Recording session with a balaphon and a vibraphone for tomorrow ...

[Julien Apruzzese]

Hi everyone,

i have a record session with a balaphon and a vibraphone for tomorrow.
They would like to play together...

What are your advices ?

Best regards,

Julien Apruzzese.

[weatherbox]

With vibes at least, I've gotten really nice results with two SDC omnis hung over the instrument a couple feet, one for each side. High enough up that the mallet on the bars wouldn't overpower the motor effect. Micing from underneath got too much whirring from the motors for my tastes. I used a slightly dark preamp and neutral mics as I wanted a really rich sound that was to add ambience and general prettiness to a track rather than be a standout sound.

[lm66]

Hello Julien,

I record often vibraphone (because I play it) and I use to play with balafon players.

Many options are vailable :

If the room sounds good, why not only a stereo pair (Schoeps, DPA,...) in ORTF for both (just the right spot where to place them to find).

For close miking the vibes, my Schoeps CMC6/MK4 in X/Y (above the instrument) or spaced A/B (in front of the instrument are "the" choice IMHO.
I've tried a lot of small or large condenser's pair, the Schoeps give me the best balance of the instrument and one of the best transients reproduction.

For close miking the balafon, I've had good results with AKG's C414 B-ULS or C1's Studio Projects in A/B.

Anyway, you'll need a room with enough high ceiling, in order to let the instruments breath.

Perhaps may you try a combination of close miking + room's mic(s)...

If you really need to work on individual tracks during the mix, one room for each instrument may be necessary (bleeding between the two instruments may be a nightmare sometimes).

Best luck for your recording.

[lm66]

Sorry, I forgot for the preamps : the more transparent and the more neutral they'll be, the more your recordings will sound.

I love my little Revox C279 for this kind of job (as my partner's Studer 169).
Millennia pres work fine too.

As said above, don't mike under the vibes, you'll get more damper's pedal and motor's noises than vibes sound.

But sometimes on balafon a PZM mike placed under the instrument may be efficient if you don't catch enough "buzz" coming from the calebasses (the balafon's resonators).
But a "good" balafon should give enough buzz when miked above.

If you may have look at Gary Burton/Chick Corea duet's video, you'll see two DPA's (if I remember correctly) in A/B around 50cms in front of the vibes around 40cms above and pointing to the damper.