Laying front-address omni mics sideways along a boundary yields a very
different result than integrating them into a boundary plane. I've
never plotted it, but there seems to be a subtle (and very pleasant)
high-end lift. As Rob says, I don't think the wood itself is likely to
generate its own resonance, at least not in places I expect to be
recording.
My mics are currently direct coupled to the boundaries with nylon tie
wraps and no padding. I've tinkered with different types of suspension
systems, but I haven't yet come up with anything that's simple enough
and rugged enough to satisfy me, so for now I'm stuck dealing with the
problems of direct coupling. That's one big reason I prefer omnis --
they transmit far less mechanical noise.
Curt Olson
On Apr 3, 2006, at 7:52 PM, wrote:
> At 11:43 PM -0400 4/2/06, Jim Lee wrote:
>> Now I am wondering if the direct mechanical coupling between the wood
>> and mics might not be a really positive factor. Is it possible that
>> the
>> wood is actually picking up some of the incoming waves and adding them
>> to the overall effect. Yes, there is an increased risk of extraneous
>> sounds from accidental impact with the rig. But there may be a
>> beneficial "other side of the coin." When I tap on my own head very
>> gently, I am amazed at how little force is required to make an audible
>> sound through bone conduction. And that is dampened by skin and hair.
>> I
>> would be interested to know if shock mounted or damped mic mounts on
>> this rig would yield the same airiness and spatial definition. .. .
>> just wondering.
>> Jim Lee
>
>
> That's a fun analogy. When I tap on the bones in my skull, the note
> produced is fairly consistent in different places and with a
> fundamental frequency somewhere in the neighborhood of ~180Hz. When I
> tap on a 2"X6" block of wood it does sound quite similar. I agree,
> if there's enough energy (which might be rare in Curt's
> applications), the resonance added by the block could sound
> "favorable" or not. I'm surprised at how often direct energies do
> reach the mics, especially from wind moving/vibrating the entire
> suspension system. When I double-suspend my mics in a smaller tree,
> close deer tromps can still travel up the trunk and deform the
> diaphragm response momentarily. I was surprised to see the nylon
> straps in Curt's rig. I assumed he used a layer of padding. Likely
> he's experimented and found a combination of materials that dampen
> the energies and are pretty immune to resonance. Rob D.
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