Re: [ARSCLIST] Not using headphones

[Don Cox <doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 27/08/06, Michael Shoshani wrote:

> Take a good look at pictures of EMI studio recordings of, say, the Joe
> Loss orchestra in the 1970s. Trombones are situated back of the
> trumpets on a riser; trombones have one mic, the trumpets have another
> mic. The reeds are separated by some distance and have their own
> section mic. The drum set is between them and looks to have a single
> Coles 4038 above it. Very minimal microphones, and they are set at a
> proper distance from each section, so as to get the ensemble sound.
> 
> Thing is this: as always, the more open mics you have the more 'noise'
> gets recorded. If you have a 20 piece band and every instrument has
> its own mic plus a few more for the drums...room noise, etc, will be
> magnified exponentially.

Also, the reverb is being recorded at several points in the room, giving
a confused mixture which the brain of the listener cannot disentangle.

> 
> Were I to record a similar ensemble, I might (MIGHT) seriously
> consider stereo mic'ing the brass, reeds, and drums with M-S
> arrangements (so that should the stereo be a failure, I would still
> have a workable mono recording!), plus an M-S overhead for the drums
> and a separate mic for the bass drum, as well as one each for bass,
> guitar, and piano.
> 
> I still cringe at the memory of an LP I once had in the 70s, of the
> Glenn Miller Orch directed by Buddy deFranco. Everything was
> close-miked and absolutely flat and dead; worse, the brass instruments
> seemed to be played at mezzo-piano...if that is a term. No "muscle" to
> it at all, as though someone feared that playing at a proper loudness
> would blow their microphones.

Regards
-- 
Don Cox
doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx