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any tips?

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rocksure Thu, 01/12/2012 - 22:31

Close Micing them with a pair of sm57's is usually fine. Position them and check for phasing if the mics are close together, reverse phase if needed, don't if not, and Bob's your uncle. You can mic further away with a small diaphram condensor mic, or an LDC instead if you want, or even a combination of those 3. Depends on if you are recording them at the same time as other instruments, or in a room solo whether having an overhead mic is a good idea or not.

RemyRAD Fri, 01/13/2012 - 15:03

Well, first, you'd want to be in the same place. You have to turn right at the next light to find the location. Come on now... haven't you ever seen this on television before? How many congas? 2? 3? 6? How many 57's you got? I have been faced with that decision-making process often over the years. So, 2 inches off of the edge angled down and toward the skin. If on the other hand, you're trying to cover 2 congas with 1 microphone, you might have to be 3 or, 4 inches off of the top edge angled down between the two. Trying to cover six congas with 1 microphone will lose you your job. But then again, depending on the placement of the conga player, the placement of your one solitary microphone in relationship to the other instrumentation & floor monitors, etc. can still be doable, in the studio for instance, if necessary. Otherwise my rule of thumb is 1-57 for each pair if you don't have 2 for a pair. You can use your mathematics to figure out the multiples for more than two. For instance, you could cover 3 in stereo very nicely with a pair of 57's. You could cover 4 in stereo very nicely with a pair of 57's. You could cover 30 folks playing pairs of congas from 15 feet back & 12 feet high from a pair of 57's. If you want to get fancy, you can try 3-57's. But then one would have to be left. One would have to be right. And where would you put the third? The answer, next week.

Stay tuned as opposed to out of tune
Mx. Remy Ann David

rocksure Fri, 01/13/2012 - 15:57

Yes if it is in an untreated classroom 57's are a good choice close to the drums as has been mentioned, with the 58 and 52 also possible if more drums need to be covered. The 52 would go on the largest ( deepest sounding) drum. Don't use condensors in that environment as they are likely to pick up too much of the (probably undesirable) room sound.

chavernac Sun, 01/15/2012 - 02:07

My experience with recording congas is that they are always recording too close. you ll end up with Loooots of transients. It s gonna go "snap snap"... no bottom, no mids.

I usually try to balance the transients and the body of the sound. Either by but the mic a bit farther away that I usually would or by pointing it away from the player's hands.

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