new mic, help

[danny boy]

I got a new Oktava 319 and it has no manual. This is my first condenser, so I don't really understand the 2 switches and what they are for. What exactly does the 10 db switch do? What is the other switch for?????

 

[DJL]

The 10dB switch is a pad and you use it when the sound soure is really loud. The other switch is a fliter and is used to roll off the lows.

 

[danny boy]

Thanks DJL, I will need to mess with it some more. I am using it for accoustic, vocals and drum overhead. What do you suggest setting should be for those situations, or is it just preference?

c7sus - man it has grown out of control down here, you wouldn't recognize it.

 

[DJL]

You'll most likely end up with the switches off, but play with them so you get a feel for how they work and what they do.

 

[Richard Monroe]

Danny Boy, try the Bass rolloff (also known as a high pass filter) if the boom from an acoustic guitar is a problem. The pad would generally only be used for real loud stuff, as in drums or a cranked up amp. Experiment, though. If you can get a good clean signal without clipping (nasty distortion resulting from overloading any component of the signal chain), just turn the switches off and leave them that way. They're not tone shaping tools, they're problem solvers. If you don't have a problem, don't try to fix it.-Richie

 

[still4given]

The bass rolloff can also come in handy if you are not using a shock mount. It will help eliminate those low thumps you get from picking up vibrations from the stand. Many times the lower frequencies only tend to fight other instruments in the mix anyway. Don't just judge the sound by what a single track sounds like. It is more important how it sits in the mix.

Blessings, Terry

 

[danny boy]

Thanks for all the help, I think it's starting to sound better. I do have another question though. I have a very small room and it has more echo than a empty barrel, could you give me some vocal mic ideas with the 319. I am using a BR1180 and seem to get a better sound using a dynamic mic, the condenser just seems to capture too much reverb, it sounds like I'm singing into a steel barrel.

 

[baniak]

I wouldn't give up on condensers - I really like the 319, it sounds nice in a good room, but it does pick up alot of extra noise that dynamics don't pick up... that can be a blessing and a curse.

I wouldn't let your room dictate your recording practices, it should be the recording practices dictate your room...
Is this the only room you can record in?

If so... what is causing the reverb? What are it's dimensions? What type of floor does it have (carpeted/ hardwood...)

You should do some research into making your room acoustically fit for recording... there are a bunch of threads floating around about that here, and elsewhere on the net.

Just hanging up a few quilts in the room would make a noticeable difference.

 

[danny boy]

My room is 10' x 7', it has carpet on the floor and I have put carpet pad on one wall. I don't have very much room to move around, got a 5 piece kit, lots of guitars, keyboard and stand with my amps and recording equipment. Do you think I should pad the rest of the room or is it my recording technique that I need to adjust? I could go to another room, but it's a chore to move everything, mostly drums. I think I get a lot of echo from the sound bouncing around in the toms, I might try throwing a quilt over those. Thanks for the help.

 

[baniak]

I'd definitely look into to dampening the drum noise -

It sounds like you are not recording multiple instruments at the same time? Just one track at a time?

Like I said (I'm just in the beginning of my recording knowledge myself) I don't think that you should limit your options just because of the room you're recording in - definetely adjust to the room you are recording in, because that's important for any recordist, but don't limit yourself to just one type of microphone.

Why can't you just record the vocals in another room, wouldn't you just have to move the BR1180 and whatever microphone paraphernelia you need with you when you record vocals? That would mean that you could still record drums/ guity/ keyboard in your 10' x 7' room, without the hassle of moving everything else - except for the whole unplugging every single cord thing, it shouldn't be too bad.

Also, maybe you could build or buy some makeshift go-betweens, so that you could "isolate" your vocal from the rest of the room - this would help you with the space issue.

 

[danny boy]

I am going to move 1180 to another room for vocals, have the same problem with drums as well, working on some different mic techniques. I will try later on, thanks for the help.