one mic or two?

  • Thread starter Thread starter dobro
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dobro

dobro

Well-known member
I've been recording voice and guitar simultaneously with two mics since I started tracking earlier this year. Tonight, just for a change, I recorded voice and guitar through one mic only. The result was a very simple but attractive sound. Then to compare, I close miked the guitar and my voice with two mics simultaneously - this take had more detail in both voice and guitar, of course. Which one to go with? I wondered. Then I thought, well, if I asked this question on the bbs, what would people there say? They'd say listen to both and choose the one you like best. Thing is, I can't decide which one I like best - I like the detail on the second take, and I like the one mic sound equally well.

Anybody been in this situation before? I'm not looking for someone to give me an answer, but maybe somebody'll say something that helps me through this.
 
Hmmm... Dobro - you might have stumbled onto something new.... may I suggest a name for your new technique "STEREO MIC'ing!!!"

:D :D :D

Bruce
 
Damn, it's the *mono* miking that's the revelation for me.
 
Yeah... but now you know what the difference is!!! :D

But seriously - I think you just added another dimension to your recording technique repertoire - sometimes you'll find the single mic solution more appropriate than other times... and sometimes, it's the depth of the stereo mic'ing that you'll want.

For example - in one of my band's own tunes (which tends towards funk/blues) - for most of the tunes - either direct or a single mic'd amp was good. But we have this one tune where I wasn't getting the sound I wanted. It's a more jazz-oriented piece which I was using my semi-acoustic for the rhythm bits. I mic'd up my amp, and ran a '57 to it... it just wasn't what I was looking for... didn't have that "depth" - I put up a condenser about 2 feet back (for more of the room sound) and voila!

My point is... it all depends on what level of depth you need for a particular track in determining how to mic up!

Bruce
:)
 
Similar thing hapened to me once. I was just throwing together a quick take of an acoustic tune for my ears only. I used a 58 for vox and my soundhole pickup for guitar. Presumably because I was being careless about the set-up my mic picked up way more guitar than usual. I just brought up the pick-up track a little for some more definition in the guitar and it sounded pretty nice, given the situation. I wouldn't say that I've added it to my arsenal because I've since found better ways to mic an acoustic, but for that one piece I was surprised and happy.

Dobro, please give me the red pen treatment on this post. Then I'll get some peer response from some other members, another draft, and submit a final publishable draft for you to read and respond. :rolleyes::p
 
Well, anyone who comes up with a word like 'publishable' is obviously taking their job of writing seriously, but I think you should add the word 'to' to the end of your piece. Then it'll be gold star material. :D
 
If you're asking for comments on which technique worked better for what you were trying to do, may I suggest the mp3 mixing clinic?
 
yes, the mp3 clinic. I would love to hear these samples!
 
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