Klarinet Archive - Posting 000620.txt from 2001/03

From: stewart kiritz <kiritz@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: sound/close miking in studio
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2001 21:07:03 -0500

Benjamin,

Would an old Sure 330 resemble the Coles?

Stewart Kiritz

----- Original Message -----
From: "Benjamin Maas" <benmaas@-----.com>
Subject: RE: [kl] Re: sound/close miking in studio

>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Peter Stoll [mailto:tardis11@-----.com]
> >
> > Hi everyone,
> >
> > I've been in a couple of situations recently
> > where I was set up in a recording studio close to the
> > microphone. Man, did
> > it ever pick up on any reed noise (hiss) and key clicks. I had to really
> > back off the reed strength to compensate. Has anyone else had this
> > experience? I suppose the major label solo recordings are done in a big
> > enough concert hall that you can get the mic up and far enough
> > away to avoid
> > this, but what do you do when you have to be up close and
> > personal? Moving
> > the mic back seemed to take the presence and colour out of the sound.
> >
> > TIA,
> >
> > Peter Stoll
>
> Peter:
>
> We have several different issues going on here... (I am answering from
the
> Recordist's point of view). These issues include: style of music,
> microphone choice, microphone type, microphone pickup pattern, microphone
> frequency response, microphone placement (a huge one), and the room and
its
> acoustics.
>
> These are all things that an engineer must take into account when making a
> recording. What you are hearing is primarily high-frequency production
> noise. This can be very difficult to deal with as high frequencies tend
to
> project better. The reed hiss goes away with a bit of distance, but
clicks
> can be heard forever...
>
> Most condenser microphones are extremely sensitive (most hover at about
> 80-90 dB of signal to noise). I have mic'd clarinets from several feet
away
> and have still heard those sounds (especially with bass clarinets). The
> position I have personally found to work for clarinets when I have to
close
> mic is above the instrument looking down at it. Depending upon the room,
> this position may change though. Dry rooms generally require micing from
a
> bit more distance whereas very ambient rooms require closer micing.
>
> The style of music comes into play because some ensembles tend to sound
> better when close mic'd, but others should be treated more as one unit and
> therefore use area micing. For example, a woodwind quintet or a string
> quartet is one ensemble and I generally mic that way. The only exception
> will be in a particularly ambient space where a mic *may* be needed behind
> the french horn. If possible, though, I'd rather put a hard surface
behind
> the horn player so they can reflect and balance the rest of the ensemble.
> Now in contrast, when I record a pirot ensemble doing a work by Harbison,
> Torke, or other contemporary composer, I will usually close mic and
> manufacture a sound. The music requires clarity (and often doesn't
balance
> perfectly on its own) and the only way you get that is with more
> microphones. Setting up a stereo pair in front will not get you that kind
> of sound.
>
> So when I need to close mic an instrument, what to I take into account.
> What does the microphone sound like? This is affected by its
construction.
> Is it a condenser, a dynamic, or a ribbon microphone? Each has its own
way
> of creating a signal and its own sonic characteristics. Inside each
> category, different mics have different sounds. I may find that I need a
> mic that has slower transient response and less high-frequency pickup.
Once
> again it depends on the player and the room. For close micing of
clarinets,
> I like to use ribbon microphones. They have a very smooth sound and the
> frequency response is somewhat limited. Together, this can work very well
> in a close situation.
>
> So where does that leave us? What to do... I personally don't usually
> approach things differently in a studio/commercial situation than a
concert
> situation. I prefer to record in good sounding rooms. If you aren't
happy
> with the sound. Try moving it around. I almost never mic a clarinet
closer
> than about 3 feet. I almost always mic from above and in front. It can't
> face too far down because then you get floor reflections in your sound. I
> use microphones that don't have accentuated high-frequencies. (No modern
> AKG or Neumann microphones! Vintage are fine, the newer ones are made for
> rock music where the sound has to be bright and cut) My favorite clarinet
> microphone is hands down, the Coles 4038 ribbon microphone... It has a
> really "creamy, smooth" sound it. Try different mics and different
> positions until you get a sound that you are happy with. Try lower micing
> facing the instrument straight on, try from directly over the top
> (maintaining the same general distance in each position). Try a mic with
a
> tighter pickup pattern (hypercardiod) from a further distance. The lack
of
> presence in your sound that you heard is because of the influence of the
> room.
>
> This should probably give you a start...
>
> --Ben
>
> Benjamin Maas
> Fifth Circle Audio
> Los Angeles, CA
> benmaas@-----.com
> http://www.fifthcircle.com
>
>
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