question?

[dtb]

I want to record a "live" setting with 2 V67 mics. Here's the deal. All acoustic, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and an electric bass thru an amp. The position of each instrument, as to the mic set up, can be adjusted anyway needed. I am looking at getting a stereo sound to 2 tracks. Now the only thing I can tell you is the fiddle sound will come from a higher plain than the guitar and mando. Any recomemdations as to mic set up. It would normally be about 8 feet of space for the 3 acoustic instruments. There will be lead and some backup vocals also. Was thinking about putting a mic on each side, about eye level, with something like 8-10 feet between them, and maybe with the fiddle in the center, flanked by the guitar and the mando. Not really sure what to do with the bass. Anyway, let me have some ideas from you folks. I know that maybe it'll take a bunch of experimenting but maybe I can get a good starting point from any of you that has done something like this.

dtb

 

[Guardian]

hmm

You're going to run into trouble, unless the musicians are VERY good at playing with eachother <no pun intended> hehe.

I can see several problems with this
- they won't be able to accurately monitor eachother.
- ^^^ the balance will be off ^^^
- the vocals will be unintelligible.
- PA?

You didn't mention if this is going to be a 'real' concert, or just a recording session that SOUNDS live.

My recommendations for both scenarios:
- Close mic everything, then use a main stereo pair to capture 'everything'.
- don't use a bass amp, DI the bass so you can control it more..your bass balance will be totally off if you use an amp, because of the way bass sound behaves...or use a string bass/upright bass, and have the player play pizzicato..which would probably fit the music better

OR if you NEED to use just 2 mics, arrange the musicians in front of the 2 mics in an XY position, on a very high boom stand about 12 feet off the ground and raise/lower for the best balance with your guy who is elevated..and then DI the bass.
...if you NEED to use a bass amp, try to cut the really low frequencies somehow, as they're just going to rumble..cut everything below say 80hz and boost the lower/upper mids so the bass has clarity and not just boomyness in your room/venue.

 

[chessrock]

The V67's pickup pattern is probably too tight for that kind of setup. Get yourself a couple of omni-directionals.

 

[sjjohnston]

Hmm. The idea of a combo who can play together in real time without the aid of electronics (once a fairly standard concept of what musicians do) now appears to be considered a speciality to be attempted only by experts.

The most obvioius thing to do would be to find a good-sounding room and set up the two V67s in an X-Y pattern at some distance from the group. Possibly some other stereo mic arrangement would work better. If you had them, small-diaphragm mics also might work better. Monitor what you get in as isolated a way as possible, adjust positions (of mics and musicians), and have the players adjust their playing until you get a good balance.

The vocals may be a problem. You might need to overdub those. If the singers are loud enough, conceivably you could get them with a stereo set up on the whole group. We're now reaching into some legitimately older history, but -- strange as it may sound -- singers really did used to be able to be heard over acoustic ensembles without a PA. Actually, it wasn't that long ago when Broadway musicals didn't use sound reinforcement (this is a partial explanation for Ethel Merman).

 

[dtb]

I think I see where everyone is coming from, and agree, but I'm gonna try a few things and see. Shit man, that's what I do every time I hit the record button anyway. And if it's one thing I have, is time. Now if i could get the guys over for an all nighter. he he he. It's a once a week thing, you see. Anyway, thanks for the info folks, it'll come in handy I'm sure.

I'll post any good results, and tell'a about any poor results.

dtb