DIY mic shields - any thoughts?

[dintymoore]

I heard that there was a study in Germany where they found that if they added a 7th puking cat that people actually dug it and danced like crazy.

 

[cashcohen]

Glancing back to the original topic, that sofa in your garage might be useful. A friend of mine records in his basement which has a big poofy hand-me-down sofa and he turns it on it's end so it almost reaches the ceiling, and sets the mic up in front of it, and faces into the cushions when he sings.

This sounds pretty funny, but hey, I'll definitely give it a try. Blankets are probably just as effective though, no? Though I suppose the extra thickness of the couch helps....

I'll test it out and report back.

 

[frederic]

When I bought this house someone gave me a coffee table book called "Dancing with Cats", with astounding pictures of very artsy-types doing all sorts of creative dancing with their cats, their cats copying their poses (or the other way around, who knows). I had several cats at the time and as a joke I tried to dance with them, and they just sat in the sun, yawned, and thought I was nuts.

Regarding the sofa, the reason why my friend used one is he had one - didn't have any large heavy blankets or quilts that his wife was willing to part with.

So, the ugly beige sofa with two very large sunflowers patterned on it that he's not allowed to throw out (per order of same wife) gets flipped on it's end and used as a gobo instead. Me, I would have snuffed a few cigars on it to make it a "unacceptably damaged" then be instructed to get rid of it but my friend isn't that mean, or clever?

We all make the best out of what we have.

 

[cashcohen]

There are many aspects that contribute to the quality of a recording, and it isn't all technical. We focus on the technical here because that's what this forum is about, but obviously if you record six puking cats with the very best equipment (or a cheap 4-track and a radio shack microphone) most people aren't going to want to hear it regardless what it was recorded on.

Yes! Thank goodness people on this forum seem to understand this. I've been listening to a lot of Buddy Holly lately. The recording quality is meh, but the performance quality...the charisma, the energy, the excitement...it all punches through and makes you appreciate even more that it was done on crappy equipment. That's true rock n roll!

I'm happy simply if my recordings don't distort my intention....i.e. change the quality of my voice or add bad-sounding reverb/room artifacts. Lo-fi is A-OK. I want to my talent as a musician and songwriter to be the focus of the listener.

 

[grimtraveller]

I heard that there was a study in Germany where they found that if they added a 7th puking cat that people actually dug it and danced like crazy.

Naw, that was Italy. Puccini, I think. Right now, don't mention Germany to the English !

 

[grimtraveller]

We all make the best out of what we have.

This, for me, is the essence and mantra of my kind of home recording.

 

[dintymoore]

...We all make the best out of what we have.

This, for me, is the essence and mantra of my kind of home recording.

Everyone does that.

I think that if most people were instantly put in the top pro studios they'd probably be surprised to find that it was just another level of that. It isn't as different as most people might think.