Need help micing congas. Spaced pair confusion.

[Kroy]

I'm using 421s to close mic the 3 congas plus a pair of earthworks SR25s as spaced pair overheads. Would this be the best way?

I'm finding that if I abide by the 3-1 rule for spaced pair that the mics have to be low and close to the edge two congas, which picks up more of those two and less of the middle one. is that correct or can I break the rule a bit here and bring the mics over a bit more so they pick up the central conga more?

Mics I have:
421 X 2
441 X 1
RE20 X 1
SR25 X 3
Oktavamod 319
MXL SP1 X 2
SM57 X 1
Audix i5 X 1

 

[stevieb]

I assume you are recording, not live sound, right? I'm no conga mic'ing expert, but if you have two 421's, and (I assume) two mic stands that you can mount them on, why not put one 421 "low and close" to small and mid conga, equadistance from them both, and the onter 421 l&c to mid and large, equadistance to them. Record them to two different tracks, reverse the poliarity of one mic to cancel out phase... wouldn't you be fine, then? Like I said, no expert, here, just organizing what I have heard that might help.

 

[Kroy]

Thanks for the reply Steve,

I want to have the option of using the close mic, ambient mics or a combination of both. Also the Earthworks and 421s have such different but great (in their own individual ways) sounds. Mixing the two seems to yield some nice results to my ears - the earthworks clarity, the 421s 'body.'

 

[mixsit]

3:1's roll is to use distance to attenuate bleed/overlap/cross feed between two sources and two mics. That would apply between the two close mics, not so much to the spaced pair, but it does not apply betwen close and far mics.
As you introduce the far mics into combination with the close ones there will be time delay, and some phase combing tone effect (not necessarily a bad thing) unless a) their mixed rather low (depth of 'phasing), or b) back far enough to pick up mostly random room reflections (less direct sound).

 

[dgatwood]

The few times I've done it, I've put a dynamic a few inches above the head to pick up the crack and a second one with a foam windscreen lying on its side on the carpet below the conga stands to pick up the boom, then mixed to suit. Seems to work well. YMMV.

 

[Richard Monroe]

I'm with Dgatwood, unless you have a really great room you are trying to capture. I have very little experience with congas, but a fair amount with Djembe. Although a Djambe sounds different than a conga, the principle is the same. What comes off the skin, and what comes out of the bottom are two different animals. I use a C414, a C2000B, or an SM7 on the skin (I see no reason why an MD421 wouldn't work just fine), and an AKG D112, or any other low frequency mic, on the bottom. I point them more or less at each other, and reverse the phase on one of them. I think of the hole at the bottom like the sound hole on an acoustic guitar. The difference is that with percussion, "boom" is precisely one of the things you are trying to capture. That would increase the mic/channel demands from 5 channels to 6, if you have enough mics.
Unfortunately, I don't think 2 dynamic mics will work too well on 3 congas. If you are going to close mic the skins, you pretty much have to have 3 close mics for starters. Like I said, I would close mic the top and bottom of each drum separately, and mix to taste. If you really want an ambient mic also, why not just add one omni? No phase problem there.-Richie