Recording the "room" just for rehearsal ?

Gman · #1 12-28-2001, 09:17 PM

I want to get a recording of rehearsal, just for my own use. Doesn't need to be a GOOD recording, just usable.

We do have a DAT machine, on the occasion that "Piano Boy" brings all his gear. But more than likely, I'll just use an old Tascam 4 track machine.

Sooo, my question is, what mic could I use that will pick up the whole mix ? Like I said, it doesn't have to be great, just something that I can bring home and analyze my playing.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Dave

Yvon · #2 12-28-2001, 10:26 PM

a shure SM57 on the ceiling will probably do. You will have to find the sweet spot though.
But I'm pretty sure you will have the result you are looking for.

arther daily · #3 01-08-2002, 09:33 AM

i/we/everyone i know uses a mini-disc recorder and a sony stereo mic.

if you put the mic on the a stand a couple of feet in front of the kit and quite a distance from the pa speakers - you should get a pretty decent recording.

hard to beleive when you see the mic, but you can get some genuinley good live recordings.

arther daily · #4 01-08-2002, 09:34 AM

i/we/everyone i know uses a mini-disc recorder and a sony stereo mic.

if you put the mic on the a stand a couple of feet in front of the kit and quite a distance from the pa speakers - you should get a pretty decent recording.

hard to beleive when you see the mic, but you can get some genuinley good live recordings.

the beauty is that the md recorder can be triggered by sound, so you once you get the settings right you can leave it on for the whole set.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #5 01-08-2002, 11:43 AM

If you want to really hear what the entire room sound is like and not just what's coming from the direction that the mic is pointed at, use an omnidirectional mic.

**baba** · #6 01-23-2002, 02:42 PM

Timely subject...I was just thinking about miking our session with a single sm57. Since it isn't omnidirectional any suggestions on where to point it? If it's hung from the ceiling is pointing at the ground as good as any other direction?...how about pointing directly at the band from a mike stand?

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #7 01-23-2002, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by babadingding
Timely subject...I was just thinking about miking our session with a single sm57. Since it isn't omnidirectional any suggestions on where to point it? If it's hung from the ceiling is pointing at the ground as good as any other direction?...how about pointing directly at the band from a mike stand?

BALDING,

That's a good question. The 57 is a dynamic cardiod pattern which is sometimes mistakenly called "unidirectional" because it does offer a certain amout of off-axis rejection. Think of the polar pattern of the 57 as a funnel shape that gets wider the further away from it you get. Therefore, the best results you can get to hear the whole band will be as far away as you can get it while still in the same room (assuming that the room isn't huge). What you WON'T get with the 57 is the sound bouncing off the walls from behind the mic (but you'll hear that sound as it bounces back again off of the wall behind the band).

What I would do is place the mic where an "audience" member would likely be sitting in relation to the band, so you can sort of hear what the band sounds like to an audience. And remember, I said "sort of"....it's a compromise, but with a single 57 it's likely the best option in this case.

Good luck.

DURRL

ZuluFunk · #8 01-24-2002, 06:26 AM

We have done it several ways. Best way was taking a direct out of the mixing board of the entire mix. You lose all of the crowd noise and get a good balance on the drums and bass. Merely micing the room has always left us with too much drums and no cymbols.
As far as a mic goes, I wouldn't look omni-directional if you want to limit the echo from the back wall. If you want to get the crowd noise/sound...put a mic right by the mix board to pick up how the sound guy is hearing things.