Room Mic for Club Recording

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complexprocess

New member
I've recently gotten into recording local shows. The setup I use is just a fostex MR 8 with 2 mics high up on a stand, somewhere out in the audience. I get decent recordings considering the room I'm usually in and the very basic setup.

I use a PG81 and an SM58, typically right next to eachother. I use different mics so that I can select the best track or mix them (did I mention how basic this setup is? :D) The PG81 track always sounds surprisingly good, but the SM58 rarely turns in a very good sounding track. I'd just get a second PG81, but like I said I like the idea of having some variety.

The one area where the PG81 seems to underperform is low-end. That got me thinking: would a bassdrum mic help as my secondary, or would that not work out in a room?

I'm wondering if there's a decent sounding mic with decent frequency response and isn't too tightly focused (I'm trying to pick up the full band and PA mains, remember.) It could be a condenser or dynamic, and it doesn't have to be a bass drum mic, of course. Any suggestions? I'm not looking to break the bank, but I'm not looking for total bargain basement either. Something under $200 would be nice.

Thanks!
 
complexprocess said:
I use a PG81 and an SM58, typically right next to eachother. I use different mics so that I can select the best track or mix them (did I mention how basic this setup is? :D) The PG81 track always sounds surprisingly good, but the SM58 rarely turns in a very good sounding track.
Click to expand...

That would be because the SM58, like most Shure dynamic mics, has no high frequency response to speak of.


complexprocess said:
The one area where the PG81 seems to underperform is low-end. That got me thinking: would a bassdrum mic help as my secondary, or would that not work out in a room?
Click to expand...

That would be because most Shure condensers have no low frequency response to speak of.... Okay, so the VP88 is pretty good, but.... Most of 'em are designed with a distinct low cut. Great for avoiding handling noise, not so great for getting a recording of an entire band.


complexprocess said:
I'm wondering if there's a decent sounding mic with decent frequency response and isn't too tightly focused (I'm trying to pick up the full band and PA mains, remember.) It could be a condenser or dynamic, and it doesn't have to be a bass drum mic, of course. Any suggestions? I'm not looking to break the bank, but I'm not looking for total bargain basement either. Something under $200 would be nice.
Click to expand...

I recommend miking with a pair of something so you get a stereo image. As for what sounds good... A pair of used MK-012s? A pair of used MK-319s? A pair of Naiant MSH-2s?

I can do a lot better at telling you what not to get. Any condenser mic labeled Nady, MXL, or Behringer. They'll all sound a lot like your PG81, but more brittle in the highs. :)

Honestly, I'd get a second PG81 and just use some EQ to bring out the bass response. It probably won't sound as good as a pair of MK-012s, IMHO, but it'll sound reasonable.
 
Thanks guys. The board mix is sometimes an option, but not always. When it is, I'd do one mic in the room, and one channel of the board (because it's usually a mono mix.) I would avoid both channels off the board because I usually record in a room that is small enough where some of the guitar and bass sound comes from the stage. A pure board mix would be too heavy on vocals, most likely.

For cases where the board mix isn't available, I'd still like to have two mics. dgatwood mentioned getting a second PG81 to get a stereo image, which was my original thought. However, I typically have the mics right next to eachother (as opposed to on either side of the room) so I'm thinking two channels in the same spot with the same mic would be essentially identical. I don't imagine I could get much stereo effect with two identical channels even if they were hard-panned, which is why I'm thinking about mics with a different character than the PG81. That way, I'll have two distinct tracks to play with, and If I want to use some of the old tricks to fake stereo (duplicate track >eq> slight delay, etc...) I can still do that. Does that approach make sense?
 
complexprocess said:
For cases where the board mix isn't available, I'd still like to have two mics. dgatwood mentioned getting a second PG81 to get a stereo image, which was my original thought. However, I typically have the mics right next to eachother (as opposed to on either side of the room) so I'm thinking two channels in the same spot with the same mic would be essentially identical.
Click to expand...

Not with directional mics, they aren't....

Read:
http://www.tape.com/resource/stereo_microphone_techniques.html
 
Thanks for the resource, dgatwood. That makes perfect sense, now that you mention it.

;)

...and wow those Naiant mics look like a good deal. The MSH-2 is about to be discontinued, apparently. On the site, they recommend the MSH-2s or a pair of XTs for micing rock concerts, and at these prices I think I can afford to try a pair. The XQ looks like it might be nice as well. Maybe I'll just get a cart full of mics from them. I can always use the others for something else.

Thanks for all your input.
 
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