Using Large Diaphrm Condenser's for OH's?

  • Thread starter Thread starter gcapel
  • Start date Start date
If I remember my details correctly, Glyn Johns' technique calls for a pair of LDCs.

Albeit they are a) cheap and b) more like SDCs that look like LDCs, I use MXL 990s with that sort of a setup. The drummer I record has a massive kit, like 16 drums (plus the cymbals), and found it captured the thump of the room and the overall kit sound better than a gazillion mics on each drum. I did not, however, A/B this with really small-diaphragm mics like some of the Earthworks or even ECM8000s (I returned those--too noisy!).

It's worth a try--but I'd recommend the cheaper LDCs until you are sure your drummer won't whack one of them whilst playing.
 
Jacobi1211 said:
i let myself into this board, and yes... on the whole, LDC's do pick up more of the toms natural tone. that's just a fact...
Click to expand...

That's just dumb.

leddy said:
Generally speaking, LDC's are more sensitive than SDC's, right?.
Click to expand...

Uh ... no.

leddy said:
I can see where that could make it seem like the pattern is wider on the LDC, all other things being equal.
Click to expand...

I can also see where I could be boffin' Jessica Alba, all other things being equal. But the sad reality is that ... it ain't happenin.' Maybe in some parallel, bizarro reality where grumpy internet trolls like me get it on with hot pinup model chicks. :D But unfortunately not in this one.

Guys ... guys ... guys ...

Here's a hint for you: If you don't know what you're talking about, there's nothing wrong with sitting back and learning. Accept your place in this world, for now, humble yourself, and ask questions rather than give incorrect answers on things you clearly don't yet have a grasp of.

The reason I say this is because I believe there should be at least a few places on the net where people might be able to go and get valuable information, without a bunch of falsehoods and inuendos.

If you like a mic, or you like a particular technique, there's nothing wrong with saying: "I like this mic. And here's a technique I use, and I like the results I get ..." etc. etc. But just spewing random crap around as if it were fact is kind of irresponsible. And if you do it, I'm going to call you out on it. :D If anything, you should be thankful, because you're probably learning something :eek: in the process.
.
 
The reason I say this is because I believe there should be at least a few places on the net where people might be able to go and get valuable information, without a bunch of falsehoods and inuendos.


############

Precisely. And it is also why I dont often run around here at homerecording.com much anymore. At the same time, it is precisely why I never mention the good sites that I visit while I am here. I don't want a bunch of homewreckers ruining a good forum.

That's a snarky thing to say but for me homerecording.com is really more about hanging out with the guys than recording stuff.

YMMV
 
i always thought the low-mid end hump of a large condenser's frequency response boosted the toms enough in a simple recording for me to not have to close mic toms. maybe im completely wrong. but chess this is the home recording website, made for people who generally dont understand recording like a pro. dont say people shouldent be let on it, it will scare away those who might need advice and are completely misunderstanding a topic, that that of the LDC vs. the SDC.
 
well then chess... why don't we close mic toms with SDC's??? i don't know... i guess i'm just dumb??? haha I'm all for learning, (hince the fact that i'm in school right not majoring in music technology) but you seem to think that you are above learning anything as well... hmmmmmmm... sounds a bit hippocritical, wouldn't you say???
 
AHHHHHHHHHHHH!

quick, give me something to strangle.
 
Much as I don't generally side with hoofed mammals, I'm with the giraffe on this one. By the way, where do you put those two mics?
- equidistance form the snare, the drummers nose, ???
 
According to the DPA website, SDCs are less sensitive than LDCs:

http://www.dpamicrophones.com/page.php?PID=28

I always understood that this decreased sensitivity is why SDCs have higher self noise: the signal from an SDC has to be amplified more than the signal from an LDC.

I agree with the rest of your snark, though, Chess.
 
Jacobi1211 said:
well then chess... why don't we close mic toms with SDC's??? i don't know... i guess i'm just dumb???
Click to expand...


Yes, you are. But that's beside the point.

Although people tend to use dynamics on toms more often ... it isn't unusual at all to see SDCs used to mic toms. In fact, it's a pretty good idea if you don't plan on doing a lot of gating, as off-axis response tends to be much flatter and more listenable.
.
 
depending on the drummers hand tendencies place the mics about a foot over the drummers head, as equal distant from each cymbol as possible. that's a very good point about distance above the snare... i usually just try to make sure they are the same height above the kit... which in a way should be equi-distant from the snare (ish), also creating a good stereo image of the snare due to it's horizontal placement in the kit.

Jacob
 
I usually use SDCs on tom, but I find, more often than not, that I leave tom tracks out of the final mix anyway.
 
chess, you don't even know me... you need not insult my intelligence. i don't know why you have to turn this into a personal attack. you're right, off-axis response is much more listener friendly. i agree. i'm a little confused though, what do you mean that it's a pretty good idea to use SDC's instead of dynamics??? is that to say that dynamics can't be placed off-axis??? i guess i don't understand this... please explain.

thanks
 
Jacobi, I'm just messin' with ya. :D

All I'm saying is that SDCs have a more natural sound off-axis ... so the snare, cymbals, and everything else it's not directly pointed at won't sound as funny (some people refer to it as "bleed," but I have a hard time calling anything that loud and that close as bleed). Now, if you gate your tom mics anyway, then it doesn't much matter, because you won't be using much of that stuff anyway.
.
 
Well, it's kind of what works for you. I've used SDCs (AT-4051 or Josephson C42) on overheads and they are fine. Last project used AT-4050s on overheads because everyone liked how they sounded. That project got picked up by Lost Highway and should be released soon.
 
Jacobi1211 said:
well then chess... why don't we close mic toms with SDC's??? i don't know... i guess i'm just dumb??? haha I'm all for learning, (hince the fact that i'm in school right not majoring in music technology) but you seem to think that you are above learning anything as well... hmmmmmmm... sounds a bit hippocritical, wouldn't you say???
Click to expand...

You can mic toms with whatever you want. It would be best if they have at least a -10db pad. I've miced toms with everything. I've miced the snare with an SDC.

I think you should read the "Big thread". It's the fist "sticky" at the top of the mic forum. It opened my eyes to a lot of truths.
 
well then chess... why don't we close mic toms with SDC's??? i don't know... i guess i'm just dumb???
Click to expand...

369022.jpg
 
chessrock said:
Jacobi, I'm just messin' with ya. :D
.
Click to expand...

Ah, Chess, you've got sand in your vagina again?

:p

Anywho, my personal experience with the 2 whopping SDC's I own (MXL603's) have given me the idea that SDC's can be pointed at a source and are pretty good at rejecting other sources that they're not aimed at - at least a lot better than the LDC's I own. So it seems more appropriate based on that idea that SDC's would be better for OH's at live shows moreso than LDC's because they'd reject unwanted sound more then LDC's. Crazy?
 
nuemes said:
Ah, Chess, you've got sand in your vagina again?

:p

Anywho, my personal experience with the 2 whopping SDC's I own (MXL603's) have given me the idea that SDC's can be pointed at a source and are pretty good at rejecting other sources that they're not aimed at - at least a lot better than the LDC's I own. So it seems more appropriate based on that idea that SDC's would be better for OH's at live shows moreso than LDC's because they'd reject unwanted sound more then LDC's. Crazy?
Click to expand...

SDC's, like any other condenser, can be tuned to any given pattern. It all depends on the design of the backplates and how much sound is allowed through to cancel the rear or sides! You can make an SDC omni, cardiod, or hyper cardiod!

Would you guys please stop talking out of your asses?!
 
PhilGood said:
SDC's, like any other condenser, can be tuned to any given pattern. It all depends on the design of the backplates and how much sound is allowed through to cancel the rear or sides! You can make an SDC omni, cardiod, or hyper cardiod!

Would you guys please stop talking out of your asses?!
Click to expand...


Thankyou, PhilGood.

.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top