Mic-Pre-etc. Selection Each Session

[Lungspierre]

First of all, thank god for this forum.

I have been doing home recording for a while now, and am just getting into location/field/studio/whatever microphone recording. Apparently, there are a thousand people who love and hate each mic, mic pre and every mic-pre permutation, so I've given up on any hope of more than the vaguest guidance as far as that goes.

It seems that one $6,500 U47 clone is best for a Midwestern male vocalist between the ages of 45 and 50, as long as he is between 200 and 250 pounds and wasn't born in Iowa. Another mic will work for him if he's from Iowa, but then you have to use this specific pre. But only in the morning; evening calls for another pre.

So what I would like to know from those with the experience is, when a new group comes in, surely you don't test every mic-pre-setting permutation on every verse to idealize the recording. So how long do you take, when do you know it's right (to your satisfaction), do you lose sleep thinking of all the other possibilities you didn't try, how do you do it?

[Zachg]

If it sounds right it is right!

From my (limited) experience, once you get into the more expensive gear, as long as you have a good or great humanoid/instrument to record, it's pretty easy to get a good sound. At that point gain-staging is one of the more important elements of getting sounds. Just make sure you have good levels everywhere in the chain, not boosting the snot out of the mic with the mic pre gain, then cutting lots of gain at hte compressor, for example. After a while I'm guessing you learn where each mic pre sounds best and what mics You own work with what. And sometimes, you get a lucky coincedence and it sounds great, with a chain you never thought would work.

Another important point: just because you read that something "sucks" or is better that whatever, take it with a large helping of salt. If you ever get to try them, trust your ears, not what you read!

Hope this helps,

Zach

[Sandyrb]

So what I would like to know from those with the experience is, when a new group comes in, surely you don't test every mic-pre-setting permutation on every verse to idealize the recording. So how long do you take, when do you know it's right (to your satisfaction), do you lose sleep thinking of all the other possibilities you didn't try, how do you do it?

Hiya and welcome to Move The Mics.

Being a boring sort of fellow, I'm one for falling back on tried and trusted stuff but I often take time to experiment (usually with the fledgling engineers, so we can all learn, rather than on the customer's clock). I tend to patch in what I know has worked before, probably based on some vaguely-remembered experiment from years ago. :) Then, if that isn't giving it up for me, I'll try something else. Again, I'll draw on something that worked in the past and again, if it's still not shaking my pants then I'll change it again.

What this means is that sometimes I end up with exactly what I expected would work and sometimes I end up with something completely weird. But as long as it's the right sound for the track I'm happy (and hopefully the customer is too).

The other day we were messing about with snare drums and for a curio I got the lads to set up an Electrovoice ND868. As you know this is a kick mic and, in my opinion, not a very good one. But it worked so well that I tried it with the next drummer who came in - on his snare - and it really delivered. Now, I don't know whether it'll shine on every snare drum that comes through the door but I've logged it in the old memory bank for future reference. :)

As to how I decide when stuff's working, well, I guess it has to fit the track / genre / mood / feel or whatever. It's no good having a typical metal guitar setup for a reggae song, right? :confused: :) I'm always looking for what I think of as "the magic" but I don't think I could find the words to describe what that means... like when the sound "comes to life" I guess and takes on its own identity or something; it stands out on its own as well as fitting in with what's already there (if that makes any sense!). I know it when I hear it, but trying to explain it is bloody difficult.

Anyway, hope this helps. :)

[Ken Morgan]

Two schools of thought apply here - both have merit (I think)

1) If your operation consists of a component based setup with lots of different outboard things, then it's likely a better option to have as many scenarios tested and ready to go as you can reasonably imagine. After a while you do get a feel for what you know will work and what you know will give lesser results in your area for given situations.

2) Some people just prefer to use one flavor of good/great pre-EQ (as in console) and let it rip...takes a lot of guesswork and anxiety out of it, that is for sure, but unless you get REAL lucky in your search, a quality console is an expensive proposition for an initial outlay of cash...

K

[Mixwell]

So what I would like to know from those with the experience is, when a new group comes in, surely you don't test every mic-pre-setting permutation on every verse to idealize the recording.

Sometimes we do. [not for the verses though] Sometimes I so no to the prospect of time wasted. My way of gear selection is to store gear experiences, studio experiences and common sense between my ears! Then I attempt to mix all of that up and use my gut to make choices that I must live with for the rest of my life. I do what the music and talent requires of me, and I have no predisposed equipment selection in any general sense, as I find that is recipe for failure. Of course, I use my own discretion for what to buy for myself, which certainly is selected for a general reason of happiness based on musical preference. Bottom line, its all relative experience based on what the mixwell memory bank has to offer at the time of the experience. If I have never used something, I can't recall what it will be capable of, for the goal at hand. There is something about experimenting, but not on the clients dime, unless he/she is up for the learning experience. I call upon what works and what doesn't for X results and objective/subjective attributes at the time of the dance. Time is money and I have neither. I hate picking equipment before I hear the material in the room I am recording it in.