Al Schmitt microphone technique.
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Al Schmitt microphone technique.
Always loved this guy, especially his work with Steely Dan, his records can tend to epitomise that tight clean 70’s vibe, lots of separation, and close miking, interestingly he talks about spill here, on omni's, and not caring, also wondering what those sax mic’s are at the beginning of this video?
There are rather a lot of microphones out on that session, and I’m wondering about phasing in situations like this, how do you manage that?
Interesting choice of microphones, some personal obviously, others tried and tested regulars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmJVOUAN2fY
There are rather a lot of microphones out on that session, and I’m wondering about phasing in situations like this, how do you manage that?
Interesting choice of microphones, some personal obviously, others tried and tested regulars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmJVOUAN2fY
Re: Al Schmitt microphone technique.
Arpangel wrote:...wondering what those sax mic’s are at the beginning of this video?
The close mics are just Neumann U87s aren't they? In omni pattern.
The mics on the overhead booms "for the room" are RCA KU3s (or the modern AEA KU4 equivalents -- super-cardioid ribbons). Sometimes also known as RCA 10001s.
There are rather a lot of microphones out on that session, and I’m wondering about phasing in situations like this, how do you manage that?
He's recording an ensemble and wants an ensemble sound, so it's not really a problem. The more mics you have, the more confused the phase relationships generally are and the less of a problem! But the close mics are following the 3:1 'rule', so favour the close source significantly over the adjacent source(s). The overhead mics are picking up the room character as a glue to meld it all together.
Interesting choice of microphones, some personal obviously, others tried and tested regulars.
Pleasing that he uses so many ribbons...
- Hugh Robjohns
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(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
Re: Al Schmitt microphone technique.
Loved the vid and others in the series.
Ta.
Ta.
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- shufflebeat
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Re: Al Schmitt microphone technique.
Hugh Robjohns wrote:Arpangel wrote:...wondering what those sax mic’s are at the beginning of this video?
The close mics are just Neumann U87s aren't they? In omni pattern.
.
No, they are U67s. Al never used a U87, he really didn’t like it.
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- Guest
Re: Al Schmitt microphone technique.
I did wonder -- hence the question -- I was aware of the preference. But as I couldn't see any power supplies nearby in the video I opted for 87s.
- Hugh Robjohns
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Posts: 39049 Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 12:00 am
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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
Re: Al Schmitt microphone technique.
Al Schmitt's stuff sound great to me. So I always try to follow along and learn. One of my favorites.
- DC-Choppah
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Re: Al Schmitt microphone technique.
sound bites wrote:Hugh Robjohns wrote:Arpangel wrote:...wondering what those sax mic’s are at the beginning of this video?
The close mics are just Neumann U87s aren't they? In omni pattern.
.
No, they are U67s. Al never used a U87, he really didn’t like it.
That sounds odd. I wonder what he didnt like about them.
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- Tim Gillett
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Re: Al Schmitt microphone technique.
Maybe the 67 doesn’t have such a strong presence peak?
Al very much had his own style, and whatever techniques he used, he always had that magic touch, and despite all the new trends in miking, I love his classic sound, but I suppose that’s a bit of a contradiction, as he would say, and the musicians he’s recorded, that he made everything sound very natural.
But to me a lot of his recordings sounded better than natural, you can’t put your finger on it, he knew the limitations of the medium he was working with, and made recordings that exploited all the good things about it, in a way so that you don’t really notice, it just sounded great.
Al very much had his own style, and whatever techniques he used, he always had that magic touch, and despite all the new trends in miking, I love his classic sound, but I suppose that’s a bit of a contradiction, as he would say, and the musicians he’s recorded, that he made everything sound very natural.
But to me a lot of his recordings sounded better than natural, you can’t put your finger on it, he knew the limitations of the medium he was working with, and made recordings that exploited all the good things about it, in a way so that you don’t really notice, it just sounded great.
Re: Al Schmitt microphone technique.
sound bites wrote:No, they are U67s. Al never used a U87, he really didn’t like it.
Well, to be strictly accurate, he has used 87s, although he didn't like to admit it. You can see Steve Genewick ribbing him about it on one of the Mix With The Masters videos, which is quite amusing...
- Mike Senior
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Re: Al Schmitt microphone technique.
Mike Senior wrote:sound bites wrote:No, they are U67s. Al never used a U87, he really didn’t like it.
Well, to be strictly accurate, he has used 87s, although he didn't like to admit it. You can see Steve Genewick ribbing him about it on one of the Mix With The Masters videos, which is quite amusing...
What did he use them on? Could you post a link?
Cheers
For Mike:
I'm inclined to say: “Die Ausnahme bestätigt die Regel”
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- Guest
Re: Al Schmitt microphone technique.
in the 90s Studio Sound magazine did an interview with Mr Schmitt, in which he said that after an accident in 1983 falling off a ladder, he lost the hearing in one ear.
He stopped engineering almost entirely for the next three years, until one day going to buy a newspaper he realised he could hear birdsong in that ear again - he said it was like joining two wires together. And from that day on he never stopped working.
In view of AI's achievements since, I thought the story was absolutely remarkable. But I've never seen it repeated elsewhere, and it's not in his autobiography (which I have). I even began to think I must have made it up: however, when the great man passed I thought I'd see if I could track it down on the web, and lo and beho!d Studio Sound has a searchable archive (I think I seaached for 'Schmitt' and 'ladder'!) - and yes, he did say that.
He stopped engineering almost entirely for the next three years, until one day going to buy a newspaper he realised he could hear birdsong in that ear again - he said it was like joining two wires together. And from that day on he never stopped working.
In view of AI's achievements since, I thought the story was absolutely remarkable. But I've never seen it repeated elsewhere, and it's not in his autobiography (which I have). I even began to think I must have made it up: however, when the great man passed I thought I'd see if I could track it down on the web, and lo and beho!d Studio Sound has a searchable archive (I think I seaached for 'Schmitt' and 'ladder'!) - and yes, he did say that.
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- lowlandmasters
- Posts: 2 Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2019 11:25 am
Re: Al Schmitt microphone technique.
Cubase, guitars.
Re: Al Schmitt microphone technique.
Kwackman wrote:Link to the ladder story in Studio Sound
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-A ... 0ladder%22
Thanks Kwackman! Lazy of me not to provide a link.
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- lowlandmasters
- Posts: 2 Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2019 11:25 am