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Re: MS-stereo and figure-8 mics

Subject: Re: MS-stereo and figure-8 mics
From: "Rob Danielson" danielson_audio
Date: Sat Jan 2, 2010 9:00 am ((PST))
Hi Keith--
Seems like you have a great situation is ripe for unending
exploration. Have you considered live, remote monitoring/recording?
First pick a nice spot habitat-wise. Set-up some weather protection,
run a four pair balanced mic wire (1000' is fine) from the mics to
your Fostex or to a pre/computer card.  This way you can
monitor/record anytime its convenient on the music system you'll use
the material. Could accelerate the learning processes.

About mics, moisture and other challenges of recording outdoors, if
anyone can prove that any,single model of condenser mics always works
or always doesn't work in demanding outdoor conditions, I'll eat my
zeppelin.  I'd just assume that your NT5's will work. Keep direct
water off of them, keep them powered-up all the time. Don't bring
them inside because the buzz and pop a bit. Be patient. Air-borne
moisture will not harm them.

In time, you may want to get another AT4022 for this permanent set-up
because there's a pretty large difference in noise performance with
the 5's. [16 dB(A) vs 8 dB(A).] Also the 5's are a little low on the
sensitivity side.

There are several great arrays one can explore with two omni mics.
Parallel Boundary, Perp2Sphere, Jecklin.  Definitely try these arrays
and more. Check the list archive for plenty of particulars.
Technically speaking, ORTF requires cardioids.  If you leave the rig
set-up in the same spot/orientation for a while, you can compare the
arrays under very similar conditions and become aware of the unique
traits each produce. If you record using your computer, that will
leave your Fostex free for roaming around with your dish.  Great to
have you aboard and report back with your findings! Rob D.

  =3D =3D =3D

At 11:16 PM +0000 1/1/10, oystercoveau wrote:
>Hi Rob,
>
>Ah, I forgot about the phase reversal - that will kill the idea
>because the phantom power will also be reversed if done by just
>switching the +/- mic leads. Had the NT5s had battery power then it
>might have worked. I guess if the FR2 had more than 2 channels I
>could have recorded everything separately and then just MS processed
>in the DAW. I wonder if I could save the left+centre to one channel
>and the right+centre to the other channel and then extract the
>centre in later processing?
>
>I live on a 22 acre farm surrounded by bush, so the location is very
>quiet. Plans are to record animals sounds around the area - frogs in
>the dams, various birds raiding our organic blueberries, wallabies
>and paddy melons munching outside the bedroom window etc (sadly we
>have not heard any Devils fighting for many years). So plenty of
>chance for quiet ambience and also focused recording - I'm thinking
>of also putting the AT4022 into a parabola.
>
>Keith
>Tasmania
>
>>  Hi Keith--
>>  Welcome to the list.
>>  Sometimes everyone does overlook the most elegant solutions. I think
>>  there may be a few challenges in your design but that doesn't mean it
>>  can't be done. With a 2 channel recorder, you need to get the
>>  capsules really close together, sum the signals from the mics with
>>  one signal inverted and figure out how to power both mics from
>>  phantom. Hopefully one of the several excellent mic engineers who
>>  read the list will elaborate.
>>
>>  You can get the flexibility of M-S in post with any stereo array by
>>  using a pair of M-S "Matrix" plugs in your post chain, one to convert
>>  the L/R stereo to M-S (insert effects plugs here) then another to
>>  convert the M-S signal back to L/R stereo. Tom Erbe's free, +Matrix
>>  plugs seem to work with very good transparency.
>>
>>  As for M-S and other mic options, it would be helpful to know whether
>>  you are going to be wanting recordings of ambience in quiet locations
>>  or mostly concentrating on louder sounds like robust animal calls and
>>  effects? Rob D.
>>  --
>>
>
>


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