what is your favorite OH mic?

[Cary Chilton]

I mean OH mic for recording the whole band -in jam sessions- not a drum oh

[elambo]

Will you be able to use two - for stereo?

What kind of music (it does make a difference on mic choice)?

[Rosecutions]

Electric or acoustic? Where do you practice?

You could use a single omni. If your levels are reasonable, you could arrange yourselves in the room for stereo and do it with two cardioid pattern mics. What mic you use isn't really the issue, it's what pickup pattern.

[Cary Chilton]

pickup pattern? Our practice room is tiny 13-15 feet or so, low ceiling. We play fairly loud Rock I guess... What do you rockers use to record jams are a decent quality?

[Rosecutions]

mics pick up sound in different directions. cardioid picks up everything in a general frontal sweep. Omni picks up everything, every direction. Hypercardioid picks up onyl a narrow band directly in front, and a little from direct rear. There are others as well. You can stick an omni in teh middle of the room, you can fan out cardioids... all depends on how well you can balance your dynamics in the room, really.

[elambo]

What mic you use isn't really the issue, it's what pickup pattern.
???

I'm struggling with that logic.

Cary, what mics do you have available to you? Let's start there.

And if you're thinking about buying new mics, or renting, what's your budget?

[E-Rock]

I've been using one of these for years.
http://www.minidisco.com/SoundPro-SP-OTTER1

We record random jams with it. It is super easy, totally portable, simple to set up, and sounds GREAT!!
Just get a little minidisc recorder to throw in it. You can be rolling in 30 seconds.
Here is a link to a recording I did with it. I loaded into Protools after I got home and put a very light compression on it. Maybe 2:1, slow attack, fast release.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=475253
We had quite a few beers by this point, so excuse the sloppy stuff :)

I like this setup because it is so small and simple. It means I actually record more often. Sometimes it really pays to have a recording of that "really cool jam that you can't remember the next day" :BEER :messedup

[Cary Chilton]

Elambo, are you on gearslutz, too? I thought I have seen the name there. I just read that a figure 8 pattern mic and non -figure 8 is the way to go for a dimensional sound. My budget is probably 2-- to 4-- for one more mic. I have a senn 906, shure 57 and 58betas.
thanks

[gdomeier]

That jam sounds great.


I've been using one of these for years.
http://www.minidisco.com/SoundPro-SP-OTTER1

We record random jams with it. It is super easy, totally portable, simple to set up, and sounds GREAT!!
Just get a little minidisc recorder to throw in it. You can be rolling in 30 seconds.
Here is a link to a recording I did with it. I loaded into Protools after I got home and put a very light compression on it. Maybe 2:1, slow attack, fast release.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=475253
We had quite a few beers by this point, so excuse the sloppy stuff :)

I like this setup because it is so small and simple. It means I actually record more often. Sometimes it really pays to have a recording of that "really cool jam that you can't remember the next day" :BEER :messedup

[Bassomatic]

Used to record our rehearsals/improvs to DAT with Earthworx cardiods (the ZX expensive ones). They were very accurate accross the entire spectrum, holding up well on bass and the highs.

Lots of cheaper solutions abound, like AT electrets.