Challenge the lazy defaults!

[Dexter Inferno]

Alright, this is something that really bugs me with most tutorial videos and blogs I see across the web (not to mention posts in forums I frequent).

It's the incredibly lazy approach of just using something because it's the "industry standard".
I really hate stuff like that.

You'll see newbs or mid-level recordists ask for suggestions on mics, software or whatever else it is...and the default answer is throw a 57 in front of it and use Pro Tools, or something like that. And virtually NEVER will someone ask questions when it comes to what that person is trying to do (whether it is amp, goal when it comes to sound, preferred work method and so on).

A lot of people miss out on sounding better because they won't do what guys in the 60s and 70s did - experiment.

Try the "wrong" mic on your amp, rather than just throwin a 57 in front of it.

Yes, the 57 does most things ok, but it's not really fantastic at anything unless you feed it into really high-end gear (preamps in particular). On a snare or toms, it has really poor off axis rejection (hihat/cymbal bleed), as well as the famous mid range honk on guitar amps that not every person likes. Yet, several people have never ever even tried another mic on their amp/cab.

And no - unless you're doing lo-fi stuff - it's not a viable option on bass amps and kick drum. Imo of course.

I could go on and on when it comes to other things like software, preamps and a whole bunch of other stuff...just try the other stuff you have, you might actually stumble across something fantastic.
I will say one thing when it comes to DAW software, use what you're comfortable with when it comes to workflow, they all essentially sound the same and there are extremely few things you can't do in all of them.

A while I threw up a tube condenser on the AC30 (the RØDE K2, for those who might like to know) and it sounded fantastic. And my preferred amp/cab mic most times now is the Sennheiser MD441 (421 on bass amps btw).

Just because some lazy fuck tells you to use a 57 on everything, don't listen to him. Try everything you have on everything. Sometimes the 57 is the ticket for you, other times it isn't - but you'll never know if you never try.


Same thing applies to a lot of things. Sometimes I'll use a single coil Strat or Tele on a metal song, because it gives me the "hair" that a humbucker equipped guitar won't give me.

Something to keep in mind.

Don't just do the exact same thing that everyone else does, just because you can't be arsed.

Don't be sheep. Use what's right for YOU.

 

[Beyer160]

I agree, but newbies have to start somewhere and when you're first starting out, you don't even know what questions to ask. You have to learn to crawl before you can walk- If you can't tell a 57 from a U47, a 57 is a nice "safe" choice to start experimenting with. So is putting your drum overheads in XY, and putting a single mic on the guitar cab angled at 45 degrees, you know, the standard middle of the road stuff that if done right will yield decent if not spectacular results.

When I first started recording seriously, I'd built a 1/2" 8-track studio in my buddy's basement practice space (the deal was I recorded them for free, and could book paying sessions on my own)- I barely had any idea what I was doing, and kept a copy of The Musicians Guide To Home Recording tucked in a drawer next to the console to bail me out if I got in over my head with something. I worked out some standard methods of recording things, and before long I could get through a session and get decent results without looking at the book. Once I had my feet under me, that was when I started experimenting- using a speaker cabinet run into a DI for a bass drum mic, using PZMs on a sheet of plywood for overheads, that kinda stuff.

I get what you're saying though, that a lot of folks want an easy, stock answer they can just memorize (ALWAYS put a 57 on your snare drum, 1" in from the rim pointed at the center) instead of developing their ears and skills to be able to use the tools at hand to tailor the sound appropriately- you know, engineering.

One of my favorite things recently is that I've discovered a bevy of YouTube videos of Glyn Johns from 2014, on the promo tour for his book Sound Man. In one of them he's in a recording studio, and discusses his famed "Glyn Johns method" of drum recording. "There are a hundred different versions of this online, and they're all wrong" he says. Most of them detail how you have to measure the distance between the overhead mics and where the batter hits the kick drum, to preserve phase coherency. I've always thought that was bullshit, but it was nice to hear the man himself say "I never used a measuring tape, I just put the bloody things where they sounded good." There are no rules in recording beyond the laws of physics, in order to get past the mundane you have to learn how to use your ears.

 

[Dexter Inferno]

I agree, but newbies have to start somewhere and when you're first starting out, you don't even know what questions to ask. You have to learn to crawl before you can walk- If you can't tell a 57 from a U47, a 57 is a nice "safe" choice to start experimenting with. So is putting your drum overheads in XY, and putting a single mic on the guitar cab angled at 45 degrees, you know, the standard middle of the road stuff that if done right will yield decent if not spectacular results.

When I first started recording seriously, I'd built a 1/2" 8-track studio in my buddy's basement practice space (the deal was I recorded them for free, and could book paying sessions on my own)- I barely had any idea what I was doing, and kept a copy of The Musicians Guide To Home Recording tucked in a drawer next to the console to bail me out if I got in over my head with something. I worked out some standard methods of recording things, and before long I could get through a session and get decent results without looking at the book. Once I had my feet under me, that was when I started experimenting- using a speaker cabinet run into a DI for a bass drum mic, using PZMs on a sheet of plywood for overheads, that kinda stuff.

I get what you're saying though, that a lot of folks want an easy, stock answer they can just memorize (ALWAYS put a 57 on your snare drum, 1" in from the rim pointed at the center) instead of developing their ears and skills to be able to use the tools at hand to tailor the sound appropriately- you know, engineering.

One of my favorite things recently is that I've discovered a bevy of YouTube videos of Glyn Johns from 2014, on the promo tour for his book Sound Man. In one of them he's in a recording studio, and discusses his famed "Glyn Johns method" of drum recording. "There are a hundred different versions of this online, and they're all wrong" he says. Most of them detail how you have to measure the distance between the overhead mics and where the batter hits the kick drum, to preserve phase coherency. I've always thought that was bullshit, but it was nice to hear the man himself say "I never used a measuring tape, I just put the bloody things where they sounded good." There are no rules in recording beyond the laws of physics, in order to get past the mundane you have to learn how to use your ears.

Completely forgot about this thread, guess I was a bit sauced when I posted it.

But my main point remains...use what you have first for all sorts of sources before you run out and buy a 57 or similar because everyone tells you to.
You might stumble across something that really works great.
And...do something more than just try to sound like everyone else.

And not least...do some youtube research. I did, and just got myself an Audix i5 to use on snare. Bloody great sounding mic.
I always do the Gearslutz and youtube round before I buy anything. If those guys like it, I know I will.
And yeah, I watch pretty much every recording related video I can find. Sometimes I learn some really cool stuff.
You're never done learning.

Guess my initial tirade is very much geared towards those who don't really know too much and keep getting poor advise.
I often see some very poor suggestions thrown about (without being based on any knowledge or experience, but something being "industy standard"). And that really irks me.

 

[speakerjones]

Well. Industry standard things are that for a reason. Starting out with a 57 isn't poor advice, IMO. It works OK on a lot of things. Though I got my start in the studio, I've spent most of my career in live sound, which is much less precious about mics and preamps. My live mic kits are made up of pretty mundane rider-filler microphones - 57's, 58's, 81's, Beta 52, a 421, and some other odds and ends. This usually gets you most of the way covering any B level national rock act rider in the US. There's little experimentation going on, besides maybe trying a new vocal mic out.

If I had to choose just one model of mic to do a whole show (or session for that matter) with, it would probably be a Beyer M88. But, I can and have done whole shows and recordings with nothing but 57's. I made it work.

My studio's a whole other thing. I have a 57 in there, but it rarely comes out on a session. Over the years, I've gathered up a pretty sweet collection of mics. Nothing super high-dollar, but some great utility mics that flesh out a mic locker quite nicely. For a while we subscribed to the "use the mic that's closest" technique, so putting large condensers on bass drums because that's what was out. This is an extension of a work ethos I've honed over the years - "better sound through laziness". I can afford this luxury because I have experience, good gear, and usually plenty of time. If I'm on somebody else's dime though, I'm more likely to go for what I know is going to work, unless it's an artist I know is into get nerdy with that kind of stuff.