two different overhead mics ??

[seka]

hi everybody,
next weekend I will be recording a demo for a local band (soul/pop with Motown influences, you can hear some tracks on MySpace.com - berriegordies - - Soul / Indie - www.myspace.com/berriegordies, attention these tracks are with programmed drums and amp plugins).

for the drums I was thinking of trying out the Glyn Johns method (Glyn Johns drum mic setup), have recorded several times using recorderman technique but I am curious to give this a try.

what I want to achieve is a natural, viby sound (think Motown but a bit more modern, think Amy Whinehouse?) and use as less tracks as possible.

this is my mic collection:

AKG C414 B-ULS
Blue Baby Bottle
AKG D112
Audix i5
Oktava MK-012 (matched stereo pair)
Oktava MK-319
Sennheiser MD421-II
Sennheiser e609
Shure SM57 (3)
Shure SM58
Superlux PZM boundary mic
Beyerdynamic Opus53

I was thinking:
Baby Bottle and C414 as overheads
Sennheiser 421 on kick
Audix i5 on snare
Oktava MK-012 as mono room mic

Would it be a problem if I use two different overhead mics?? Or should I go for mono overhead.
Any other suggestions as to mic choice and placement would be much appreciated.

thanks!
Kurt

[matt thomas]

of course you can use different mics, if you like the sound of it.

I'm sure some will complain that you won't get an accurate stereo image. But that doesn't matter, what does matter is that you like what it DOES sound like.

I don't know if any of your mics do a figure 8 pattern, but if so you could consider doing an m/s pattern for overheads, this way you can use two different mics in a more accepted manner

narco

[nukmusic]

[VacuousZounds]

Having a mono overhead and stereo room mics is a common setup as well.

[matt thomas]

does that mid side illustration look rude, or is it just me?

narco

[andychamp]

Originally Posted by seka

for the drums I was thinking of trying out the Glyn Johns method (Glyn Johns drum mic setup), have recorded several times using recorderman technique but I am curious to give this a try.

what I want to achieve is a natural, viby sound (think Motown but a bit more modern, think Amy Whinehouse?) and use as less tracks as possible.

For Motown you don't really need stereo, and even the Glyn Johns setup turned out stereo by accident.
So, I don't think 2 different mics will matter that much. Go for it.

[strat+ac30]

Here's my suggestion:

(1) Get the OnStage Stands stereo bar with 6 attach points ($23 at one of the online joints)
(2) Put up six different mics on it - pick the 6 that you'd think are most likely to work as overheads
(3) Record a test track with all six as mono overheads. Use this as your "reference" when picking drum sounds for each song (you might want to change it up depending on the rest of the arrangement). In most situations - especially going for Motown vibe - the overs will be the bulk of your sound and everything should be tailored to fit them, not the other way around.
(4) Now that you've picked your overhead mic (mono), use the MC-012's as stereo room mics. When you're setting them up, pan hard L/R and position the mics themselves to give you the stereo image you want. Alternatively: if you liked the MC-012's best a OHs, use them as a stereo OH pair (Recorderman, Glyn Johns, XY, spaced pair) and pick a mono room mic.

Two other interesting tidbits:
- Bob Ohlsson, Motown legend, has gone on record several times as preferring a single Neumann (47/67/87) on overheads as he can't find anything else that gives a ballsier tone.
- Fletcher has gone on record as enjoying mis-matched overheads, particularly a 47-style on ride-side and 87-style on hat-side (IIRC).

Hope that helps,
Dave

[lowfreq33]

My preference with those choices would be the MC-O12's as stereo overheads and the 414 in omni for a mono room mic. If you wanted to get fancy you could do the mid-side for rooms with the 414 and the baby bottle.

[Slaytex]

Originally Posted by narco

does that mid side illustration look rude, or is it just me?

narco

It's needs some Preperation H!