Recording with just two condensors "in the room"

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enemyofthesun

New member
The other day I needed to make a quick recording of a song for a new vocalist so I set up (1) AT4033 ran it into a Joemeek VC1. I had it set between the bass and guitar cab, right in front of the drums, hit record on one adat track and let it rip. It actually came out really, really good for such little preparation.

So this got me thinking of recording like that in the future. Two AT4033s positioned in the room where I find a decent sound from each, then also miking everything else as normal and recording live.

For mixdown I would try to get as good a sound as possible from just the two room mike tracks and then I'd bring up the faders on other instruments very slightly as needed. I would track vocals seperately later.


What sort of problems could I come up against here? The room is square 30'x30' roughly and treated using heavy curtains in certain places. Any recommendations out there?
 
Check out the album "Whites off Earth Now" By Cowboy Junkies. The entire album was recorded live by 2 mics in the studio and it sounds awesome.
 
here's what AT has to say about phasing: http://www.audio-technica.com/using/mphones/guide/charact.html

i don't think you should have any problems. i've been recording my band live with one sorry-ass radioshack mic and i have managed to get good recordings with it. sure, sometimes i get a radio station but we're pretty loud, dense, noisy & rough anyway.

i say just swing it and see what happens. on a curious note...david bowie and brian eno recorded the vocals for "Heroes" using three mics, the first being up close, the second a few feet away & directly behind the first and the third much further away & directly behind the other mics.
 
Phasing problems and cancellations can ocurr

I think the best way would be the "classic" way...

Just place the musicians as if they were playing live on a stage and put the mics as a stereo pair (pretending to be a listener's ears).
Separate each just half way from the center to the side (one left one right)

you have to be careful with the amps levels, but that should do a great stereo recording...

If they sound good from where you are hearing them, place the mics at that distance from the performers, the mics should be like your ears...

Peace...

PC
 
I agree, you should not have any problems getting a good sound that way. I've done the same thing in the past and has worked out very good...As long as the room sounds good. I also use this technique to record "Mock" Hammond organ (run the synth into a speaker in the room and distant mic the speaker in stereo) very convincing effect.
 
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