XY vs Recorder Man for poor acoustic room

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:26 am

Does either option offer a better sound for a poor acoustic room?

What does each one do different from the other?

Is one better than the other?

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:35 am

Same difference - equally bad in a bad room.

If you experiment enough, you might find a position for the XY pair that is acceptable, where that would be more difficult for RM. Are you thinking of miking the kick and the snare as well?

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:32 am

I have a bad room, too, and to speak experientially, I feel the RecorderMan technique is much more finicky about precision placement. I don't try it unless I have at least an hour to devote to getting drum sounds and a performer who's patient -- realistically, I only use it when I want to cut the tracks.

Take also into consideration that RecorderMan's method requires that your kick drum doesn't scoot, your snare stand doesn't tilt or lower through abuse, and that you're willing to compromise comfort (cymbal heights, tom locations, et al.) if it means a more balanced result.

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:29 am

why not fix the room?

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:44 am

I mic the snare top and bottom, bass drum and each tom.

gullfo wrote:

why not fix the room?

Possibly because I am not made of money?
Its a grand idea though!

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:30 pm

That's probably too many mics on the kit, even in a reasonable room. You're in danger of creating a muddy sound due to phasing differences between all the mics and also from the room reflections. If you have less than ideal acoustics, the fewer mics the better. You could start with the kick and two OH and see what that sounds like. Add a single snare mic if necessary. As Remy keeps saying: less is more!

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:11 pm

Remy thought my recording sounded bad ass.
The more mics the better is what I have found in my experiences. Its just knowing how to use them.

=)
http://recording.org/ftopict-44819.html

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 5:39 pm

AllInRuins wrote:

Its just knowing how to use them.
http://recording.org/ftopict-44819.html

Okay, the drums in this piece are clearly samples. It's true that you "know how to use" microphones mechanically--that is, you can get them to transduce acoustic energy from the drums into electrical energy--but I'd suggest you take some tips from Boswell if you want to learn how to use them musically.

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:21 pm

Um these aren't samples. LMAO.
You're a real genius.

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:30 pm

Ya.. lol these are not samples...
What made you think they were samples?

Here are a few tracks I uploaded for some one.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_music.cfm?bandID=662049

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 3:10 am

I'll preface by saying that even geniuses are wrong sometimes. However, as I listen to this performance, I'm all but positive--positive--you used drum replacement.

AllInRuins wrote:

What made you think they were samples?

Focusing on the snare: the consistency of the performance and the quality of the signal are dead giveaways. Most damning, perhaps, is the fact that the snare as heard through your kick drum mic sounds nothing like the up-front snare in the mix. Just to sate my curiosities, why don't you tell me a little about your signal chain and mixing techniques.

Many third-graders can and do use microphones well enough to let Drumagog and few samples do the work. And there's nothing wrong with this approach. But Boswell's advice about using exorbitant mic'ing on an all-acoustic kit still stands.

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 9:19 am

If you can, Patrick, take a look at those tracks in an editor.

Every hit is clipped hard, lots o' square waves!

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:52 pm

It's hip to be square [wave]. Thanks, Bent.

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:43 pm

No problem!

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 11:17 pm

Dead give aways to what?
I didnt use samples so your "third grade" reasoning is flawed.

I run the mics into a fired pod, and then into a mac book pro.

Im sorry bro just give it up, we didnt use drum replacement.
Maybe I can just hit a snare drum consistently? IDK, Thats the only thing I can think of.

And saying things like even a third grader can do it, and that you are 100% certain even though you really have no idea is one of the most logically flawed statements one can make. It just makes me think you are some one high on their ego, thats all.

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