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More discussion on microphone placement...

Sampling pipe organs and turning them into something you can play in Hauptwerk.
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NicholasA

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More discussion on microphone placement...

PostMon Oct 19, 2009 4:29 am

Hi all,

I'm back on the age old topic of microphone placement. There is an organ that I've had my eye on for a while and it is looking like I may be able to get access to sample it – it is a wonderful organ of about 50 ranks situated in a very large building with a significant acoustic (greater than 5 seconds). The organ is located in one corner of the building and raised about 16 feet above floor level. The console is located at the same height on the other side of the building. The following little text-drawing should give a visual impression:

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|------------------|
| ORG |      | CON |
| AN  |      | SOLE|
|-----|      |-----|
|                  |
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|                  |
|                  |
|                  |
|                  |
|     BUILDING     |
|                  |
|                  |
|                  |
|                  |
|                  |
|                  |
|                  |
|                  |
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|                  |
|------------------|


It would be convenient to place the microphones near the console (mainly to reduce the mess of cabling and prevent the need to pack-up the microphones at the end of each night – the console is also at the right height for the microphones) but the pipework faces into the building and not at the console. The instrument however still sounds fantastic at the console because the buildings acoustic carries the sound everywhere.

Has anyone with experience sampling in very large cathedral buildings got any ideas on this? I realise that if the acoustic is not particularly dense, placement in front of the pipes is beneficial - but is there a significant advantage when the organ is in such a wet acoustic? Equally, how important would you say is it to get the microphones at the height of the organ pipework? I have recorded an elevated organ and choir at ground level with a single stereo microphone at quite a low height with a slight upward slope - the result was fantastic... Again, the height wouldn't be a problem if I record from the console.

Either way, I'd experiment for a while before sampling to try and find a sweet spot but any advice on this matter would be appreciated.

Nick Appleton
WWW: http://www.appletonit.com.au/nickspage/
Nick Appleton
WWW: http://www.appletonaudio.com/
Please avoid contacting me using private messages. Contact via the email address provided on my contact page is preferred.
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engrssc

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Re: More discussion on microphone placement...

PostMon Oct 19, 2009 11:08 am

What is the distance between the organ and the console locations? From my recording practice, I pay attention to off axis recordings, especially listening to possible higher frequency attenuation, even slight. Some folks refer to this as "presence".

In some installations it seems the "lesser good" listening position is at the console. Again, as I have noted previously, it's all in the ear of the beholder.

I know having to "schlep" microphone booms and dealing with long cable runs may take the "fun" out of a recording session. I'm looking into using a Zoom H4 or even an H2 self contained recorder (built-in stereo microphones, battery operated, remote controllable setup). This would involve only mounting this very small recorder on a single boom and controlling it with a remote control. This is only a thought/dream at this time. Cost approx $180USD, some better at times on ebay.

Rgds,
Ed
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NicholasA

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Re: More discussion on microphone placement...

PostMon Oct 19, 2009 5:06 pm

engrssc wrote:What is the distance between the organ and the console locations?


Off the top of my head, somewhere between 6 and 8 metres. The organ sounds fantastic at the console, as it does also in the building. The side of the organ which faces the console is not closed (so recording the unenclosed great from the console would be fine) - I'm more concerned that the microphone would be facing the sides of the swell and choir boxes at the console. These divisions also still sound great at the console, but there is just something strange at pointing a microphone at the side of a box.
Nick Appleton
WWW: http://www.appletonaudio.com/
Please avoid contacting me using private messages. Contact via the email address provided on my contact page is preferred.

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