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Originally Posted by Jimbo I'll be recording a jazz trio (drums, upright bass, guitar) in a few weeks. They want to do either a live recording in a small club, small audience, or a group recording in a nice hall -- they have a facility in mind for the latter. The audience will likely be small and quiet.
I ventured-out to see the trio play, and they are tight, but I personally feel the drummer is too active/dominant given that the only lead player is guitar -- a very mellow sound. The drums would sound better with more brush or brush/stick work instead of just sticks -- but I can't control that.
The trio will be setup (left to right) bass, drums, guitar.
Here are the mics I have to work with:
AKG 414 XLII
MXL v69
Avenson STO-2 (pair -- like Earthworks omnis)
Shinybox 46 (modified ribbon with Lundahl mod)
Audix i5 (dynamic)
I'm thinking about trying the following configs:
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- 414 in front set to a cardiod, or wide-cardiod pattern
- Avenson on bass
- Avenson (or Shinybox) on guitar amp
This would allow me to bump-up the bass and guitar if the drums are too hot, which I expect, and I can pan them to create a nice, simple stereo image. However, if the drums levels are appropriate, then I'm stuck in mono.
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- Mid/Sid out front: v69-mid, 414-side
- Avenson on bass
- Avenson (or Shinybox) on guitar amp
This would give me the same as above, but with a dedicated stereo mix, and allow me to use the Avenson on the bass -- a great mic for that application.
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- Avensons out front with Jecklin disk.
- ?? on bass
- 414 or i5 (??) on guitar
Baffled omni could be cool, but then I've got nothing suitable for bass. The 414 might help the guitar stand-out more, but I've never tried it on an amp, much less a jazz guitar. The i5 could work for the same reason.
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What would YOU do? All advice is appreciated.
Thanks,
- Jim |
Ok, this is not a problem. Go with the ribbon on the guitar amp, the audix dynamic on the bass ( find the right spot perhaps just below the "F" hole on the "g"string side, and either a 414 or Avenson as a drum OH to pick up the entire set, and the other Avenson between the hh and snare. This second Avenson, can be used to add some extra hh "chip" and will also help when the drummer is playing with brushes. You won't need a bass drum mic because of the bleed, but if you desire one the MKL should do. Keep it about 1-foot away from the bass drum head. Jazz drummers don't normaly cut a hole in the bass drum or want that pop/rock "kick drum" sound. They usually prefer a more resonant sound from the drum without too much presence. This is not always the case so you'll have to feel it out.
Also, many jazz bass players don't use amps, so if your bassist doesn't bring one just mic the bass. If he/she does use an amp as part of the sound you can combine a mic on the bass with a touch of direct (if you have a dirsct box). I happen to prefer just a mic on the bass but I'm "old school".