic. People do use it for recording and have gotten good results. Some jazz singers will specifically ask for it when recording. But for the price of a new sm58, you could get a large diaphragm condenser like a MXL V67.

Price doesn't necessarily determine how good a mic will sound. My $180 pair of stealth mics sound better than my $300 pair of AKG 1000S' on my drums recorded in my living room. And to ask which is better between a sm57 and sm58...it all really depends on your application. Conversely, the AKG 1000S' sound better than my Sound Professional stealth mics on a choir recorded in a church.

In other words what sounds ok on a given application with mic "A" could sound better with mic "B". And vice versa. It really depends. Too many variables (that I don't care to list right now). But back to the 57 vs 58 thing, it would be pretty safe to say though, that the sm57 sees more use in recording than a sm58.

If you're serious about getting "properly" started in homerecording, look into large diaphragm and/or small diaphragm condensers in addition to a dynamic mic. The MXL v67 I mentioned is a large diaphragm condenser (and not necessarily recommending, just giving you an example). The AKG 1000S' are small diaphragms and the sm57 and sm58 are both dynamic.

Generally speaking, condensers will do a better job on vocals and acoustic recording (not too loud sound sources) than dynamics. Dynamics are better suited for recording very loud sources (drums, guitar cabs, bass cabs, yelling). Again it depends on what's being played or sung. These are very general guidelines/rules for microphone selection/application. Just giving you a basic reference.

What are you going to be recording and what kind of mic you are looking for. Vocal? Instrument? Drum overheads? There are many mics that have been suggested for specific applications in this forum. Some mics have more uses than others.
 
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Wow, thanks! What you're saying is helping me out a lot. I'll have to look into some of those mics you mentioned. But you're saying that stealth mics aren't so terrible for home recording then? I mean, I've always been perfectly happy with my results. But the point is, it's the only thing I've ever used - so I don't really have anything to compare it to. Honestly though, I'm just starting to skim the surface of home recording... so far I haven't even mic'ed my amp yet. I've just been plugging my amp into my sound card, and the mics have only been used for vocals. But I'm going to start mic'ing my amp, so I guess that'll be the true test to see how well these binaurals work.

My style is usually loud distorted guitars, but with soft singing... sorta like My Bloody Valentine, I guess. There wouldn't be any yelling... but if I ever want to mic my amp, I sometimes have it pretty loud and distorted. So I guess based on what you said, I should stick with a dynamic mic to handle those loud sounds. And if it's a choice between the 57 and 58, I guess I should get the 58... just in case I ever get a gig. ;) Of course, then I guess I'd need two... one for vocals, and one for my amp. But anyway... if my CSB's sound good with my amp, I guess I'll just stick with them for home recording.

Thanks!
 
No prob deathofamind.

You could probably get away with doing a bunch your recording with your binaurals. Just be aware of what they were designed for. For starters, the binaurals are mini omni-directional electret mics. So you can think of them as mini omni condensers. Binaurals when placed on your head, near the ears, are meant to pick up sounds like the human ears does. Your head acts as a sound baffle. Binaurals are best to listen to with headphones.

Typically when we use two of the same microphones, we are trying to make a stereo recording. Your binaural mics are capable of recording in stereo (not binaural) by seperating the distance between them by at least 6-8" or so without a baffle. A stereo T-bar would be great for this.

To get a 58 would be very practical if you want to use it for live use as well. Using a 58 (cardiod) would give you more control over unwanted background noise vs. the binaurals (omni). I personally prefer LD condensers for solo vocals (usually). Then for group recordings--choirs, small ensembles, small bands--I'll use the SD condensers (usually) and in that case I'd record in stereo (whip out the stealths :) ).

Harvey Gerst gave us a great microphone primer a couple weeks ago. It would be of great worth for anyone just starting out and even people who have had experience so check it out: https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27030
 
Here's an excerpt taken from The Sound Professionals' FAQ section regarding "Binaurals," omni's and cardiods. The FAQ is addressing what type of mic should be typically used when recording in certain venues. The concept of microphone's pickup patterns can be applied to our home recording endeavors.

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4- When is it advantageous to use Omni-directional mics?
When you are recording in a venue that has good acoustics, the audience is fairly quiet and you are fairly close to the sound source, Omni-directional mics are capable of make excellent recordings and would be the mic of choice.

In addition, when you specifically need to use a very small microphone, omni's are the better choice. Good quality Cardiods are about 2 or more times the size of equivalent sounding omnidirectional mics. The Cardioid mics that are commonly available in the same size package as the small omni's are lacking in deep bass and high frequency response.

5- When is it advantageous to use Cardioid mics?
When you are recording in a venue that does not have great acoustics, the audience is noisy and/or you can't get close to the sound source, Cardioids are the better mics to use.

Since Cardiods are directional mics, they will greatly reduce excess reflected sound coming at the mics from all over the venue. They do a good job of reducing unwanted audience noise from the sides are rear. While they can be used up close with excellent results, they excel over Omni mics when recording from a distance. In fact, there are different levels of directionality available, including Sub-cardioid, (regular) Cardioid, Hyper-cardioid and Super-Cardioid (sometimes called shotgun) mics. In general, the further you are from the sound source, the more directional the mic should be.

Cardioids are also the preferred mic to use on stage for sound reinforcement applications, since they are less likely to feedback through a PA system.

9- Why do you call miniature Omnidirectional mics "Binaural microphones" Are you trying to confuse people?

No, but all of this can be quite confusing. The reason mini omni mics are sometimes called binaurals is that over the years, in the industry, these little omni mics have simply become known as "Binaurals".

Really, what they would be more accurately called is "dual channel miniature omnidirectional microphones that are capable of making binaural or stereo recordings", but we might grow old having to say that each time, so we just shorten it to "binaurals".

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This is all very helpful... I realy do appreciate it. And I'll check out that link you mentioned.

I'll have to try what you said about placing the mics 6-8" apart on a T-bar. I've used them near my ears (like they were meant to be used) to bootleg a few local shows around here, and I always love the results. I imagine that using the mics on a T-bar would probably work pretty good for recording acoustic guitar (I didn't mention it, but I sometimes play acoustic too). And as for mic'ing my amp with the binaurals... well, I'll probably play around with a hundred different configurations until I get a sound that I like. Because afterall, the trial and error (and getting it right) is half of the fun! :)

I'll probably get a SM-58 in a few weeks, but it's nice to know that my binaurals will still have some use. I guess for different recording situations, I'll try both and see which sounds best.
 
Isnt it hard to record when you have to stick your head up in the bass drum for that killer smack? ;)
 
Yeah, but there's no other away to achieve a true binaural effect. ;) Besides if you were to listen to the recording on set of good heaphones, it'd be just like YOU had your head in there (just like the dummy who stuck his head in to make the recording). In one word..... AMAZING!!! :D

As for the technique involved....Well, at first it's hard to get the hang of it. You're forced into a weird prone position for starters. Depending on the sound you're trying to accomplish, one could tilt/rotate his head to accomplish the desired effect--for more attack face the beater head (so you're looking at it head on); for more oomph face one ear to beater and the other ear towards the open end of kick. There are many variables in between.

Years of Yoga training and exercise and gradual hearing loss have helped me perfect this technique. Too bad I can't hear my recordings anymore. Now I have someone tell me how the mix sounds and in turn I tell him what buttons, knobs, and sliders to move. :D :D :D
 
hahaha... come on guys... I don't even have a drummer! I'm a one man band recording demos at home!

wait, so um... if I decide to start drumming, how would I get my head in there while I drum? ;)
 
Binaurals are cool. I played around with them awhile back and they are very cool to listen to on headphones.

Maybe you can start a new trend of albums recorded entirely with binaural mics.
 
I picked up a "stealth" set of mini condensers a couple years ago for stereo field recording to use with my portable minidisc recorder. They're based on a matched pair of Audio Technicas's 853's. The cool thing about it is that it has interchangeble elements. I picked up a cardiod pair and the option for a pair omni elements (which gives me the option of "binaural" recording).

As I mentioned in my other post, stereo recordings can be made with binaurals by spreading them at least 6-8".
But, as with any other set of omnidirectional mics, room acoustics plays a big part in how the recording sounds. (That's why I got the cardiod elements too.)

I initially got them for the sole purpose of field recording, but eventually made use of them on *some* homerecording, live shows and small gigs.

Deathofamind, I too am a bit of one man band, that is when I'm recording my own music. I have actually used my mini cardiods on drums as overheads.

I was working on a spoof of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild," to be used as a music bed for a local tv spot. I was originally gonna use synth drums via my keyboard, but the program director wanted real drums when he heard the synth version. We had a deadline and all I have here at home is a practice set (Pearl Ryhthm Traveller) in the living room. So I ended up tracking the drums at home.

I was too lazy to bring my recording setup downstairs so I monitored through my networked computer downstairs and recorded the drums to minidisc. The only mics used were the mini-cardiods on a T-bar placed about 6 ft back. Luckily the director was going for a raw dirty vintage sound; almost live, so the drums, let alone the recording, didn't have to be pristine.

Man, all this talk of binaural/stealth mics made me want to use them for something so much that I started a new thread regarding the use of Jecklin discs.

See: "Scott Dorsey's Website?" https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?s=&threadid=51796
 
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