Jazz Trio (+1) recording coming up...here's the space

[midilance]

How about also putting up one omni mic after experimenting with the placement that provides the best blend of everything in the room?

[musicarteca]

How about also putting up one omni mic after experimenting with the placement that provides the best blend of everything in the room?

Two would be even better, for a "spaced-apart" stereo pair.

[Tim]

I'd try them close together , and bring as much junk as you can into the room. Also, in addition to whatever close mic's, get the best sound/balance possible with one stereo pair.

Thanks, Tim...

I think I may start my test session today with the guys close together as if they were on a stage and I had thought of softening up the room a bit more with some auralex or chairs covered with blankets to capture some of the ambient room sound.

....and not necessarily absorptive "junk"....stuff to break up reflections too (chairs, tables, bookshelves, suitcases, ladies, beer bottles, Hotwheels cars, etc.). Maybe stand the couch up in the piano corner for bass trapping.

[buzzsmith]

The "test musicians" came bt today, so I thought I'd give a quick report:

(Reposting photo so you don't have to refer back to the original post)



••• 1. Didn't move any furniture today, left the piano as miced, where it is in the pix.
••• 2. Drummer set up about 12' from the piano basically facing the left window. (his drum stool was a little back from where the right side of the carpet ends)
••• 3. Acoustic bassist went in between the piano and the drums a little bit behind the table.
••• 4. No EQ used, some light compression/limiting.

Bottom line:

Very surprised at how isolated the piano seemed to be...not too much bleed from either the bass or drums...non-noticeable punchins were probably possible. Piano recorded well.

Drums (set up in a bit of a haste because of the time element) were workable and could have been very useable had we the time for more mic placement experimentation. The drummer was a little concerned that his recorded drum sounds were a brighter than he preferred.

Upright Bass was completely unusable...way too much bleed from the drums, primarily, and the piano. There would have been no way to adjust the bass in a mix...about 75% of the time, when soloed, the drums were louder in the bass mic (no DI today) than the bass itself! (Tube mic about 8 inches from the F hole and a good strong player with good tone)

I was playing piano, so it was a little tricky to analyze what was occurring by running up and down the stairs to review and then make adjustments also keeping in mind my limited time frame with the players. (I can control DP record and play with the remote keyboard pictured on the red stool)

So a failure had this been a real session, but a success, nonetheless, in knowing what has to be changed for the real thing.

The room seems to "sound" fine.

I just need to somehow isolate the acoustic bass more, and combine the mic with a DI, and work on better mic placement and maybe a couple more better mics for the jazz kit.

Buzz

[musicarteca]

I just need to somehow isolate the acoustic bass more, and combine the mic with a DI, and work on better mic placement and maybe a couple more better mics for the jazz kit.

Buzz

Try using a small bass amp, like one of those small Gallien-Kueger, have the musician adjust the tone he wants and close mike the amp. Complement it with the DI. If you are concerned about too much leakage from the amp, you can always place it somewhere else. Forget about miking the instrument unless it is totally isolated.

[duncan]

Upright Bass was completely unusable...way too much bleed from the drums, primarily, and the piano.

Try the bass in the kitchen, with gobos up to his neck.

I did a retro session once, and the guy used the bass mic for the drum sound, even though the drums were miced. That's when I learned how hard it is to record acoustic bass in the same room as the band.

It would be good to experiment with mic placement on the bass. Sometimes, the F-hole gives you too much rumble and no presence. You might try a mic up near where the neck meets the body. Also, if you could get the angle right, perhaps a fig 8 pattern mic could give you more rejection, depending on where the back of the mic was aimed.
Sometimes they'll wedge a 57 inside the bridge, wrapped in foam, aiming up at the neck, parallel with the body. If you end up using 4 channels for the bass, one of them is bound to be usable.

I got a video camera from one of those surplus electronic stores that also sells new stuff. The one I got was B&W, intended for a security camera. I think it was $30.

Sounds like the drummer wants ribbon mics, or at least a non-close-miced setup.