Its realistic, wide, and focused imaging is why it is one of the primary choices when recording everything from drum overheads to entire orchestras. The blumlein mic technique explained stereo recording 101. Microphone choice and placement secrets for recording. Theres a sweet spot about the size of a salad plate from just below the bridge and encompassing the lower part of the fingerboard. Placement is usually dictated by musical genre but most engineers place microphones to capture a good overall balance of the instrument. It is known by many other names, including blumlein pair, the blumlein configuration, or simply the blumlein technique. The above pic of the woody allan jazz band of which i am a fan is an excellent example of the basic correct principles of traditional live mic placement. Midside or ms microphone is a stereo recording technique that presents an alternative to the typical matched pair microphone recordings. Both ribbon and condenser microphones can be used for blumleinpair recording. Nov 16, 2017 vary microphone positions and distances until you achieve the monitored sound that you desire. This article proves to present some different placement techniques for a simple acoustic guitar recording. Mar 01, 2005 dave, perhaps you misunderstood what foldedpath suggests, but where he is talking about is technically the null. I will present some background information to better understand the function of the previously discussed 4 microphone array.
Some books on sound recording, such as steve savages the art of digital. When recording in stereo, a common approach is to arrange two matched microphones in the socalled xy configuration. Not just any microphone will work for the blumlein setup, as the method requires microphones with a figure 8 pickup pattern that picks up sounds in front of the microphone as much as it does those in the back. This coincident pair microphone setup is especially useful when time is short and space is limited. Midside mic technique explained stereo recording 101. Applications of blumlein shuffling to stereo microphone techniques michael a.
In the case of poor room acoustics, place the microphone very close to the loudest part of the instrument being recorded or isolate the instrument. Named after alan blumlein, the great british engineer who first outlined this technique in the 1930s, the blumlein pair uses two crossed figure8 pattern microphone elements. Some of these microphone placement suggestions can be used in live applications, as well as for studio recording. There are great recording instruments and gear out there to get you going along with specialist advice and techniques that can enhance what you are. Using a simple stereo bar, its easy to get an xy pair going with a single mic stand.
Microphone choice and placement, audio editing and effects processing, mixing, mastering, and the preparation of various different types of physical and online distribution media, are all topics that might fall under this heading, as are planning and running recording sessions, and successfully negotiating. Buy cascade microphones blumlein bar stereo microphone mount adaptor. Mic placement and how you use them is the secret to successful recording and a chance for someone to get that song heard which is the goal of every songwriter. Is it better to just use two booms for mic placement and leave the rear field open. We recently recorded a gospel quartet with blumlein capture and encountered phase issues at mix. While it can be implemented with separate microphones, it is far easier to use a stereo microphone that can be. It truly lives up to its proclaimed title as the swiss army microphone.
But, if its mono you want, just use a single microphone, and you wont have to worry about alignment and phase issues at all. Aes elibrary blumlein stereo microphone technique and authors reply. For now, though, im just going to keep this on a basic level. For whatever reasons, i love the intimate, solid center, focal point one gets with ms. The xy technique dates back to blumleins patent from the 1930s 1 and his patents. Acousticsmicrophone technique wikibooks, open books for an. This sets it apart from other practical recording guides that cover the entire process from recording through to mastering, and hence cover each topic only relatively briefly. Midside microphone recording is hardly a new concept. Professional microphone techniques mix pro audio david mileshuber, philip williams on.
And it would take a lot of talent to mess up the 90 degree placement. Now that you have narrowed down the selection, and your microphone is ready for action, consider the following. Miking the cello and live sound max dyer blog archive. It also looks prettier than xy in my book, if that counts for anything. We take a practical look at the pros and cons of coincident and spaced stereo miking techniques. The musicians cheat sheet for stereo micing patterns. Xy coincident stereo miking consists of using two microphones that are placed right next to each other so that the diaphragms are as close together as possible without touching one another. Applications of blumlein shuffling to stereo microphone.
Proximity effect as you move a microphone closer to the source, bass frequencies increase as distance. Gerzon, aes fellow oxford ox4 1xx, uk between 1931 and 1934 bluralein proposed using a pair of identical earspacedmicrophones pointing in the samedirection with a shuffling network to create stereo. Recording with the midside microphone configuration. Here are six stereo miking techniques you can try out today.
Note the stereo bar and single mic stand as shown in the images above, a stereo bar is commonly used to help facilitate the placement of the two microphones. He received 128 patents and was considered as one of the most significant engineers and inventors of his time. Well start with the basics and then move to some more exciting options. Reliable stereo microphone techniques ensure that your work sounds. Often times, a pair of mics in blumlein configuration is all that is needed to capture the full scope of a source. With regards to the blumlein technique, i am quite sure as an engineer type that you would be quite interested in the inventor of that technique, alan dower blumlein. Dec 11, 2008 the above pic of the woody allan jazz band of which i am a fan is an excellent example of the basic correct principles of traditional live mic placement. Anyone ever use ribbon mics in blumlein pattern for overheads. Microphone selection and placement universal audio.
Blumlein pair is the name for a stereo recording technique invented by alan blumlein for the. Assuming youre using a dynamic microphone such as a shure sm57, here are some general rules and guidelines to keep in. Aes elibrary applications of blumlein shuffling to stereo. Back in the 1960s, spiderman and superman comic books from the usa had a. Xy miking is a very common way of miking in studios and on portable microphone recorders. Stereo miking is a great way to increase the sense of depth in your recording of an instrument.
Heres your quick and dirty guide to mic placement in the studio. Xy stereo miking is the most common type of stereo microphone setup. Stereophonic sound or, more commonly, stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that creates an illusion of multidirectional audible perspective. We used a stereo akg 426 mic and everything was done at once with no overdub in blumlein. The strength of corbetts book is the level of detail and attention paid to this one part of the recording process, microphone placement. Sep 11, 2014 stereo microphone techniques spaced pair or non coincident pair ab the spaced pair technique is commonly used in drum overhead microphone placement time should be given to correct placement as this is the most critical part of your overall drum sound always check the phase of the microphones and mono compatibility i.
A quick introduction to common mic placement techniques. Back in the 1960s, spiderman and superman comic books from the usa had a middle section of pinkpaper advertisements for pretty unbelievable technical gadgets. Gerzon, aes fellow oxford ox4 1xx, uk between 1931 and 1934 bluralein proposed using a pair of identical earspaced microphones pointing in the same direction with a shuffling network to create stereo. He was the pioneer who created the xy technique as well as this stereo microphone technique that bears his name. Note that this implies that the best placement for a blu mlein pair 90 figuresofeight is the best live listening 36 forum implemented, however, the results can be disastrous 9. The two microphones are mounted on separate stands, one above the other. Named for alan blumlein chief engineer at emi in london during the 1930s, and a pioneer in stereo audio, a blumlein pair uses two coincident bidirectional or figure 8 pattern microphones set up at 90 degrees to each other.
Aes elibrary blumlein stereo microphone technique and. Home recording tips 10 acoustic guitar mic techniques. It is important to know how the view from the microphones into the auditory scene at the recording venue is mapped into the view that a listener perceives in front of two. In a way, blumlein stereo named after alan blumlein is a lot like xy, only with greater stereo separation and potentially better room ambience. Every sound engineer will have his own opinions about this, and placement varies a lot with the individual mic. It was devised by emi engineer alan blumlein, an early pioneer of stereophonic and surround sound. The ms microphone recording technique is used extensively in broadcast, largely because.
Information contained in this book has been obtained by thomson course technology ptr from sources. Engineer and coproducer joe barresi describes the combination of oldschool technique and farout experiment that went into its making. May 11, 2012 in this video i give a demonstration on how to capture a stereo recording of a piano using two condenser microphones in the blumlein array. It is solid, and i have very little concern about longterm durability. The blumlein stereo microphone technique is named after alan dower blumlein, who patented this approach in 1931. Experience is required to know which microphone type is best suited to a particular production. Microphone placement is the foundation for any solid pro studio or home recording. Common places for ms technique are in the studio for drum overheads, piano, acoustic guitar or small vocal groups or string sections.
Feb 05, 2014 miking the cello studio mic placements. Understand each mic and what their strong and weak points are. Alan blumlein recordings radio and sound recording history. Working as a recording engineer presents challenges from every direction of your project. Part of the springer topics in signal processing book series stsp, volume 19. This is usually achieved by using two or more independent audio channels through a configuration of two or more loudspeakers or stereo headphones in such a way as to create the impression of sound heard from various directions, as in natural hearing. There exist a number of welldeveloped microphone techniques used for.
Recording drums with blumlein microphone configurations excerpt. The final topics of discussion in this introductory studio basics is are extremely important ones. By then bob fine had already added a third microphone, the microphone for center stage to fill up the hole in the middle, no doubt inspired by the philadelphia experiments of 1933 and 1940 and the five microphone setup for cinerama in 1952, but now without the phase problems and creating a wide and deep, coherent stereo image. This setup uses two figure8 microphones positioned so that the elements cross at right angles and as close to one another as possible. Using the soundfield microphone of 9, it is possible to make. Blumlein patented the technique in 1933 and used it on some of the earliest stereophonic recordings. Blumlein pair is the name for a stereo recording technique invented by alan blumlein for the creation of recordings that, upon replaying through headphones or loudspeakers, recreate the spatial characteristics of the recorded signal. Queens of the stone ages fourth album lullabies to paralyze has cemented their position as the biggest and most exciting rock band in the world. Royer labs is dedicated to the art of the ribbon microphone. To this day, blumleins coincident recording technique using two figureofeight pattern ribbon mics is the benchmark for producing an authentic representation. The method was developed in the 1930s by alan blumlein, who was searching for a way to create a stereo image in sound for film. It is possible to use two separate stands and position the microphones correctly, but if you need to adjust or reposition them, youll need to move two separate stands.
Moving the mic closer to the choir or farther away allows you to control the ratio of the choir sound to hall or ambience that is captured. I use two rode nt2a microphones for the stereo technique. I do not believe we had a phase invert accidently engaged on the pre. These 22 sound recordings 9ts00033789ts0003399 were digitally transferred from singlesided, binaural test records created by alan blumlein and his research team at emi. The nude stereo blumlein ribbon microphone is the real deal. Theres a lot of info and some great books out there on the subject, so definitely do so some research. A necessary pickup pattern for midside or blumlein mic ing techniques. A jazz recording with a pair of diy ribbon mics youtube. The blumlein method consists of a coincident pair of bidirectional figureeight microphones placed at an angle of 90 from one another, with the center line bisecting that angle pointing at the music source. Microphones, microphone techniques, and their impact on.
The blumlein microphone technique blumlein microphone technique refers to a stereo recording method that captures the spatial characteristics of a realworld sound. I think the phase issue maybe from capture outside a 90 degree span. May 29, 2017 recording drums with blumlein microphone configurations excerpt. Research and comprehend phase issues when using multiple mic arrays like xy, abspaced, ortf, ms and blumlien.
Secrets of mic placement quickly finding the optimum position for a mic is perhaps the single most useful talent an engineer can have. This stereo mic technique involves spacing a pair of cardioid or. And dont ignore or put too little importance on individual mic placement. Now that weve covered some of the parameters that go into choosing a microphone, mic placement is the next area that can affect the sound you capture. Professional audios bestselling author bobby owsinski the mixing engineers handbook, the mastering engineers. Jun 27, 2017 a quick introduction to common mic placement techniques june 27, 2017 by soundfly team 0 this article is courtesy of soundflys free course series any sound will do, which features essential tips and strategies on creating music from found sounds and sampled sources by youtube star andrew huang and ableton certified trainer brian jackson. The blumlein technique only requires two figure of eight pattern microphones, placed as close together as possible usually one right on top of the other, and angled at 90 degrees from each other, and angled to the sides of your sound source the midpoint between the two capsules front should be. It is also built in a manner that it can be used for xy, ortf, or nos mounting of microphones by moving the stand mount to the center and attaching it vertically. Ribbon mics are another popular choice, though care should be taken because the thin diaphragm of many ribbon mics can be damaged by quick blasts of air.
In a way, blumlein stereo named after alan blumlein is a lot like xy, only. Since mastering the art of ms microphone techniques, i was hooked. From using microphones to deciding on eq settings, choosing outboard gear to understanding how, when and why to process your signal, the seemingly neverending choices can be very confusing. The only potential downside to using xy miking with two cardioids, or blumlein if you are using figure8 mics, is that it may result in a narrower stereo image. Blumleins classic coincident microphone pair 3, fig. In 1998 we introduced the r121, the modern ribbon mic that reintroduced ribbon microphones to engineers worldwide and put ribbons on the map. One thing to be careful of in stereo recording is phase cancellation.
Personal taste is the most important component of microphone technique. Alan blumlein was a british engineer known for creating and innovating many things in the audio world. In 1929, blumlein moved jobs and joined the research department of the columbia gramophone company where he started work on improving the primitive electric recording apparatus of the day which consisted of a carbon microphone, primitive amplification and a movingiron disc cutter. June 7, 2012 marked the 70th anniversary of blumleins tragic passing.
These placement tips can help you get started but there are multiple ways to mike any instrument, and the mics you select will affect the optimal placement for a given application. It will narrow the sonics but the sound will offer depth. The practical task of sound recording incorporates many distinct activities. Sep 20, 2012 lets get into some microphone placement techniques. They were thoughtfully donated to the british library in 2005 by the family of the late angus mckenzie. Microphone choice and placement, audio editing and effects processing, mixing. The bbcmarconi type a ribbon microphone was introduced in 1935 and became the microphone of choice for the bbcs radio services, although the emi blumlein hb1b moving coil microphone and its variants, the hb2, hb3 and hb4c were preferred in the television service. In this video i give a demonstration on how to capture a stereo recording of a piano using two condenser microphones in the blumlein array. You could not truly implement the blumlein method with spaced omnidirectional microphones any more than you would typically choose to closely mic a vocalist using a microphone with an omnidirectional pattern at least not nowdays. Guidelines to a successful ambient recording of a full classical orchestra using ab stereo the overall aim when recording large orchestras using just a main stereo pair is to faithfully reproduce the instruments, the tonal balance of the orchestra, the directivity of instrument sections and the concert hall in which the orchestra is to be recorded.
When miking a trumpet or trombone, a standard mic choice for the studio is a widediaphragm condenser mic. Not only does the lush sound of two ribbons give you a classy but detailed panorama of your recording but its added versatility means you can use it for almost anything. Since, in the blumlein, the left mic is pointed 45degs off center axis to the left and the rear lobe is now centered at 45 off center axis the right and behind and the right mic is the transverse of this, the position directly behind especially within. Suppose youre recording in a room a scoring stage like sony or teldex thats wider than it is deep, and youre using a blumlein pair. Unlike listening with headphones, any sound that leaves one loudspeaker, be it left or right, is destined for both ears of the listener. The blumlein technique consists of two figure8 condenser microphones aligned in a 90 angle. Why youre not getting paid the streaming money you earned and how to get it sf musictech 2014 duration. Blumlein, to me, just seems like a variation on xy. Mounts free delivery possible on eligible purchases. This is not the case for other coincident or nearcoincident microphone techniques, such as the ortfearspaced cardioid technique 3. Alan dower blumlein 29 june 1903 7 june 1942 was an english electronics engineer, notable for his many inventions in telecommunications, sound recording, stereophonic sound, television and radar. While there are no rules, there are lots of generalities to reference. How to mic a symphony orchestra with ab stereo recording.
He died during world war ii on 7 june 1942, aged 38, during the secret trial of an. Cascade microphones blumlein bar stereo microphone mount. The pair consists of an array of two matched microphones that have a bidirectional figure8 pickup pattern. Blumlein configuration is one of the most popular techniques for recording in stereo. In xy or coincident stereo miking these types of mic are placed right next to each other. Xy stereo miking made easy uncategorized harmony central. Papers applications of blumlein shuffling to stereo microphone techniques michael a.