Best Spaced Stereo Pair for Choir or String ensembles

[alexkemp]

Hi fellow Slutz-- I need your advice.

Please give me some thoughts on your favorite matched pair of mics to record larger group vocals, violin sections and possibly the high end part of a percussion set up. If they worked as drum overheads, that'd be great too.

Right now I usually break out the 414's for the big group vocal sessions or percussion, and use royer 121's for the violins (or horn sections). I tried going the cheap route.... a pair of Cascade FatHead II's (keep breaking, buzzing etc though I like them for room ambience on a drum kit) and a pair of Avant CV-28's (sound a little bit better than their price tag, but not good enough).

Not really looking for more ribbons, because I need the high end, the output, and the durability. Maybe I'm looking for Omni's?

Thoughts?

[Empire Prod]

Earthworks QTC40's

[staudio]

They are insanely expensive, but Neumann M150 Large Diaphragm Omni Tube Condensers are amazing for ensembles and strings/orchestra. I was lucky enough to use three in a decca tree over an orchestra at lincoln center and the recordings blew my mind. If you can't afford 10 grand for a pair, then consider some DPA 4006TL Omni condensers, those are another awesome pair of mics. Also maybe something from Gefell.

[alexkemp]

thanks guys. Any other thoughts? Anyone tried the Josephson c617's?

[NathanEldred]

Josephsons c617's are incredible. Also DPA and Schoeps. Personally I'd walk into a room blind with a pair of subcardioids before omnis, you still get some directionality in the highs especially.

[DrC:Drive]

Sennheiser MKH 800 are the ticket for this job. More musical than DPA and affordable/versatile with 5 polar patterns and EQ adjustments. They would compete well with Neummans and cheaper.

James

[aidyhall]

Obviously depends on the room, and if you can afford M150's then great ...

Otherwise, a great pair of SDC's is the Schoeps CMC-5U's, and then you can always swap the heads for different polar patterns. Personally I'd start with the cardioids, unless you're working in world-class rooms all the time.

[John Willett]

Normally I would use an MS setup of MKH 30/40 or MKH 800s.

I have used MKH 20 in a Jecklin Disk for a choir which worked very well.

Buying now, I would go for MKH 800 or the new MKH 8000 series (just waiting for the cash to place the order for 8020 and 8040 sets).

[Karloff70]

Shameless plug:

Selling my pair of Microtech Gefell M294's on ebay at 12.08 lunchtime GMT today (in half an hour...). Item number 320230951106.

They would most definitely be up to your task.

Boris

[soundseeker]

Originally Posted by John Willett

Normally I would use an MS setup of MKH 30/40 or MKH 800s.

I have used MKH 20 in a Jecklin Disk for a choir which worked very well.

Buying now, I would go for MKH 800 or the new MKH 8000 series (just waiting for the cash to place the order for 8020 and 8040 sets).

Ive got 2 8040's. for recording a choir im wondering if 8000's whould have been more effective. what do you guys say?

[hughesmr]

Many good recommendations here. The punchline is that you'll need to listen to some different mics and decide what YOU like.

For more general purpose, I'd recommend Schoeps MK21 subcards. Lovely on choral. I'm also diggin' the Sennheiser 8020 these days ... a really great and quiet mic, with low end that doesn't stop. But it does have its limitations (in the diffuse field it can be quite dark), so I'd come back to the MK21 if you are thinking of one all-purpose pair.

[hollywood_steve]

the title of the original post says:

"Best Spaced Stereo Pair...."

but then I didn't see any further mention of 'spaced' versus coincident. Are you intending to use this specifically as a spaced pair?

[soundseeker]

Originally Posted by hughesmr

But it does have its limitations (in the diffuse field it can be quite dark), so I'd come back to the MK21 if you are thinking of one all-purpose pair.

what do you mean the diffuse field?

I find that paired with my wagner 47 the sennheiser gives the low and the 47 the highs no matter what the range. maybe ill try the 8040s on either side and the 47 in the middle

[hughesmr]

Originally Posted by soundseeker

what do you mean the diffuse field?

Not close to the sound source ... i.e. a more typical placement in a live large ensemble acoustic recording. (Or in Schoeps parlance, "outside the reverberation radius.")

[Teddy Ray]

A pair of no compromise omnis is in order, I believe.

Gefell mk221 caps with Josephson c617 bodies are really, really great.

really in a league of their own.

[Don S]

For vocals ensembles, I like the Schoeps MK2H or the MK21(wide cardioid) or the 4006TL. Keep the APE's handy as well!

[GJS]

I purchased three Lucas CS-1's for this exact purpose (either spaced pair or other implementations of two-mic stereo; or Decca or other implementations of three-mic stereo). Early indication (although I haven't really been able to use them in situ yet) based on listening to one is - home run. And a LOT less than M150's ... get in line for the next run! This is a special mic, I expect. I'm really looking forward to getting my 3 and then finding some time to USE them ...

[JEGG]

The M150, TLM50, etc., and not large diaphragm mic's, are they? They're tiny little diaphragms mounted on a sphere.

Unless I'm not thinking correctly this afternoon, I'm working, and it's entirely possible........

[Teddy Ray]

Originally Posted by Empire Prod

Earthworks QTC40's

those mics are extremely noisy, enough to render them useless for any critical acoustic application.

[Audiop]

Originally Posted by Teddy Ray

those mics are extremely noisy, enough to render them useless for any critical acoustic application.

It would entirely depend on distance and type of music.

Check this sample:

Aria sample


/Peter

[klaukholm]

Originally Posted by JEGG

The M150, TLM50, etc., and not large diaphragm mic's, are they? They're tiny little diaphragms mounted on a sphere.

Unless I'm not thinking correctly this afternoon, I'm working, and it's entirely possible........

They are SDC.

I would second the M150's for strings.
Get the frequency response chart on them before you buy, or make sure to get mics from different runs to try out. They vary somewhat although they seem to have more consistant output the last few years.

I have seen mics in the #300 range that had a few more db highlift.