Jecklin or Schneider Disc? - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrGreen 

Hi LFF,

I forgot to ask, how thick is your favourite disc? Do you find thinner discs are less effective?

I'm trying to experiment with ideas for cheap reflection killers, and was wondering much space the disc would need to take

 

Cheers.

My disc is about 1 inch thick. I never really experimented with thinner discs. I made discs from about 1 inch to 3 inches thick and they all worked the same. The important thing in making the disc is that 1) it stays put, 2) that it absorb sound and 3) that it be durable. The last thing you want is the foam falling off during a recording session because you chose some cheap glue to attach it with. I would also recommend that you don't make it too heavy just in case you have to carry it from place to place.

Newbie!  Now that that's out of the way I'm hoping to get a few clues about using some of this stuff.  I have multiple recording systems with a studio and various pieces of portable gear.  A couple of questions..................  Likely more to follow.  Thanks in advance.

1.)  Any recommendations between the two disks for recording drum overheads (or otherwise positioned) or other specific instruments/sections (piano? horns?) and would that recommendation change between a small studio and a larger, live venue/event?

2.) I expect it depends somewhat on material but would love some examples of what kind of processing is typically required in post, using these methods of recording.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArtHazard 

1.)  Any recommendations between the two disks for recording drum overheads (or otherwise positioned) or other specific instruments/sections (piano? horns?) and would that recommendation change between a small studio and a larger, live venue/event?

I personally would not use any disc to record drum overheads or any one specific instrument within a group. I would use the disc to record a solo performance or a group performance. Placement is always key. The disc should give a rather accurate representation of the venue as well so the size of the venue shouldn't matter unless you are going for a very specific sound.

I know some recording engineers who use discs as ambiance mics which they later put into the mix during post.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArtHazard 
2.) I expect it depends somewhat on material but would love some examples of what kind of processing is typically required in post, using these methods of recording.

 

When using a disc you usually don't need much post-processing aside from the regular stuff you would do with a normal recording. For true binaural recordings, you do need some specific post-production steps. I use a custom chain during post to get the sound I want with binaural recordings. You can hear examples that I posted on my blog under the titles "Adventures in Binaural Recording" and other such titles.

Traditional dummy heads use specific EQ curves to compensate for the dummy head and the microphones. You can read about that here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFF 

I personally would not use any disc to record drum overheads or any one specific instrument within a group. I would use the disc to record a solo performance or a group performance. Placement is always key. The disc should give a rather accurate representation of the venue as well so the size of the venue shouldn't matter unless you are going for a very specific sound.

 

I know some recording engineers who use discs as ambiance mics which they later put into the mix during post.

Why not use any disc for drum overheads? 

Typically in rock/pop recordings, most engineers that record this genre will place the drum kit over a large width of the stereo field, if not the entire stereo field.  Yes, it's a false representation, but it has worked in many famous recordings.  Personally I go with whatever suits the track, even if it's mono.

I've recently been experimenting with omnis as overheads (specifically, the STO-2s) and am really liking the sound.  However, I'm not getting enough separation in ORTF or X/Y configuration, so that's why I am thinking about utilizing a Jecklin or Schneider disk.  Thoughts?

I like the separation I get from spaced pairs, but then there's the dreaded phasing issues and lack of mono compatibility.