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dcpianoman · 7th June 2006

Skip the mics you listed - not sure why you picked those. Never heard ANYTHING good about the B2, not sure about the CAD but for $200 there's certainly more proven options. Instead, spend that $300 on three mics:
I suggest
(1) Marshall V67G - $100 - large diaphragm condensor with cardioid pattern; not brittle or harsh at all, pretty big-sounding for a $100 chinese mic
(2) Shure SM57 - $80 - or really any dynamic that strikes your fancy (cardioid)
(3) Apex 205 ribbon - $100 from Front End Audio (figure 8)
I'll explain why these later.

You'll have bleed period - so don't try to avoid it - use it!

The string mic(s) will definately have some steel pan in them; it's just a loud, bright instrument. Find a reasonably large room (bedroom won't work) and then find the absolute best spot for the steel pan. I'd start with a spot away from the walls where the ceiling is relatively high.

Use your dynamic to mike the steel pan. If you use a cheap condensor, you'll probably get all sorts of high frequency stuff everywhere that will jump out at you in the mix...especially on an instrument like that. Mess around with where you place the mic, just put it where it sounds nice.

Then...walk around with a pair of isolating (as much as you can) headphones and the V67 plugged in and routed into those headphones. When you hear a spot where the ambiance sounds nice and mixes well with the steelpan mic, stop. Turn the V67 to where it's pointing the opposite direction of the steelpan.

This will be the "mid" mic in a mid-side configuration. Now put the ribbon mic right over/next to the V67, pointing parallel to V67. This is the "side". (If you don't know what mid-side is, I don't have time...but do a search - it's WELL worth the effort)

Your setup will now have the V67 and ribbon both positioned:
(1) in a spot where the steelpan ambiance sounds good
(2) in a way where there is greatest rejection (back of cardioid; side of figure-8)

Set up the string players a few feet in front of the M/S setup on different sides. When you play back the song in the DAW, copy the figure-8 to a second track, switch the polarity on one track, pan the two hard L/R and listen.

The steel pan should sound great, albeit dry on its own. But when you add the string mics, the ambiance should make it come alive! Solo'd, the string mics might still have a lot of steelpan and sound ridiculous. But because you set the mics up in a nice way, it will be beautiful in the mix.

The mid-side config will also give you a nice controllable stereo spread with the violin on one side and the viola on the other. AND when the mix is mono (car speakers at low volumes often sum to mono) there won't be any phase issues.

Critical points:
(1) Cardioid + figure-8 for the mid-side setup
(2) ribbons sound $ on strings and that Apex is a nice little mic for the money
(3) Position the strings where the steelpan ambiance works well with the close mic
(4) A condensor is not always the best mic for the job! I often use more (FAR more) ribbons and dynamics than condensors...especially cheap condensors.
(5) Dynamic mics usually sound great for metallic percussion instruments (this trick also works well with tambourines, shakers, hihats, ride cymbols, etc)

Hope that helps.

David

P.S. If you're worried about vocal sounds, the three mics I listed should give you many options. (1) For budgets <$300, the V67 sounds great for most guys' voices, and I just recorded a girl singer that it was superb with. (2) The SM57 or dynamic has been used frequently for vocals though it's rarely the best thing. Depends a lot on the singer and the mood. Bono (U2) recorded Joshua Tree with a handheld SM58 (almost the same thing) on all but "Trip Through Your Wires". (3) The Apex 205 can be nice, if a bit dark, on vocals. (4) If you like the character of the Apex but it's too dark, flip it around! The backside is somewhat brighter than the front. Don't forget to use a pop filter if you're <6 inches away from the mic. (5) Combine any of the above mics and watch for phase. If one mic by itself won't get you the body and the airiness you're looking for, use one mic for each part.

7th June 2006	#2
dcpianoman Gear Head Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 64	Skip the mics you listed - not sure why you picked those. Never heard ANYTHING good about the B2, not sure about the CAD but for $200 there's certainly more proven options. Instead, spend that $300 on three mics: I suggest (1) Marshall V67G - $100 - large diaphragm condensor with cardioid pattern; not brittle or harsh at all, pretty big-sounding for a $100 chinese mic (2) Shure SM57 - $80 - or really any dynamic that strikes your fancy (cardioid) (3) Apex 205 ribbon - $100 from Front End Audio (figure 8) I'll explain why these later. You'll have bleed period - so don't try to avoid it - use it! The string mic(s) will definately have some steel pan in them; it's just a loud, bright instrument. Find a reasonably large room (bedroom won't work) and then find the absolute best spot for the steel pan. I'd start with a spot away from the walls where the ceiling is relatively high. Use your dynamic to mike the steel pan. If you use a cheap condensor, you'll probably get all sorts of high frequency stuff everywhere that will jump out at you in the mix...especially on an instrument like that. Mess around with where you place the mic, just put it where it sounds nice. Then...walk around with a pair of isolating (as much as you can) headphones and the V67 plugged in and routed into those headphones. When you hear a spot where the ambiance sounds nice and mixes well with the steelpan mic, stop. Turn the V67 to where it's pointing the opposite direction of the steelpan. This will be the "mid" mic in a mid-side configuration. Now put the ribbon mic right over/next to the V67, pointing parallel to V67. This is the "side". (If you don't know what mid-side is, I don't have time...but do a search - it's WELL worth the effort) Your setup will now have the V67 and ribbon both positioned: (1) in a spot where the steelpan ambiance sounds good (2) in a way where there is greatest rejection (back of cardioid; side of figure-8) Set up the string players a few feet in front of the M/S setup on different sides. When you play back the song in the DAW, copy the figure-8 to a second track, switch the polarity on one track, pan the two hard L/R and listen. The steel pan should sound great, albeit dry on its own. But when you add the string mics, the ambiance should make it come alive! Solo'd, the string mics might still have a lot of steelpan and sound ridiculous. But because you set the mics up in a nice way, it will be beautiful in the mix. The mid-side config will also give you a nice controllable stereo spread with the violin on one side and the viola on the other. AND when the mix is mono (car speakers at low volumes often sum to mono) there won't be any phase issues. Critical points: (1) Cardioid + figure-8 for the mid-side setup (2) ribbons sound $ on strings and that Apex is a nice little mic for the money (3) Position the strings where the steelpan ambiance works well with the close mic (4) A condensor is not always the best mic for the job! I often use more (FAR more) ribbons and dynamics than condensors...especially cheap condensors. (5) Dynamic mics usually sound great for metallic percussion instruments (this trick also works well with tambourines, shakers, hihats, ride cymbols, etc) Hope that helps. David P.S. If you're worried about vocal sounds, the three mics I listed should give you many options. (1) For budgets <$300, the V67 sounds great for most guys' voices, and I just recorded a girl singer that it was superb with. (2) The SM57 or dynamic has been used frequently for vocals though it's rarely the best thing. Depends a lot on the singer and the mood. Bono (U2) recorded Joshua Tree with a handheld SM58 (almost the same thing) on all but "Trip Through Your Wires". (3) The Apex 205 can be nice, if a bit dark, on vocals. (4) If you like the character of the Apex but it's too dark, flip it around! The backside is somewhat brighter than the front. Don't forget to use a pop filter if you're <6 inches away from the mic. (5) Combine any of the above mics and watch for phase. If one mic by itself won't get you the body and the airiness you're looking for, use one mic for each part.