Advanced Micing Techniques Capstone Part 7: Strings and Reflections

Single Micing:

The farther along in my project, the more it became transparent that one micing technique isn’t better than another, just different.  I found this to be especially true when recording classical string instruments like cello, violin, and viola.  Lets begin with single micing techniques.  Positioning the mic above or below the bridge of a cello drastically changes the tone of the instrument.  It is similar to strumming a guitar close to the bridge or directly over the sound hole.  In the AMPL recording from January 20^th 2016, I recorded the cello from below the bridge with my trusted Flea 48, and in the recording from February 3^rd 2016, I used the same mic, but above the bridge and about a foot farther away. Notice how the bow sounds are far more present on January recording and how the February record has such a warm full sound.  For reference, I also used an AKG C-414-EB on cello that was recorded on February 3^rd for comparison.  

It has a lovely tone as well, but not as rich and full as the tube mic.  Lastly, I’m also presenting a violin and a viola to demonstrate what happens when a performer moves off-axis while recording.  In the March 23^rd AMPL recording of the viola, I tried micing the student from the side and slightly over the shoulder, but the person moved forward and turned right to look at the piano piano more.  This made it so there was no direct signal to the microphone since it was in cardioid pattern.  It made the viola sound very small and brittle.  When comparing it to the folk violin track, it’s surprising that the violin has far more body and warmth then the viola since the viola is a large and lower frequency range instrument.  Also, I used the AKG C-414-EB on the violin, and considering the cello comparisons, the C-414-EB alone should have made the violin sound more crisp than the viola.  

Stereo Micing:

I highly recommend stereo micing when recording minimal instrumentation pieces.  Both the spaced pair cello and violin recordings I did sound three dimensional with different frequencies of the instrument swinging back and forth between left and right channels.  One gets a real sense of the musician’s physical performance on stage as he or she swoops the bow or emphasizes a note by dipping their body.  

Unlike the viola part from the single micing section, when a stereo pair of mics are used, the sweet spot of the recording gets large enough to accommodate a more organic performance.  I think the only thing that would have made the stereo micing recording better is if I could have had a second Flea 48 microphone to record with a stereo pair of large diaphragm tube microphones.   Maybe next year!

Multi-Micing:

The AMPL recording from March 2^nd is a repeat of the song from the AMPL January 20^th cello recording.  Besides honing her skills on the piece, the March 2^nd recording has far more complexity with a mixture of an X/Y pair of Neumann KM84s and a DPA 4006TL spot mic.  Although, I think the Flea 48 would have been a better choice than the DPA because it would have provided more warmth where the KM84s lacked, but I want to see what the DPA could do.  The DPAs would probably do better with violins or percussion since they handle high frequencies really well and don’t get boomy because they are omni microphones.  I am also including the isolated tracks here so one can see how the different mics add to one another.

Reflections:
Originally, I set out to develop a new way of micing instruments that I coined the Fathead approach, and although I think it is an idea to consider when capturing an instrument, it certainly doesn’t work for even instrument in every occasion.   It works well on drum kits and some large instruments like piano, vibraphones, and possibly acoustic guitar, but the best thing to do is take time and listen to the instrument before recording it.  Like Ralph Waldo Emerson’s idea of a “transparent eyeball,” be a transparent ear and hear “all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through” you, let the objectivity of what you hear guide the subjectivity of what you want to listen to later in a mix. Ultimately, it won’t matter if you perfectly capture each instrument individually if later on they all compete for space in the mix.  By using different micing techniques like the Fathead method, Glynn Johns, spaced pair, X/Y, close miced, or distant miced, one can construct a masterpiece by using the parts each individual technique lacks to complete each other and create a unified sound spatially, spectrally, and dynamically.   

Advanced Micing Techniques Capstone Part 6: Trombone, Sax, and Vibes

Sometimes, with experimentation comes reaffirmation of tradition.  I found this to be particularly true with this set of recordings.  The trombone was recorded from a distance of 5 to 6 feet, using a spaced pare of Neumann KM84 microphones.  

The recording sounds unbalanced from left to right with most of the sound on the right side and the breath and spit sounds on the left.  The recording would have sounded better with my Flea 48 tube microphone close micing the bell, minimizing the other noisy sounds of the instrument.  However, microphone placement is critical on these types of instruments when close micing.  Take the March 23^rd AMPL saxophone recording.  I used the Flea 48, but I had to mic the sax from the side and point down toward it from above the head of the player.  Notice how the sound of the pads and breath of the player are far more present in the recording compared to the January 20^th recording where I could mic the sax at neck level and point it at the bell.  In the photo, it looks like it is point at the neck, but that was because he swayed back and forth.

So in the case of the trombone and saxophone recordings, close micing resulted in far better results, but on a larger instrument like the vibraphone, multiple microphones is the way to go.  My main concern when setting out the track the vibes was the sound of the tremolo valve motor.  It makes a considerable amount of noise while spinning.  Fortunately, the vibraphone is such a loud instrument, the noise floor of the valves never bled into the recording.  Either way, I tried dampening it slightly by pointing the mices off-axis to the spinning parts and high up enough to capture the entire keyboard equally.
Microphones Used: 2X Neumann KM84s

The purity of tone was phenomenal and reminded me of the beginning of the theme song to the TV show Luther by Massive Attack titled, "Paradise Circus". 

One last thing to note about the recording is that I used sound absorption panels to deaden the Katzen Recital Hall, which significantly improved the isolation of the direct sound from the reverb.  There is no discernible reverb in the recording, which is impressive if compared to the previous recording made in the hall with the panels.  In the end, tradition yielded better results for these instruments than deviation.

Advanced Micing Techniques Capstone Part 5: Electric Guitar

Up to this point, the main variables have focused on space and distance of a microphone, but in the electric guitar section, phase becomes a far bigger player.  For instance, the AMPL performance from March 30^th uses two microphones (Shure SM57 and EV RE-20) in perfect phase but pointed on and off axis to the speaker cone.  This trick rounds out the sound without the presence of comb filtering.  Also included is another recording of a standard SM57 on-axis for reference.

Now compare the March 30^th performance to the Kreeger studio recording I did with a Shure 545 close micing an Orange cabinet and an SM57 three feet away.  In this recording, I flip back and forth between being in phase and out of phase.  Also for reference, I’ve included each microphone track isolated, so the original sound can be heard.  When mixing, these two tracks can be moved forward and backward in time to create an infinite amount of possible sounds since phase cancelation is also the premise for equalization.  

Similar to the results I got with acoustic guitar, the electric guitar benefits from more microphones.  While having a microphone shootout, I found that I really liked the sound of all the microphones (Shure SM57, Shure 545, Sennheiser MD421, Beyerdynamic M201) playing together (in phase) because each of them picked up different parts of the sound, and combined, the microphones created a huge sound compared to the single miced tracks.  However, just because the guitar can sound great by itself with four microphones, that doesn’t mean it will play well in a mix.  The lack of definitions in certain frequencies is what gives room for other instruments to shine.  Therefore, using a plethora of microphones might be a great idea to fill up the sound of a song that simply showcases vocals and guitar, it might be a better idea to pick a single microphone that only captures exactly what a mix will need on a song that has a complex arrangement of instruments.  With that in mind, here are the tracks to compare all the different microphones used in my Kreeger Studios session.

Unless one is recording in an anechoic chamber, reflections will be present in the room, creating different types of phase cancelations even if only very minute.  However, these imperfections define the sound of a recording, so in keeping with the Fathead method of trying to capture what the engineer or the artist is hearing in the room, placing microphones according to the desired amount of phase cancelation is paramount.  In the case of close micing electric guitar, the engineer is simulating these properties by manipulating the distance each microphone has to the sound source.  Thus, introducing phase equalization between the microphones being used and the reflections that the room has from the microphone being moved farther and farther away, a wide pallet of sounds can be achieved.   

Advanced Micing Techniques Capstone Part 4: Acoustic Guitar

When it comes to acoustic guitar, sometimes the more mics the better.  Although, each of the recordings has its place and its own beauty depending on the desired effect.  The AMPL recording was recorded in Katzen Recital Hall, and similar to the vocal recordings I captured in that space, there is reverb present on the tracks.  However, the subtle reverb captured by the FLEA 48 is gorgeous, and just what the classical guitar needed to make it sound larger than life.  In contrast to that space, the spaced pair of Neumann U47s (pretty much the same mic as the Flea 48) is completely dry and could be worked into an artificial space with a more complicated mix.  The stereo width is bigger, but surprisingly, the directness of the sound makes it feel smaller than the classical guitar.  The illusion would be remedied quickly with a little reverb or delay.  Another sonic attribute to note is the heavier bass frequencies on the left and higher frequencies on the right.  Since the mics were spaced about three feet apart, the mix of the two microphones sounds uneven especially when monitoring in headphones.  

The folk guitar recordings have this same issue, but since I used four microphones (two matching pairs) the unevenness is smoothed out a bit.  In my final mixes, I corrected the issue but cut the lows on the left a few decibels.  Also, by recording with two pairs of microphones, I had the option of flipping one of the pairs, so the sound balanced out even better with the highs of the KM84 on the left along with the lows of the C-414-EB and the reversion on the right channel.  To avoid phasing issues with that many microphones, I used Waves’ InPhase plugin to fine tune the time the sound reached each microphone.  So in this case, the Fathead approach worked better than anticipated with four mics creating the most sonically rich and fattest-head recording.  Of course, each recording is satisfying, but for all intents and purposes, four mics have the most potential.

Acoustic Guitar Recording 1: AMPL March 23^rd 2016

Microphones and Positions: Flea 48 standard position close miced by 12^th fret

No Photo

Acoustic Guitar Recording 2: Earl Cutter at Bias Studios July 7^th 2015

Microphones and Positions: Spaced pair of Neumann U47 microphones

Acoustic Guitar Recording 3: Folk Guitar tracked in Kreeger Studios

Microphones and Positions: Spaced pair of Neumann KM84s and a spaced pair of AKG C-414-EBs

Advanced Micing Techniques Capstone Part 3: Voice (Distance, Space, and Gear)

In stark contrast to the complexity of parts of the grand piano has, the human voice is far more simple to capture.  Therefore, rather than only experimenting with microphone position, I focused on using a multitude of microphones and only a few untraditional positions, and ultimately, the distance from the microphone played the biggest factor.

Voice Recording 1: AMPL Performance January 27^th 2016

Microphones and Positions: Spaced pair of Neumann KM84 microphone

Voice Recording 2: AMPL Performance February 3^rd 2016

Microphones and Positions: FLEA 48 tube microphone about 6 feet from singer

Voice Recording 3: Chloe Fairbanks April 3^rd 2016

Microphones and Positions: Cascade FatHead Ribbon microphone from 45 degrees below angle about 4 feet away. 

Voice Recording 4: Earl Cutter Summer 2015 Bias Recording Studio

Microphones and Positions: Neumann U47 standard position with pop filter

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Voice Recording 5: Riordan May 2015

Microphones and Positions: Neumann U47 FET in standard position in Katzen Recital Hall

Recording of the Microphone

No Photos

Observations:

When it comes to capturing the voice, using the Fathead method of a widely spaced pair doesn’t lead to very useable results unless one is going for a very live feel of the recording.  The three AMPL recordings were recorded with significant amounts of space between the microphone and the musician, but if you compare them to Riordan’s performance in the same space (Katzen Recital Hall) but close miced at about one and a half feet, his voice is far more direct and usable in a mix.  Initially, I used a Neumann KM84 for Chloe Fairbank’s voice, but it was too harsh and brittle sounding at that distance, so I traded the microphone for a ribbon mic, which is known for having a flatter and darker frequency response.  If one compares it to the other KM84 recording, the difference is clear.  Earl Cutter’s voice is used as a reference to the other recordings because it was tracked at BIAS Studios with an industry standard microphone (Neumann U47 Tube).  Another enlightening comparison is found between Riordan and Earl’s recording.  Since they were done with a very similar microphone (one the tube version and one the FET version), one can really hear the difference the space makes when tracking.  Both vocalists were approximately the same foot and a half from their microphones, but the reverberant tail is clearly present in Riordan’s recording and not Earl’s.  Both tracks have their merits, and depending on what kind of flexibility in mixing that is needed, having a recording with the reverb already present might actually end up sounding the best in a final mix.   The tracking process is always about just getting the purest and most isolated recording possible; that approach alone would zap the creativity from the recording process. 

Voice Recording 6: Folk Singer Microphone Shootout July 13^th 2015

Microphones and Positions: Standard Position; Neumann U47FET, AKG C-414-EB, Neumann U87, Shure SM7

Observations:
Last summer, I recorded a full length album of Gabriel Knight Hancock titled, Who You Are When No One's Watching.  Before tracking the vocals, we auditioned four microphones I thought would work well on his voice.  I'm including them because it is important to practice listening to what one is going to record before deciding on the final microphone position, or in this case, gear that was to be used.  In a vacuum, we decided the Neumann U47 FET was the best sounding microphone out of the four, but in the end, I used an API 550B to boost around 5K, which ended up making it sound more like the U87 sounded in the first place.  If I had the chance, it would have been nice to retrack some of the vocals with the U87 with the full signal chain (EQ and compressor) to see if it would have worked as well or better.  The SM7 just didn't have the sensitivity his voice needed, and the C-414 sounded a little to hard and heavy on the high mids like about 3k to 4k.

Advanced Micing Techniques Capstone Part 2: Piano

Things get a little more complicated when it comes to capturing a grand piano though mainly because it is a “contraption consisting of up to 7000 discrete parts” (Rosenberg).  It is particularly important to take time before recording a piano and walk around it, listening for sweet spots, areas where the sound is either well balanced or compliments how you plan to mix the piano later.  One of these sweet spots is “at the tail, just about where the back leg is, or often just outside the case” (Rosenberg).  In this spot, the sound of the piano is surprising well balanced.  Blending that microphone in with a more traditionally spaced pair slightly back behind the hammers can lead to a wonderful recording full of spectral balance and stereo width.  Over the course of a couple months, I had the opportunity to record grand piano performances in several different microphone positions.  Beginning with my favorite recording of Alan Mandel’s performance, I used the previously described technique:

Piano Recording 1:Alan Mandel February 12th 2016

Microphones and Positions: Two Neumann KM-84 spaced behind the hammers

One AKG C-414-EB on the tail with the piano at full-stick.

Piano Recording 2: AMPL Performance January 27^th 2016

Microphones and Positions: FLEA 48 Tube Mic over exposed hammers of piano at half-stick; two DPA 4061 condensor microphones on ribs of the grand piano

Piano Recording 3: AMPL Performance February 3^rd 2016

Microphones and Positions: One Neumann KM84 pointed across the hammers and one AKG C-414-EB at the tail of the grand piano at half-stick

Piano Recording 4: AMPL Performance March 2^nd 2016

Microphones and Positions: Two AKG C-414-XLii microphones sitting on either side of the music stand as a spaced pair; piano at half-stick

Piano Recording 5: AMPL Yulia Gordman  Performance March 16^th  2016

Microphones and Positions: A pair of KM84 mics over the hammers, one C-414-EB in the hip and one C-414-EB on the tail; piano at full stick

No Photos taken

Piano Recording 6: AMPL Performance March 23^rd  2016

Microphones and Positions: Two KM84 mics with one in the hip and one of the tail; piano at half-stick

No photos taken

Observations: One of the limitations I faced with the AMPL recordings is that the musicians primary focus was on performance, not recording.  Therefore, I often had to record the piano at half-stick, which completely inhibits the classic way of recording a piano with two condenser microphones over (and slightly back) the hammers.  By experimenting with microphone placement all around the opening of the piano lid, several places deemed worthy of recording; the hip and tail come to mind the first, and combining two internal microphones gave me even more flexibility while mixing.  However, I would not recommend the dual microphone placement on either side of the music stand.  It is highly distracting to the performer, and the sound is devoid of clarity and low frequencies.  From a Fathead approach, one is essentially rotating the head around the piano to find the best combination of microphones to capture all the different desired timbres.  After these recordings, I now like to keep one ear to the tail of the piano and then blend in a spaced pair over the hammers for more clarity or an extra mic or two in the hip for body and low end.

Advanced Micing Techniques Capstone Part 1: Introduction and Drums

Attempting to create a definitive method of recording musicians is like telling someone the only way to write a poem is in iambic pentameter.  Although that poem may have its own musicality and possibly witty rhyme scheme, poetry would quickly become stale and lifeless, which is why we see different generations of writing develop like Naturalism, Modernism, and Post-Modernism.  Audio recording requires the same ingenuity to stay fresh and vibrant.  Additionally, audio engineers are constantly experimenting with microphone placement, creative signal routing, digital processing, unorthodox spaces, etcetera.  Less apparent than poetic movements, the field of audio recording has gone though many eras; from the early mono recording of the Beatles, Glynn Johns micing techniques, and basic stereo recordings to more modern and experimental techniques like binaural recording, X/Y, ORTF, Blumlein, and mid-side. Rather than simply add another type of microphone placement to this list with its own definition of how to execute it and what instruments it works on best, it is more prudent to offer a new approach to how one utilizes the tools to captures audio.  Somewhere between artist perspective, binaural capturing, and a subjective approach resides a new technique, the Fathead recording technique.  In the coming pages, I will define the technique and present examples of it’s practical use through recordings I’ve captured over the semester of piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, voice, violin, cello, drums, trombone, alto and tenor saxophone, and vibraphone.

One may ask why the name Fathead? Fathead recording embodies the idea of capturing audio from a very natural perspective typically with two microphones placed in a spaced pair like two ears on a fat head, but in locations that may be untraditional or possibly out of phase to some degree.  Imagine a large floating head that isn’t limited by a binaural replication device or conventional spaced pair techniques.  Listen first with your “fathead” ears and try to place the microphones in such a way that captures what you like in what you are hearing and tries to minimize the parts of the sound you don’t like.  For example, two microphones that are out of phase slightly might cause phase cancelation in boomy or muddy frequencies between 200 and 600 hertz; thus, the musicality of mid frequencies are aloud to shine better than if the mics were perfectly aligned.  Such phase issues can make for a natural form of equalization, which can be applied in stereo or even mono recording, depending on how the signals are mixed. Therefore, the first principle of Fathead recording is to hone in on exactly what frequencies of the sound one wants to capture.

There are somewhat ubiquitous traditional ways to record instruments and musicians like a Shure SM57 for close micing a snare or a guitar cabinet or a spaced pair of small diaphragm condensers for drum overheads.  These methods are tried and true, and in most cases, they will produce an excellent recording. However, rarely does a band want to sound simply homogeneous with their peers.  Therefore, it is the job of the recording engineer, the band, and their producer to create new tones and creative ways to express the music.  Most of the time with bands that have been playing together for a long time, the musicians already have an excellent idea of how they want their instruments to sound.  However, when a recording engineer simply sets a microphone in a standard position, it may not capture what a guitarist is hearing for example.  Therefore, the second rule of Fathead recording is listen like the musician. 

To demonstrate the difference this technique can make, I started with a modified minimalist recording of a drum set.  However, instead of placing the overhead microphones directly above the kit, facing down, I moved them behind the drummer about a foot, widened their distance apart, and pointed them both toward the center of the kit.  In this configuration, my goal was to capture more of what a drummer hears, accentuating the toms and snare, but minimizing the the harshness of the cymbals.  I used 2 Neumann KM84 microphones, and to be fair, I did not include the Shure Beta 52 in the mixes.

In contrast, I also recorded drums, using two Neumann TLM-49 as a spaced pair in front of the kit and at tom height.

They were placed fairly close to the kit, so they didn’t just end up sounding like room mics.

I’m also including an example of a standard overhead miced recording for comparison:

After reviewing the recording, it is clear the Fathead approach sounds far better balanced than the other two.  Part of the reason why it sounds so balanced is because the cymbals are all slightly off axis to the mics (softening their high frequencies), but the toms and snare are on axis (making them the focus of the recording). Rarely, if ever, does a drummer perform a cymbal solo, and if he or she does, it’s doubtful the listener will beg for more ping or sizzle!  Additionally, the most natural part of the tom and snare sound radiates perpendicular to the heads, so instead of capturing a narrow angle of off axis toms with Sennheiser MD 421 microphones, the KM 84 condensers hear all the characteristics of heads with a wider angle and on axis position.  However, if one was using more close mics to blend in with the other two recordings, those recordings would probably sound fantastic too in their own ways.  Therefore, if one is limited due to budget, because it is a live recording with limited input, or they just like the way it sounds, the fathead technique is an excellent choice on drums.