Mic Compression?

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Johnboy Walton

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Is it actually possible for a microphone to compress? My drummer bought Audix drum mics, and in positioning the kick mic last night to get rid of a nasty "quack," I thought I'd found the perfect mic placement; punchy, loud, round, etc.

When I listened back to the track later that night, though, it sounded like I had a compressor going. I know I didn't have one running (digital mixer, eveything's off), so now I'm wondering if I found some nasty resonant point inside the kick that is beyond the capabilities of the microphone we used. Is this possible? They won't let me re-track the cut, so I'm stuck with whatever I've got. It sounds okay in context, so I'm okay on this one, but I'm just curious for future reference so I can listen for this if it happens again.

Johnboy
 
I've found that some mic's sound kind of "collapsed" when used with kick. (kinda like a speaker frapping out or something). Never used the Audix, but you may have had it to far in the shell?
 
woops one more thing. What mixer are you using, and could you have been clipping the pre-amp just a little? You know you set it for one volume and the player attacks it with another? (no offence)

Could the mixer have been beyond its specs for this particular output? (to hot of a signal)?
 
Nope, definitely not pre clip. I've got an 01V, and the converters clip WAY before the pre's flub-out. I was actually turning the pre up, and that was the first thing I noticed. When I was expecting the input to clip, it wasn't, even under somewhat varying attack levels. I guess that should have been my first clue.

Also, the drummer insists on using a ported front head and just sticking the mic inside the drum. Almost every setup like this I've seen has had the front head off, but my drummer's one of those guys who already knows how to do eveything. It's taken me three recording rounds just to get him to put a pillow in his drum (yep, first time we recorded was an un-miffled kick), and then to muffle the snare ring... ugh.
 
Someone needs to take your drummer out back and beat him with his toms a few times :)
 
Are you volunteering?

I can't tell you how many times I've wished we had a producer or somebody to tell him he just had to do it a certian way (you know, a GOOD way?) so that I didn't have to argue with him. He won't listen to me about anything, he's always right (on everything, especially band promotion), it's just maddening! Oh well, thanks for letting me vent... When I get a new mix thrown together, I'll dump it up in the MP3 forum. Looks like my studio is coming home this weekend, so I might have something early next week.


Oh yeah, so, does anybody actually know? Can a microphone really compress if you push it too hard? It's not like a speaker dying; it sounds just like compression. And BTW, these are the Audix mics that come in the drum pack that I've heard slammed here more than once... :(

Johnboy
 
I've seen mics compress from overdriving - but usually its dynamic mics - I've had my fair share of EV N-DYM's and Shure SM's squish my voice onstage...
 
Sounds like you need a good drum machine ;)

Anytime he argues with you just say, "Oh, do you prefer that shitty retro sound? I was trying to make you sound good. But we can do it your way. I hear the garage band drum sound is making a comeback."
 
Griffinator:
Yep, they're dynamics alright. It just really threw me for a loop to hear compression when I KNOW there wasn't any. Well, thanks for the validation, I guess I'll just treat it as a pre-compressed track and hope it works.

TexRoadkill:
Tempting though that is, I'm happier with bad acoustic drums than good electronic ones. :) The rest of the tracks sound okay...
 
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