Recording a Stand-Up Bass and other session suggestions...

[thefauves1]

I have a session this upcoming weekend with this cool kind of country band...think Bob Dylan meets Hank Williams with great harmonies and Marxist values.

Anyway, they want to record the whole thing live--so they have small trap kit, stand-up bass, lead guitar, amplified acoustic guitar and 2 vocalists.

I have, in the way of equipment:

1. Matched pair of TLM 103's
2. Two 451's
3. Two of those SD Octava jobs.
4. A selection of 57's and 58's.
5. One of those $99 GC specials MXL LD and SD combo (I'm not good with numbers).
6. Two channels of Bret Averil 1272 RI pre
7. One channel British Channel Joe Meek
8. Record to Roland 2480HD (use the pre's on this)
9. Mix on Nuendo with UAD-1

I've mostly done rock/indie/weird noise stuff. These guys are really good players and a really great band so I'd love suggestions from you smart people.

[jajjguy]

take the time to figure out which mic sounds best on each vocalist, and use it (probably the neumann or big mxl). i'd try either the octavas or the akgs on drum overheads, with whichever ld condensor isn't being used for vocal on front-of-kit or kick. the other sd condensors on acoustic gtr, and 57s on the amps. use whatever's left as rooms (preferably condensors of some kind).

just a starting point, if you have time and patience, try everything and settle on whatever sounds good.

[standup]

I have done a bit of this, very similar situation, but not all that professionally. Self-release CD for a band I'm in. We did basics live then overdubs.

If the bass player and drummer are tight, put them close together. One or two mics on drums, small condensor over and 57 on kick? Or maybe MXL large dia. on front of kit, far enough back to sound good. If any of your Octava or 451s have an omni capsule, use that on the bass, between the feet of the bridge rolled up in a towel or foam rubber of some kind.

57 on elect. guitar, 451 or Octava or MXL small diaphragm condensor on acoustic guitar. I'll bet the acoustic guitar player is singing, see how much separation you can get by putting the vocal in the null of the guitar mic and vice versa.

Phase cancellation issues will be a big deal. Get the vocalists far enough away that leakage is minimal, and make sure there is minimal phase weirdness between the vocals and the rest of the band. Pick vocal mics first, whatever sounds good be it a 58 or Neumann. Everything else get whatever mics don't sound great on vocals. And watch phase between drums/bass. Guitar amp around a corner or farther away, perhaps.

And a stereo room pair with whatever condensors you have leftover.

Pre's... good stuff on drums and vocals maybe.

But you'll have to check it out and see what sounds good, all these suggestions should be suspect.

I have a session this upcoming weekend with this cool kind of country band...think Bob Dylan meets Hank Williams with great harmonies and Marxist values.

Anyway, they want to record the whole thing live--so they have small trap kit, stand-up bass, lead guitar, amplified acoustic guitar and 2 vocalists.

I have, in the way of equipment:

1. Matched pair of TLM 103's
2. Two 451's
3. Two of those SD Octava jobs.
4. A selection of 57's and 58's.
5. One of those $99 GC specials MXL LD and SD combo (I'm not good with numbers).
6. Two channels of Bret Averil 1272 RI pre
7. One channel British Channel Joe Meek
8. Record to Roland 2480HD (use the pre's on this)
9. Mix on Nuendo with UAD-1

I've mostly done rock/indie/weird noise stuff. These guys are really good players and a really great band so I'd love suggestions from you smart people.