Unconventional/CreAtiVe Tech-niques.

FETHead · 31st October 2008

Basically a thread to share unconventional tracking/mixing techniques! We've all heard of some odd ones i.e - mics lodged in gramaphones, PA system reinforcement in the live room, ambient mics in a piano in a reverb chamber for "piano verb", singing through headphones, strapping extra kick drum shells to the active kick to form a reso tube, mic'ing mini-amps to get some natural hi-end back into the mix etc.

Got any unconventional tech-niques? Self developed arrays?
Ways of using gear for their un-intended purpose?

P.S. Always have fun!

soupking · 31st October 2008

I don't have any fancy, ceiling-suspended examples. But what I have found is that there's commonly a reason to do the unconventional.

Like, if somebody uses a speaker as a microphone, it's not for aesthetic, it's because they want more out of something that they can't get with their current arsenal or set-up.

Paying attention and wanting more, being relentless tends to be the source of innovation.

Like my friends story of using a VCR as a bouncing device because they only had four tracks, etc. Which coincidentally got written up in a respected sound magazine back in it's day since it sounded really pretty good.

FETHead · 1st November 2008

Always wanted to know about the VCR thing, does anybody now if it can be done with a betamax machine? Apparently the quality of beta is better than VHS....

Thx soupking, good points raised there.

cornutt · 1st November 2008

One that I remember reading about a long time ago: sing into the bell of a woodwind or brass instrument, with a mic set up at the mouthpiece end.

Run vocals, guitars etc. through a Leslie (old Hendrix trick).

Dave Davies took a razor blade to the speaker cones in a guitar cab, and then used that cab to record the guitar in "You Really Got Me".

Assigning various found objects to the drummer. Steve Rodby used to have a pair of Oldsmobile hubcaps in his kit.

jval · 1st November 2008

My studio is super small but I try to mix things up a bit. Every time I track drums, I try to find the weirdest possible spot for a mono room mic. Last week it was in a hallway outside the live room behind a closed door. Today it was a ribbon mic in the far corner 6" off of the ground. Last month it was in the mudroom, etc etc...
It doesn't always get used in the mix, but often it's the thing that adds a little bit of attitude and originality to a modern sounding mix. I'm doing some post-rock stuff right now and 85% of our drum sound is from a hallway mic. There was also a 3-part harmony section where we had everyone on the same mic at the same time - quietest guy closer, another guy 5 feet further back, and the loudest guy in the hallway. A lot of my projects are pop-rock or metal and require the cookie-cutter modern production, but I love the projects where I can try different things.
I guess these aren't super creative or off-the-wall, but it's tough to get crazy in a small room.

31st October 2008	#1
FETHead Gear interested Joined: Oct 2008 Location: Pretoria, South-Africa Posts: 15 Thread Starter	Unconventional/CreAtiVe Tech-niques. Basically a thread to share unconventional tracking/mixing techniques! We've all heard of some odd ones i.e - mics lodged in gramaphones, PA system reinforcement in the live room, ambient mics in a piano in a reverb chamber for "piano verb", singing through headphones, strapping extra kick drum shells to the active kick to form a reso tube, mic'ing mini-amps to get some natural hi-end back into the mix etc. Got any unconventional tech-niques? Self developed arrays? Ways of using gear for their un-intended purpose? P.S. Always have fun!

31st October 2008	#2
soupking Lives for gear Joined: Jul 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 3,337	I don't have any fancy, ceiling-suspended examples. But what I have found is that there's commonly a reason to do the unconventional. Like, if somebody uses a speaker as a microphone, it's not for aesthetic, it's because they want more out of something that they can't get with their current arsenal or set-up. Paying attention and wanting more, being relentless tends to be the source of innovation. Like my friends story of using a VCR as a bouncing device because they only had four tracks, etc. Which coincidentally got written up in a respected sound magazine back in it's day since it sounded really pretty good. __________________ "Exceptional people talk about ideas. Normal people talk about things. Those with limited abilities talk about other people." - Quoted by Jim Coleman

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1st November 2008	#3
FETHead Gear interested Joined: Oct 2008 Location: Pretoria, South-Africa Posts: 15 Thread Starter	Always wanted to know about the VCR thing, does anybody now if it can be done with a betamax machine? Apparently the quality of beta is better than VHS.... Thx soupking, good points raised there.

1st November 2008	#4
cornutt Gear addict Joined: May 2006 Posts: 497	One that I remember reading about a long time ago: sing into the bell of a woodwind or brass instrument, with a mic set up at the mouthpiece end. Run vocals, guitars etc. through a Leslie (old Hendrix trick). Dave Davies took a razor blade to the speaker cones in a guitar cab, and then used that cab to record the guitar in "You Really Got Me". Assigning various found objects to the drummer. Steve Rodby used to have a pair of Oldsmobile hubcaps in his kit.

1st November 2008	#5
jval Gear addict Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 488	My studio is super small but I try to mix things up a bit. Every time I track drums, I try to find the weirdest possible spot for a mono room mic. Last week it was in a hallway outside the live room behind a closed door. Today it was a ribbon mic in the far corner 6" off of the ground. Last month it was in the mudroom, etc etc... It doesn't always get used in the mix, but often it's the thing that adds a little bit of attitude and originality to a modern sounding mix. I'm doing some post-rock stuff right now and 85% of our drum sound is from a hallway mic. There was also a 3-part harmony section where we had everyone on the same mic at the same time - quietest guy closer, another guy 5 feet further back, and the loudest guy in the hallway. A lot of my projects are pop-rock or metal and require the cookie-cutter modern production, but I love the projects where I can try different things. I guess these aren't super creative or off-the-wall, but it's tough to get crazy in a small room.