Does anyone know of what kinds of mics work well with vibraphones? I think those long skinny mics are what people use but im not sure
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Mics for vibes?
- Thread starter Bjazzman
- Start date
Some of these have vibraphone micing info:
http://www.google.com/search?source...lz=1T4DMUS_enUS221US222&q=micing+a+vibraphone
http://www.google.com/search?source...lz=1T4DMUS_enUS221US222&q=micing+a+vibraphone
I would use some kind of condenser mics in a XY stereo pair. To get the whole board. I really like AKG C1000 S Condenser mics. But you could go low fi with one Shure SM 57 over the board or some mics out in the room. Really depends what you are looking for.
If by "long, skinny mics" you mean condenser microphones then yes. 
I used to do sound at Birdland and we had vibes a lot. Dave Samuels played there often and he usually brought his own mic. He had a very nice Sennheiser single-point stereo cardioid condenser mic and I got the best results with it centered over the instrument about 1.5 - 2.0 ft. away, with about a 60º downward angle - basically pointed at the player's feet. If an artist didn't bring their own mic, my usual choice was a matched pair of Earthworks SR77 (now the SR30) cardioid condensers. Those mics are simply amazing with all instruments, including voice. If I didn't have the time to set up the pair, I would use a Røde NT4, also a single-point stereo cardioid condenser. Condenser mics work especially good with vibes because they (usually) have lots of gain and they can resolve the subtle details of the instrument. Dynamic mics like the Shure SM57 and SM58 have been used for vibes for many years, too, of course. I just like the high-end precision that condensers have to offer.
For the stage, directional mics work best to minimize the bleed from the other instruments. In recording situations, it's just what kind of staging you want. If you want the close-up Bobby Hutcherson type of sound where you can hear the 'thwak' of the mallets, directional mics placed closely is the ticket. If you want a more ethereal 'room' sound, you could use omni-directional mics placed farther away. I tend to prefer omnis for recording vibes mostly because of the wider soundstage. It tends to de-emphasize some of the harsher, overly-metallic characteristics of the instrument, especially with heavy-handed players.
"What's your clearance, Clarence?"
Another thing that will dictate your positioning is the player's mallet stroke lengths. Animated players usually need more room so you'll need to make sure they don't hit your mics with their mallets.
I used to do sound at Birdland and we had vibes a lot. Dave Samuels played there often and he usually brought his own mic. He had a very nice Sennheiser single-point stereo cardioid condenser mic and I got the best results with it centered over the instrument about 1.5 - 2.0 ft. away, with about a 60º downward angle - basically pointed at the player's feet. If an artist didn't bring their own mic, my usual choice was a matched pair of Earthworks SR77 (now the SR30) cardioid condensers. Those mics are simply amazing with all instruments, including voice. If I didn't have the time to set up the pair, I would use a Røde NT4, also a single-point stereo cardioid condenser. Condenser mics work especially good with vibes because they (usually) have lots of gain and they can resolve the subtle details of the instrument. Dynamic mics like the Shure SM57 and SM58 have been used for vibes for many years, too, of course. I just like the high-end precision that condensers have to offer.
For the stage, directional mics work best to minimize the bleed from the other instruments. In recording situations, it's just what kind of staging you want. If you want the close-up Bobby Hutcherson type of sound where you can hear the 'thwak' of the mallets, directional mics placed closely is the ticket. If you want a more ethereal 'room' sound, you could use omni-directional mics placed farther away. I tend to prefer omnis for recording vibes mostly because of the wider soundstage. It tends to de-emphasize some of the harsher, overly-metallic characteristics of the instrument, especially with heavy-handed players.
"What's your clearance, Clarence?"
Another thing that will dictate your positioning is the player's mallet stroke lengths. Animated players usually need more room so you'll need to make sure they don't hit your mics with their mallets.
yeah i really think the omni-directional is the way to go. i only have some sm57's, a seinnheiser kick drum mic, and an akg 2000 mic. We will be recording in a basement and there will be live instruments in the room. Im sure i will have to put up a barrier to block the other players sound from interefering with the vibes. I do want an etheral sound since i like the ambient-ness of the vibes. sometimes i do pound on them but mostly i play soft. i don't think i want the sound of the mallets hitting the bars when we record though. Also i have a three octave degan set and it has no motor. So the high end can get brittle if i don't push up and down on the lever. any thoughts on how i should go about this?
If you got a small diaphragm mic like an SM81 or AKG 451, you could use the small diaphragm mic towards the treble side, and then either the AKG 2000 (C2000B?) or a '57 towards the bass side.
True! Those are pretty serious mics (81 and 451) and they're priced accordingly ($320 - $480). Good suggestions though. Not sure of your budget, Bjazzman.
Oh, okay. You're playing the vibes. Cool! Depending on your goals, bleed can be a good thing. If you plan on tracking your songs in one pass and not go back and "fix" parts then you could get the omnis close to the vibes and perhaps use them for the room sound for the rest of the band. Only problem there is that as you turn up the vibes, you're also turning up all the other instruments that bled into the mics. You essentially have to control the ratio of vibes vs. everything else. Or like Geoff suggested you can add a directional condenser to one of your mics. If you want to isolate the vibes as much as possible, you'll probably need directionals.
Since you indicated you were more interested in a mellow sound and not a brighter sound, I'd say that you probably don't need to go so far as putting up multiple baffles and spot-micing with hyper-cardioids (which would give you the highest isolation short of tracking the vibes in a separate room). Of course, that all depends on the volume level of the drums and other amplified instruments. If they are too loud, you're more than likely going to be stuck with directionals. I've used both omni and uni methods with great success. It all depended on how tight (studio) or wide (live) they wanted it.
An inexpensive way of getting some omnis in your arsenal is to get some binaurals (basically mini-omnis). I have a pair of Core Sound [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] ($230, with clips) and also a pair of cheaper [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] in-ear binaurals ($69.00, they look like earphones) that I use a lot and they're both quite good for the price. The Sound Professionals pair draws its current from my Sony MZ-RH1's Hi-MD recorder's plug-in power while the higher-quality Core Sound's have their own discrete battery source. I bought a 2 x XLR output adapter cable so I can use them with my +4dB balanced recording gear and they are just great.
Now about your question, are you asking about the brittle sound caused by the absence of the motor? As long as the discs in the resonators are pointing straight up and down (open), there shouldn't be any tonal difference whether with a motor or without. Depending on the placement, age and condition of the damper pad material, some instruments can be harsh when playing with the pedal up. This is quite common though and is most apparent when you hit them hard. Vibraphonists often fit silicone-gel-filled pads as an alternative to felt. It doesn't have the compression memory that felt does and it tends to give you a cleaner, more articulate sound that is free of buzzes (which could also be a component of that sound you dislike in your instrument). I almost always utilize the damper pedal so the pads are usually out of the way when I hit the bars (unless it's for an effect). Sometimes when I play faster I tend to mute the bars more for better separation. Are you playing without the pedal mostly?
actually i play mostly with the pedal. i just press it up and down occasionally since the high end gets way too piercing. you guys listed some great suggestions. my budget is pretty limited. i would say keep everything under $400-500
