[LAU] OT: Microphone choice for pipe organ

[Jörn Nettingsmeier]

On 06/19/2010 09:05 PM, Jonathan Gazeley wrote:
> On 06/19/2010 09:18 AM, Jörn Nettingsmeier wrote:
>> after having heard a direct comparison, i'm now pretty convinced that
>> the only way to record an organ is with omnis or very wide cardioids, as
>> main mikes, due to their extended low frequency response. with
>> cardioids, no matter how good, you are simply missing two octaves at the
>> bottom, where the nice 32' oomph is. 
> 
> Unfortunately the organ at this church only has a 16' pedal :( In any
> case I don't want to be throwing any of those lovely deep frequencies away.
> 
> I've never used omnis in any situation before, but I'll see if I can
> rent some to see if they give good results before buying. I don't have a
> lot of money to spend on volunteering at the church, but I would like to
> produce the best results possible with the available funds.

if you're recording in that church frequently, see if they're willing
shell out the money for a pair of decent omnis and maybe you can hang
them (semi-)permanently, where they don't show too badly or present
tripping hazards. often, high microphone positions sound nicer for
stereo reproduction, too.

> Thanks for this tip also. AB is a bit more tricky, because one
> microphone would have to be either side of the aisle, and the
> powers-that-be are not keen on having cables strung around with a full
> church. I'll see what I can do...

as i said, try hanging them. a 45-60cm mike bar is cheap and provides a
very nice image. the cables themselves can deal with the weight (but
don't rely on the xlr locks alone - tie the cables to the bar for
additional safety), and then you can do the positioning with one or two
stretches of fishing line.

> If anyone is interested, I've written this up in a post on my blog, with
> a diagram of mic placement and some sample recordings using condensers
> and dynamics. Any feedback (whether as blog comments, or replies on this
> list) would be very welcome.
> 
> http://blog.jonathangazeley.com/2010/06/recording-a-pipe-organ-and-choir/

interesting!

having listened to the xy samples, i'd say there is some room for
improvement with the microphones :)

i hear the following:
* direct sound ok'ish but a little unpleasant in the mid range and lack
of "air", i.e. treble reproduction.
* a bit too dry for my taste
* lack of low-end - the pedal is more or less missing
* unpleasant ambience reproduction - frequently a problem because the
pickup pattern depends on frequency (this is inevitable, but worse on
cheap mikes) - this means anything coming in off-axis will be severely
colored.
* either the organ is intoned quite harshly, or there is slight
distortion at the microphone (quick shot, i may be wrong, only listened
once and no measurements)

if you can rent or borrow two decent omni condensers, i think you'll
find the results very rewarding.

if you have to stick with your cardioids, try moving them a little more
to the back, so that you pick up more reverb and less direct sound - i
think this will make the sound a lot more pleasant and elegant.

btw, here's an interesting experiment i did a few months ago with a røde
nt5 (a condenser cardioid), but it should work with other such mikes too:
make a recording, then use several layers of insulating tape (pulled
tight) to block the rear openings on the capsule. (these openings are
what makes the mikrophone directional, because they let sound in at the
rear but with a slightly longer way, so that it just about cancels out
unwanted directions.)
you have now turned your cardioid mike into an omni. make the same
recording again, and compare: the low end reproduction, and the ratio of
direct sound to reverb.
(of course, the sound will be a little weird, because it's not a perfect
omni, but an interesting experiment nonetheless.)

i got this idea when i had to capture an african drum and was constantly
missing the fundamental. with no omnis at hand, i improvised one. what's
worse, i even shoehorned this bastard omni into a pressure boundary
microphone by taping it onto a mousepad and putting it on the floor.
sure, there was coloration, but for that particular drum, it worked.


best,

jörn