This week we talk about misuse of gear leading to great sounds and Off-Axis coloration with microphones. In the Rapid Fire section we talk about Drum mic rim clamps; Is tube gear worth it; and favorite snare drum.
Our guest this week is Matt McGlynn of RecordingHacks.
LINKS
RecordingHacks.com Recording Blog and Microphone Database
UA Artist Tips & Tricks – The Glitch Mob
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Arseholes LOL (did I miss a word here!!)
Love the discussions about unorthodox recording techniques! I do mostly House of Worship live mixing, but I use a Yamaha DM2000 production console, so I have LOTS of flexibility to use studio techniques in a Live situation! Thanks for your tips! I’ll send some samples your way soon!
On to the story, I was interning at a studio in Franklin TN, and saw an AMAZING technique I have adapted both in the box and out of the box before. The engineer took a bus mix of the drums, and instead of compressing it tO death, he sent the bus mix out to one of the sound rooms, through a handheld Realistic 2″ battery powered speaker cranked to where it started to break up. He then Mic’d that with an SM57 and passed that through a Moog synth’s filters so it would flange/phase in tempo with the song. This was mixed behind the drums to add a layer of ambience to the drums! I have used variations of this technique many times!
The Track was Amsterdam by PFR, and it is subtle but effective if used right!
Thanks for a great show!
Jason McGuffin
Ryan – Holy crap man, don’t use a Qtip in your ear! Those things drive wax and other GUNGE down the ear canal and just compound the problem. Don’t do this! Go to a Doctor and have them do the warm water technique if you have to, which can be unpleasant but works.
Love this show, btw.
-Doug
Gentlemen,
I may not know a whole lot about recording yet, but I do know ear cleaning. Cerumen, or ear wax (aka, ear boogers), is a hydrophobic substance. (It doesn’t mix with water, think of the two layers in Italian Salad dressing.) So what you need to do is to soften the wax with an oily substance prior to a gentle water lavage. You can use any type of vegetable oil, I personally like to use Baby Oil. Yes, Q-Tips are controversial and can actually push cerumen back up into the external auditory canal toward the tympanic membrane. I suggest applying generous amounts of Baby oil to your Q-tip, clean the ear, repeat with a dry tip, then get in the shower and let it spray in your ear to rinse. If you find that it doesn’t help, seek professional assistance. Old cerumen reminds me a little of concrete, and takes some skill and special tools for removal. I use an otoscope along with a cerumen loop for the really hard to remove stuff. One downside of using the cerumen loop is that wax when pulled out can remove both hair and skin along with it. (Did you see 40y/o Virgin?) Soaking with Debrox, a commercial earwax softener, is used often prior to use of the loop or warm water lavage. Insertion of objects such as earbuds may actually stimulate the production of cerumen.
Here’s to good listening!! (pun intended) Keep the shows coming!
Best regards,
MAJ David Gann
Physician Assistant
US Army
PS which one of you is the coffe snob? I occasionally roast a batch now and then, I might send you some. Check out http://www.sweetmarias.com for home roasting information