Robotic Mic Stand

[kdp]

I typically work alone in my studio recording all the tracks by myself. I remember seeing an ad in Mix magazine in the early 90's that had a robotic gizmo hooked up to a mic stand so you could move the mic around remotely from the control room. This would be ideal for me in situations where I want to move the mic a half inch here and there on ,say,an electric guitar amp, as I'm playing from the control room.This way I could really dial in on the correct mike placement without running back and forth.Is anyone still making these? Thanks

[Doc Mixwell]

Dude..........I thought I lazy,
thats taking it to a new level,

I like to listen to the instrument in the room, don't you??
Robots don't have ears.....

[kdp]

The robot isn't listening, I am. And no, I can be next to the guitar amp playing around with the mike placement to get the rough sound but in the end you can't hear what it sounds like intil it comes through the control room monitors. And no it's not being lazy, it's being creative and efficient. But thanks anyway for not helping.

[nosebleedaudio]

I built one, works great...

[kdp]

Could I buy one from you? How's it work?

[ronzie]

Originally Posted by Roc Mixwell

Dude..........I thought I lazy,
thats taking it to a new level,

I like to listen to the instrument in the room, don't you??
Robots don't have ears.....

Way to make your company look special.

On to the topic at hand. kdp, I can dig for some old literature. There was (is?) something out there.

Ron Allaire, Skyline

[andychamp]

I read in a Scorpions interview, back when they were recording with Dieter Dierks, where they had built a robot out of a Fischer Technik set that could move the mic around up/down and sideways in front of the speakers.

[Zep Dude]

There was a thread about this a while ago and some guy said he was building one for manufacture. He actually said I could beta test it, but I've never heard from him. I think it's a great idea -if the device has enough movement in all directions it's a great way of exploring an instrument for the sweet spot while staying in front of the speakers.

I've looked into robotic arms but there seems to be a big gap between the prosumer units (which allow your PC to control them) which aren't robust enough to hold a heavy tube mic, and the industrial ones which cost thousands of dollars.

It would probably not be difficult for someone to put together a robotic arm with a joystick to control it via a mic line (maybe even a cheap little webcam so you can see where it's pointing from the control room) if they knew a bit about robotics and where to source the parts, the servo's ect.

[preben]

I was actually quite a way down the line in designing a 2x12" iso box for guitar recording which I cleverly was going to call the 'Raunsbjerg RoboCab". This would amongst other things be featuring a foot operated mike-holder inside the cab which would travel across the face of the two speakers, so that you could 'sweep' the cab whilst playing.

The basic idea is a 2x12" cab. 2x12" because a 1x12" is too small not for the speaker but for the mike and it's much more likely that you get all these nasty boxy-sounding things happening because it's more cubic in design. Furthermore I don't want to be limited to having just one 12" speaker to chose from when recording.

I actually find that having 2 different speakers almost makes more difference than having 2 different amps (my usual setup here is 3 amps and 4-5 speakers for variation).

Based on the experience I have building a couple of these in the past as well as a couple of vocal booth devices in my opinion it would be paramount to avoid as many parallel sides as possible. Which is why a wooden construction wouldn't be my first choice - although for practical reasons and small runs wood would probably be easier to get things started.

But my ideal scenario would have been a hollow, moulded fiber-something (see, this is why this thing ain't gonna get built - I obviously don't know enough about it...) that didn't have any parallel sides (easy when it's moulded - hard when it's wood) and that the end user would fill up with sand for dampening (not the entire box obviously ).

But due to being super busy with music - which is a GOOD thing - I simply don't have the time to pursue this - although I'd probably be the first person to buy one if one was made... or knowing myself I'd probably prefer a 4x12" version ....

But the idea of a robotic stand is something I really like as I'm finding hard to move stands around while playing - no matter whether I'm in the same room as the amp or not... So if anyone have any info about such things I'd be very interested as well...

[Andraes]

There could be some camera of the shelve solutions that cold be adapted to microphones.

[numrologst]

Originally Posted by Zep Dude

There was a thread about this a while ago and some guy said he was building one for manufacture. He actually said I could beta test it, but I've never heard from him. I think it's a great idea -if the device has enough movement in all directions it's a great way of exploring an instrument for the sweet spot while staying in front of the speakers.

I've looked into robotic arms but there seems to be a big gap between the prosumer units (which allow your PC to control them) which aren't robust enough to hold a heavy tube mic, and the industrial ones which cost thousands of dollars.

It would probably not be difficult for someone to put together a robotic arm with a joystick to control it via a mic line (maybe even a cheap little webcam so you can see where it's pointing from the control room) if they knew a bit about robotics and where to source the parts, the servo's ect.

I remember this post... But i thought there was a product that was already made like this... It was like $1500 and had a joystick. can anyone remember this?

[nosebleedaudio]

Can be done several ways.
One objective is for it to be quiet, so if you want to move the mic while tracking you don't hear gears grinding.
I will be selling these in the future, have built a couple to see if it works like I wanted it to work...
It is very cool...

[jhg]

The company that made this was called Studio Techniques. It was powered by a 9 volt battery, would mount to a mic stand and the head would swivel up and down or left/right. The control signal was sent via a standard mic cable. A modern alternative could be attained using a satellite dish positioning device.

As silly as it sounds, there were applications: like adjusting ceiling mounted microphones and things. As well: If you want to stick your ear in a guitar amp while simultaneously hearing the results in the control room: knock your self out.

I somehow found some documentation and it's attached.

Regards,

jhg

[andychamp]

I could imagine such a device using little servo motors like those in RC cars/planes

[esaias]

Used Industrial Robots sales and purchases: ABB, KUKA, FANUC available at Global Robots Ltd.





seriously, I just shot myself into this brainstroming dimension of how to combine robotics and recording equipment. I think I need to contact my uncle who is a (space)robotics professor! I'll be back! :D

-Tomi

[nosebleedaudio]

The one I built is controlled by a pot and has repeatable positions.
It is a hard wired remote, not crazy about RF ect in a studio.
I wonder how much the Studio Techniques version is/was.
Could not find them on the web...

[travisbrown]

Originally Posted by kdp

I typically work alone in my studio recording all the tracks by myself. I remember seeing an ad in Mix magazine in the early 90's that had a robotic gizmo hooked up to a mic stand so you could move the mic around remotely from the control room. This would be ideal for me in situations where I want to move the mic a half inch here and there on ,say,an electric guitar amp, as I'm playing from the control room.This way I could really dial in on the correct mike placement without running back and forth.Is anyone still making these? Thanks

I thought this is what interns are for.

[travisbrown]

Seriously, if your live room is on another floor of the building or you have to run through six sliding doors to get to the mic, it would be cool.

I bet you could go to a good toy store, find a construct-a-robot-remote-control type toy and build your own for $49.99

RC hobbyshops will have the servos and steppers if you wanted to do it completely DIY

[oneluv]

travisbrown a+++ on the comedy.

[johnbohn]

I found this. Not exactly what I'd be looking for considering it just goes up and down. WAY overpriced too.

Powered Microphone Stand | ProAudioSuperstore.com

[nosebleedaudio]

Originally Posted by johnbohn

I found this. Not exactly what I'd be looking for considering it just goes up and down. WAY overpriced too.

Powered Microphone Stand | ProAudioSuperstore.com

Moving on an axis is better for most micing.
Moving foward and back would be more involved but also very useful.

[nosebleedaudio]

Originally Posted by travisbrown

Seriously, if your live room is on another floor of the building or you have to run through six sliding doors to get to the mic, it would be cool.

I bet you could go to a good toy store, find a construct-a-robot-remote-control type toy and build your own for $49.99

RC hobbyshops will have the servos and steppers if you wanted to do it completely DIY

Yes...
Will still have to fabricate the mic holder part, for strength, and also noise may be a problem.

[big country]

I think midi would be the way to go
(utilizing all five pins)

A while back I was trying to make some bass traps that opened and closed using a servo from a remote control glider
I was planning on getting one of those studio " Recording " sign's that turn off and on via midi and wiring it up to the trap

having a room that went from live to dead would be sweet

(midi)movable Mic stands and fully adjustable polar pattern Mic
would be a pretty sweet studio
that and a pre amp less daw for 312 DB of shoulder room

[warhead]

XLR makes sense since all studios have that running through the walls though already.

I would seriously be interested in something like this. However, I'd love to know why the Studio Techniques one failed. I remember reading about that maybe back in the 90's and it was pretty expensive...?

War

[Zep Dude]

I never bought the studio techniques unit because it was only on a swivel axis -you need something that can go forward, backward, up and down. How often to you stand there and rotate a mic on an axis (ok sometimes)?

Someone please hurry up and make this so we can all buy a few and fire our lousy stinkin assistants!!

[big country]

switches for the bitches
front back side to side

[Stizz]

Would something like this work?

[big country]

Tobor:

that or stick a wireless to a RC helicopter

[joelpatterson]

I want mine voice-activated.

"Yeah... little lower, maybe? Please...."

[big country]

Originally Posted by joelpatterson

I want mine voice-activated.

"Yeah... little lower, maybe? Please...."

you need a spiny Mic then you can tell it to go faster

with the tube compressor Mic you would bee done ( fo show)
might want a limiter