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4-channel recordings

Subject: 4-channel recordings
From: Dan Dugan <>
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 12:34:11 -0700
I just got back from a 4-day expedition with my sweetheart Sharon 
Perry to Lassen Volcanic National Park and Lava Beds National 
Monument.

We were invited to contribute recordings of the Lassen thermal 
features to be used in their new visitor center, opening October 
2006, so we took that as an assignment.

We recorded with my shoulder-mounted stereo mic array, and managed to 
do seven takes with Rich Peet style (RichPeePhonic? Peet-O-Phonic?) 
4-channel surround on two MDs; the shoulder stereo array for the 
front, and omnis spaced out 40 feet to the left and right. All Shure 
183s. We recorded Sulfur Works by moonlight, and Bumpass Hell early 
in the morning when no one was there. Being alone at the latter, I 
went off the boardwalk (illegal and dangerous, I know) and got great 
close coverage of the major features.

At Lava Beds I hoped to get cave sounds but it's the dry time of year 
and I was only able to get some subtle water dripping in Golden Dome. 
We did an hour-long 4-channel take at the shore of Tule Lake at dawn. 
Of course there were motorboats, hunters shooting a mile away, and a 
train at sunrise.

-Dan Dugan


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"Microphones are not ears,
Loudspeakers are not birds,
A listening room is not nature."
Klas Strandberg
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>From   Tue Mar  8 18:27:27 2005
Message: 3         
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2004 17:50:30 -0700
From: Jeremiah Moore <>
Subject: Re: Unusual recording challenge

I've done a dozen or so recording sessions in highly reverberant 
spaces. Here's what I can report:

Distance = reverberance.  The closer you are, the more direct sound 
you'll get from the voices.  Distant mics will be more textural - 
almost completely reverb.  The space above will be absolutely full of 
reverberant sound - hanging a pair of mics up there could work well. 
In a space of significant size, a close mic (or pair) will give a 
very clear close tone, with plenty of background reverb, but suitable 
for mixing in when you want to bring out a soloist, or go from a 
distant to a closer sound.

As for placement, you'll just have to experiment.  Recording at least 
four tracks is recommended - close and far.  Do a close-ish stereo 
pair (I've done XY) to get an ensemble image, i.e. spread players 
around the mics as if panning tracks on a mixer.  An spaced pair will 
be more spacious but lacking center / more decorrelated.

For realtime position checking, run a feed to the outside of the 
space, even a long headphone extension.

have fun

-j



>Hi,
>
>I recently got this query from a compatriot looking to do a recording of
>singers in a metal silo ~ this is definitely not my area! I thought I'd
>see if anyone might have ideas...
>
>Advice posted to the list I will forward back; but perhaps it's best to
>reply directly to Guven at:
>
>  
>
>Thanks all!
>
>  aaron
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2004 14:44:02 -0400
>From: "Witteveen, Guven P" <>
>Subject: mic ideas
>
>Dear Aaron,
>
>A farmer friend hosts a singing get-together in one of his steel silos.
>
>The 70-80' ceiling and round metal sides great a cathedral effect with the
>decay times of 4-5 seconds. When in tune with each other a 5th ghost voice
>(overtone) is generated, as well. We want to do some recording and are
>wondering about mic placement.
>
>Do you know much about sound dynamics for mic placement, or can you point
>me to a resource online or in print?
>
>For example, place the mic at mouth level, +10' up, +20' up, at ceiling?
>(does the sound rise much?)
>
>Place the singers at center? at one side (off) center?
>
>--Yours,
>
>  Guven
>
>
>
>
>"Microphones are not ears,
>Loudspeakers are not birds,
>A listening room is not nature."
>Klas Strandberg
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
jeremiah lyman moore | san francisco | sound+media | 
http://babyjane.com/timeweb/
http://northstation.net/ organic, mechanized, organized sound


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>From   Tue Mar  8 18:27:27 2005
Message: 4         
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2004 02:42:13 -0000
From: "Rich Peet" <>
Subject: Re: Unusual recording challenge

What a great project.  I would love to help if it is in the midwest.

Big question is how many channels does the recordist have to work 
with?

My instincts would suggest to have the musicians in a loose circle at 
the center. I would then mic in far field about 3' away for each with 
omni's. Omni's recommended to keep the sound of the echo intact. I 
would then have a suspended 5th channel on a pulley that can be 
raised and lowered looking for a image that is articulate.

In post you than can balance each player to the mix and with 
adjustments on the dynamic range you can raise and lower the amount 
of echo similar to what I did with that bat recording.  The raised 
mic is to mix in any particular echo you would find nice and you 
would have to move the time on that for the intended goal.

No experience here with this other than playing in such structures so 
feel free to disregard if this does not strike home with your people. 
I will defer to you if you want to forward this message or disregard 
it.

Rich

--- In  Aaron Ximm <> 
wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I recently got this query from a compatriot looking to do a 
recording of
> singers in a metal silo ~ this is definitely not my area! I thought 
I'd
> see if anyone might have ideas...
> 
> Advice posted to the list I will forward back; but perhaps it's 
best to
> reply directly to Guven at:
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks all!
> 
>  aaron
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2004 14:44:02 -0400
> From: "Witteveen, Guven P" <>
> Subject: mic ideas
> 
> Dear Aaron,
> 
> A farmer friend hosts a singing get-together in one of his steel 
silos.
> 
> The 70-80' ceiling and round metal sides great a cathedral effect 
with the
> decay times of 4-5 seconds. When in tune with each other a 5th 
ghost voice
> (overtone) is generated, as well. We want to do some recording and 
are
> wondering about mic placement.
> 
> Do you know much about sound dynamics for mic placement, or can you 
point
> me to a resource online or in print?
> 
> For example, place the mic at mouth level, +10' up, +20' up, at 
ceiling?
> (does the sound rise much?)
> 
> Place the singers at center? at one side (off) center?
> 
> --Yours,
> 
>  Guven



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