Single-Mic Recording

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Using a single microphone, or one stereo mic, to record a musical
performance all at once without any overdubbing can result in a
recording that is very compelling to the listener. When everyone
is performing in the same space at the same time, usually without
headphones, there is a musical interaction that occurs that we
often lose in the typical session using lots of mics, extreme
isolation, and many overdubs.


It’s not for every song or composition. Some music benefits from
the usual recording approach. But with a group of players who can
play in perfect balance, the result can be amazing, both
musically and sonically.


It’s an approach that pushes your engineering talents to their
limit. You are doing all the tracking and mixing at the same
time, with no ability to change things later.


It is also very demanding of the performers, because if anyone
makes a mistake, the take is ruined. But I think the results are
worth it, for those situations where it makes sense.


In this episode, I describe several approaches to single-point
pickup recording, including a hybrid method that combine
single-point with traditional techniques. Some examples can be
heard in the releases on the Outer Marker Records label. Here is
the link where you can listen to examples:


https://www.nativedsd.com/label/outer-marker-records/


And here is the link to a video that compares both a single-point
pickup plus the traditional multi-mic, multi-track method,
recorded simultaneously:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eLP1G4LnM0


 


email: dwfearn@dwfearn.com
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