(1) I don't have as much time as I'd like to use for recording (and usually have to setup/teardown a lot, making things even tighter for time), (2) I went nuts and picked up over 80 microphones in the last couple of years (mostly after reading about them here), and (3) my only (minimal) professional studio experience has been as a musician (who didn't pay attention to what the producers/engineers were doing
), so I still don't really know what I'm doing.
Add those three things together with the a) several different things I want to record, and b) the many different techniques and placement options I read about on here, and you'll see that any process I could use will be sub-optimal, at best - OK - disclaimer out of the way:
I start by reading to get a general idea of what to do and what not to do - for instance, I won't spend a lot of time trying to get a good recording of an
acoustic guitar using a dynamic mic placed across the room. Then, based on what I think might work, unless I already know what I want, I try two or three at the most (no more due to time constraints) different mics in three or four different placements - sometimes adjusting gain staging, and then run with what's best.
Ribbons for cabs (TnC ACM-2 or ACM-3 for me, with new transformers), LDCs (modded ACM-6802T (tube), modded Oktava MK-319, AT4040, Baby Bottle, C414B-ULS others) or dynamic (SM7b, EV-RE10, EV635a, modded SM57, SM58, others) for vox, one dynamic (SM57, modded SM57, MD421, or I5) on top and SDC (SM81, C451E, MK-012) on bottom for snare, MD421 for toms, C414B-ULS, or MK-012 for overheads, D112 for kick (because that's all I have), stereo SDCs for acoustic (modded MXL603, MK-012, SM81) for acoustic guitar, stereo LDCs and Ribbon or (C414B-ULS x2 + SM7b or ACMP ACM-3 or ACM-4) dynamic for bagpipes, ribbons or C414B-ULS for small percussion, etc. If I were to write about what I tried and decided *not* to use, the list would be longer, but not that much longer, mostly due to reading here and similar places.