It's all in the mic . . .

[chessrock]

I've been reading enough posts and doing enough of this stuff to realize how important quality musicianship is. How important technique is, and the quality of the instrument.

It's all been said, and it's all very true.

But given all of the variables mentioned as constant (given the same talent, technique, etc being equal) . . . it's really a matter of using the right mics. Of course you have to point them in the right direction and all, but if you're wondering what contributes the most to making a professional recording sound professional, my bet is on the microphones used in the process.

Accoustics are important. Yet, if I had my choice of better accoustics or better mics, I'd have to think about that one long and hard. It would be a tough call.

 

[Badger]

No No No no....Its all in the fingers....

 

[tdukex]

Nah, it's in the ears.

...wish mine knew what they wee doing.

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

It's all in the assistant...

...who do you think moves the mics when you tell 'em to!?!??!?

 

[junplugged]

What's in the mic? What. What are you/we all looking for? Old time distortion, clarity, frequency band enhancement matching a vocalists specific range of tones, or, the opposite, the reduction of the vocalists loudest, strongest, overbearing bandwidth?

I used a cruddy one channel portable, batt operated cassette deck with a normal cassette tape and captured a great performance, once. - built in mic, whatever that is.

I'll never get my home recording to sound like a real studio, so I gave up. I'm now looking for a decent sound that lets listeners hear the performance and song and not have to focus on the technical Q or lack of quality. I just try to get 'something' to shine thru....

But a good mic helps

 

[Harvey Gerst]

Mic placement is often more important than mic selection, IMHO.

 

[Sennheiser]

Never hurts to have a decent mic though.

 

[wes480]

i think its an even mix of good mic, good pre...

great mic, crappy pre...or crappy mic, great pre...doesn't work..

but a good even mix...

 

[wes480]

i think its an even mix of good mic, good pre...

great mic, crappy pre...or crappy mic, great pre...doesn't work..

but a good even mix...

 

[darrin_h2000]

putting all your stock in one thing never got a pro any results, having all the best mics, preamps, room treatments,and techniques for placement is the combination that will get pro results.

 

[DJL]

If the mic placement sucks... no matter how good your mic, pre, rm, and etc is... the recording will suck. Period.

 

[Emeric]

That's really deep thinking chessrock.

Is there a point somewhere here?

 

[sonusman]

Mic placement is often more important than mic selection, IMHO.

I agree with this 200%!!!

Ed

 

[sonusman]

And Harvey, thanks for posting possbly this single most pertinent and truthful post I have ever seen in this forum ever!

Ed

 

[JuSumPilgrim]

Mic placement is much more or an of issue in a good sounding room where you have alot of options. In small rooms with low ceilings the placement options are more limited and the mic/pre/comp/gain staging possibilities become more important.

 

[junplugged]

Good points. I'll be looking for a good mic and placing it somewhere in a decent room. A chart of what mic for what, and where could help to start.

 

[chessrock]

I was assuming all other variables to be equal; technique, etc.

Give me a better mic, and I'll figure out how to point it eventually.

Emeric, I think you kinda' nailed it on the head in not so many words. It's all just mental masturbation.

 

[kjam22]

I was assuming all other variables to be equal; technique, etc.

Give me a better mic, and I'll figure out how to point it eventually

That's pretty much my opinion. But I gotta say that the musician you are pointing it at makes a huge difference in determining if anybody wants to listen to the recording. I mean it is possible to record some people really well, with really good equipment..... who really stink.

 

[dobro]

You know, the distance between homers and pros and the difference in their respective perspective and approach has made for many a post here to be an exercise in hemmorrhoid development, but I like this thread - it does something useful. Harvey and Ed said something really true, and then Chessrock qualified it with something slightly different and also true, near as I can tell.

Another thought crosses what's left of my mind... I have a pretty good idea who are the the pro engineers on this board, but I have only a very rough idea of who are the most accomplished home recordists here. I would like to know... Okay, let's find out. I'll start. Well, first, there's me...

ps 'respective perspective' - I could never come up with that if I was trying...

 

[junplugged]

Theory: Mic Placement is hugely important.

Practice: ???

Let's not let this die out here. I imagine a lot of posts here are from 'experience.' And there seems to be a lot of it among us posters to this thread. So the next logical step is examples.

I'll start searching on mic placement. New thread?