anyone use a speaker as a recording microphone?
I have started messing around using a 2x12 cabinet as a rather large microphone to capture the low end of the bass cab...i will report a bit more as the experiments continue...
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Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california |
anyone use a speaker as a recording microphone? I have started messing around using a 2x12 cabinet as a rather large microphone to capture the low end of the bass cab...i will report a bit more as the experiments continue... |
Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10331 southern Michigan |
DP, you know who else did it? Geoff Emerick, George Martin and the Beatles on "Paperback Writer/Rain" - just read about it a few months ago in Emerick's book about recording the Beatles (which is an EXCELLENT read!). The bass sounds pretty amazing on those two songs! Ivan —Ivan |
Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 12159 Seattle |
We've done this before as we only had one mic back in the high school days and our first shots at recording in my bedroom. We just used the speaker as a mic to monitor the sound in the room. It sounded god awful. And Paperback Writer/Rain are two of the most amazing Beatles songs, both of which have great music videos. Where those two songs directly before Sgt. Peppers? If so, a shame that sound wasn't more present in Sgt. Peppers. (Sgt Peppers is my least favorite Beatles record) |
Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california |
I just read some about Emerick in the last TapeOp...but, I don't think he was talking the "speaker as microphne" setup, but then again, maybe he was? I can't remember... I heard about that sort of bass frequency "big microphone out of a speaker" setup somewhere, and I finally decided to try it. the setup was pretty straightforward: speaker>eq>preamp>line-in. I used the eq to attenuate (dial-in) the proper frequency...and...it seems to work! I want to spend a bit more time with the setup and see (and hear!) what this sort of setup might produce... Last edited: Mar 04, 2007 01:01:46 |
Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 12159 Seattle |
Everything in TapeOp is over my head but I don't think he was talking about that. |
Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10331 southern Michigan |
Jake, Paperback Writer and Rain were part of the Revolver sessions, not Sgt. Pepper. Revolver was full of similar sounds, both guitar and bass. That's still my favorite Beatles album. Man, I love the guitar sounds on Dr. Robert and And Your Bird Can Sing!!! Ivan —Ivan |
Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 12159 Seattle |
Rubber Soul and Revolver always do it for me. I can't decide which one I like more. |
Joined: Sep 07, 2006 Posts: 1482 Redlands, CA |
dp. |
Joined: Aug 23, 2006 Posts: 2123 The jungle |
Lots and lots of full-orchestra classical albums have been recorded this way. While I am no expert at this, it seems that unless you want to capture only the lowest frequenices, a loudspeaker with a smallish diaphragm (cone) should be used. It also seems to me that single-speaker systems are the only viable option as a the capacitance of a crossover network necessitates one-way operation. — |
Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california |
lhr: that was my exact intentions...I am attempting to capture the lowest part of the electric bass spectrum...the rumble...I would like to capture the very lowest part of a bass drum thump also. Then, mix in this "low-low" track with a DI and a more traditional mic setup... -dp |
Joined: Aug 23, 2006 Posts: 2123 The jungle |
dp, keep us posted. — |
Joined: Apr 06, 2008 Posts: 11 |
There's a mic available in number of music catalogues, advertised mostly for mic'ing bass drum. I think it's based on a 6" or 8" speaker. Cheese is great. |
Joined: Jul 29, 2006 Posts: 108 Menomonie, Wisconsin USA |
Once again I read through the information at SG101 and discover something I'd never heard of. Geez, what an absolutely cool idea! dp, I hope you'll provide us with a detailed account of this process and share the results. Cheers, |
Joined: Jan 09, 2008 Posts: 473 Sackville, New Brunswick |
Hmmm. Now you've got me wondering how a smaller (4"? 2"?) speaker might serve as an acoustic pickup for a cigar-box guitar. Or ... cigar-box dobro? I'm not a complete idiot. Some parts are missing. |