Prism Sound Orpheus - Audio Media

microphones 2008stra+ + + + orchestra+ + + + orchestra + + + + orchestra + + +the sound we’re after. For the high stringsI might use Schoeps CMC5s or NeumannKM84s, for the lows U87s or U89s. Forsolo violin or cello I’ll often use a DPA4011, which is another DPA mic with a verysmooth sound, or a Neumann 149. I don’tusually use contact mics except for veryspecial effects – I think we have just the onein the cupboard at Angel now.They can be very impressive though –there’s a DPA contact mic which is superbfor double bass. It’s only about a centimetrewide but it sounds fantastic.”Brass“Brass can be more of a challenge thansome of the other sections. First – screens.You’ll sometimes find that on the first cueof the day the brass wipes out the stringsand drowns out everything else. And oncein a while dynamics don’t get writtenin, so the section can be playing moreenthusiastically than it should. If there’s abrass onslaught like that, some extra workis needed. Then again, for something likea John Williams score you want to keepthat powerful brass sound because it’s akey feature of the mix. So again it dependson the music. In a big orchestral room,you may not want screens because there’senough space for everyone. But in smallerrooms screens are a good way to giveyourself more control.”“Mic placement for brass is similarto strings – a section mic like a stereoSchoeps or a Neumann SM69, and thenindividual mics in pairs or trios. Often I’llrecord the horns from behind – they’reusually loud enough and far enough awayfrom the percussion not to pick up toomuch spill. I would use any large capacitymicrophone like a Neumann U47 orU89, generally look for a mic that has anattenuator with high headroom.On trumpets I’ll use a Coles ribbon4038, which is a very smooth soundingmicrophone that can take some of the edgeoff the sound. Alternatively Neumann U87sor U89s can work well, again usually with apad especially for louder playing.”Woodwind“Musicians try to keep their instrumentsin top form, but that isn’t always possible.Sometimes with woodwind you’ll get clicksand clacks from the keys. To minimisethat I’ll mic them from some distanceaway – to get the full value of the soundyet attempting to lose the key noises. Thatdoesn’t always work. Bassoons sound bestmiked from the middle, not the top, whichcan make it impossible to eliminate thekey noise. For woodwinds I’ll use brightersounding mics because you’re only reallydealing with mids and top – there’s notmuch needed at the bass end. So I’ll useAKG 414s on clarinets and bassoons, andNeumann 184s and 89s on the flutes. Theexception to that is bass clarinet, whichcomposers write for when they wantsomething comical or sinister. My firstchoice for that is a Calrec 1050 cardioid,which is a warmer sounding mic, thatbrings out the body of the sound, but is stillquite small. It’s also very handy to have acrossed pair of cardioid mics on the sectionto create some width and depth.Percussion“With percussion I like to have distance andthe option of extremely close mics, inchesrather than feet, on things like bass drums,snare drums, sparkly sounds like Marktrees and piano pins. The close mikingadds body to the sound. So for a bass drumhit, you may want heavy resonance. Also,military snares would be close miked toadd more body and balance out some ofthe snare rattle with extra depth. Similarlytriangles, vibes, and marimbas would allbe close miked. Cymbals are the exception.I’ll place the mic maybe a couple of feetaway on those to cut down on their naturalharshness.“Dynamic range is the issue forpercussion, and there are some vintageCalrecs which have an amazing dynamicrange – they’ll take almost anything – butstill sound exceptional. I’ll also use amix of AKG D12s, Neumann KM84s, andsometimes I’ll use a couple of dynamicslike SM58s.Piano“For piano. I’ll use Neumann KM143s for afirst choice, or perhaps DPA 4006s becausethey give a very open sound. If it’s a shortlid set-up I’ll use a pencil mic like theNeumann KM184. The 143s and the 184sare both small cardioid condensers so theycan work for close miking. Sometimes youwant a darker sound, and the old Calrecs ora Neumann KM84 are good for that.”Many thanks to Angel Studios for its help withthis article. Interview by Richard Wentk.the international microphone buyer’s guide 5