Phase problems and their corrections...

[ambi]

Ok, i have a general idea of what mics being out of phase is, i've read alot of explanations, and it made sense at the time, but it seems a lot has gone in one ear and out the other.

So how can you tell if mics are out of phase? It will sound really bad a wierd?

And how can you fix it? Ive been told moving the mics, or switching the phase on a mic can help.. but my mackie 1202 that im renting has no phase reversal switch that i can see. I DO have an ART studip mp which has a phase reversal switch, but i'd rather just use the mackie if possible.

For instance, if im micing Conga drums, with a condensor over the top pointing down, and a beta 52 underneath pointing up, ive been told i could have phase problems...

any help?

 

[pipelineaudio]

look at the recording heavy metal guitar thread thingy...itll give you some ideas

 

[jake-owa]

Generally if you are micing from both top and bottom one mic should be reversed. If you dont have an easy way to do this consider making an out of phase cable. It's easy, just pull the connector off one end and switch the high and low leaving the ground intact. Be sure to label the cable so as not to accidently screw up a tracking session.

 

[Aren]

The thing about phase problems, is that you can read about them 5000 times and you just won't get them, but the first time you encounter them, you know that they're there.
While placing the mics, run them into 2 seperate channels on the mixer and monitor them with headphones. Have one of the mics panned hard right, and hard left. Once you get the sound you want, pan them both dead center, and see if anything "dissapears". If it does, you have a phase issue. Believe me, you'll know it's it when you find it

Oren

 

[SS454]

Phasing sounds your recording a tin can, and is usually a little lower in volume. Is there any reason you don't want to use the MP?
If you want, you can make an out of phase mic cable by opening one end up and switching pins 2and 3, and as mentioned before, Make sure you label it!
Look to "Metal Guitar thread" in the Guitar and Bass forums for more accurate ways of detecting phase issues.