Mics More Complicated Than I Knew

drstawl

drstawl

Banned
I wrote three separate rants on how I was having trouble stereo micing acoustic guitar with a pair of NT-1s and a dbx386 tube mic pre. Kept getting >20dB discrepancy in signal level between channels. But after each draft I noticed that I hadn't done <all> my homework in researching the problem and went back to try those ideas. Hence the multiple drafts. I spent hours designing experiments and performing them. I even bought new cable. This was shamelessly tossing money at the problem and I'm now quite sick about it, but rationalize that expense by noting that now I've got two cables that are twins and are long enough to reach the next room, which I use to block out the PC fan. I'm just a little saddened that I can't hear a real difference between this Monster Standard 100 Pro-Link cable and the cheapies from Guitar Satan. When the tube mic pre finally warmed up, the problem went away.... :)
 
Well, at least you have nice cable now. You can use it to troubleshoot new problems that will arise, and you know they will. I think investing in good cables is never a bad thing, but I do feel your pain about the mic job. I have had many similar expereinces. Especially after I first got into the world of outboard pres. Do you always mic acoustic stereo? I do usually, but sometime I use like 5 mics and run direct lines and all that jazz, just to see if will be neater, but it usually isn't.

Anyway, its 5 in the morning and I am probably rambling,
MIKE
 
Doc,
How long did it take for the pre-amp to warm up? I use the ART Dual MP and find that if I have it running in excess of three hours that vocals take on an annoying coloration that isn't there at start up.
-Jim
 
Part of the trouble diagnosing this was I kept shutting off the pre-amp between tests.

Lambo: I'd say at least an hour. I've heard just the opposite about the ART pres. I've been told it doesn't start sounding good until it's been powered on for 3 hours!

I like the open sound I get from micing in stereo. I've been keeping the mics about 4 feet apart from each other and me.
 
I've done tests too, so try this - mics about a hand apart, parallel, and work them up close, stick your face right between 'em sometimes on the quiet bits.

Thanks for the heads up on the ART tube MP.
 
Hey doc, I leave my ART's on for weeks at a time. I turn them off overnight about every two weeks or so. I have found that they really don't sound good untill they have been on for at least 3 hours. But I tell you what, nothing beats the sound of them when they have been on for a few days!!!

Don't trust the knobs on that sucker either as even a crude volume reference. I find that one channel has to be up louder on every single one of the units that I use. Just the way it is with semi tube stuff like the Tube MP.

Lambo, you should be using an Mackie then. The coloration of the ART is what is so nice about it. But to say that it "colors" the sound is a bit misleading. Same mic running to it and a Focusrite Red pre. Know what? The ART sounded clearer, and had a much more natural sound. Only about a $2000 difference is price too.... :D So, I am not suggesting that you don't know what sounds good and what doesn't, but maybe you should try letting that puppy stay on for a few days, record something, don't listen to it for a few days, then take a listen. Also, the ART really does not provide a good sound untill it is just "tickling" the clip light a little bit. Then you start hearing the nice little sizzle. Stay down in the low yellow areas, or even the green, well, dull sound.

Ed

[This message has been edited by sonusman (edited 03-13-2000).]
 
Ed, I wish I could get my ART tube mp to start to clip. I'm using an AKG c1000s, which maybe doesn't have a lot of output, but I have to crank the pre-amp input knob practically all the way up to get any yellow on the indicator light, and all the way up (and yell into the mic from a couple of inches away) to get that puppy to turn red.

Still, though, the AKG and ART combo sound better than the SM57 plugged right into the mixer.
 
The Dual MP (which I believe is what sonusman has) has a four position meter. I have a singular MP and the thing just will not clip. The thing does distort like mad. I recently just recorded something with the +20 gain switch on- and there was way too much coloration going on on the vocal- sounded like I was singing through a guitar amp- it wasent fuzzy or anything, but the upper emphasis of the midrange killed my track. I do keep the thing on for extended hours- but for days?- I'll have to try that one!!
 
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