Chong Jiunn Yann

For the recording session, we contacted Bascon, which is a band from UCSI that has performed in various venue and competitions. They wanted us to record 3 of their original compositions, which can be a challenge for us since we have no idea how the song would be. After deciding the date and time, we planned out our mics choices and setup. On the day of recording, Bascon shows up a little early than what we plan except the guitarist who will be arriving later, so we have them to run through their songs first as we set things up. After hearing their rehearsal, we decided that they are tight enough to do a live band recording. So we make some changes to our plans and start the recording sessions with them. The list of the mic choices and inputs The setup of the mics During the recording, we first soundcheck all the gain on the mics to get the balance and solved. other problems such as making sure there is as little bleed as possible on all the mics and also make sur...

Drums: For drum miking, I would use the Glyn Johns Method as a starter for set up as it only requires 4 mics, and then add or change the mics depending on the song choices that I am recording, and also the time that I have for setting up. This method gives a nice balanced sound on the drum set, and additional spot mics can be added to each drum kit for more flexibility for the mixing process. Mic choices: Overheads: AKG C414 with cardioid patterns Kick drum: AKG P2 Snare: SM57 Toms: Sennheiser MD421 Hi-Hat: AKG C451 Acoustic Guitar: For acoustic guitar, I would choose to use a pair of AKG C414 at cardioid pattern and position it on axis on the 8th fret and 12th fret respectively. This capture much clarity from the acoustic guitar and also has a warmer low end. In the case of only 1 mic can be used, an AKG C414 will be placed on axis with the sound hole, and around 1 foot away from it. Electric guitar: I would prefer to use a SM57, place it near the cone of the amp and ...

For the violin miking experiment, we used a Rode NT1A large diaphragm condenser mic, an AKG C451 pecil mic and an Avantone CR14 ribbon mic. We are trying to record the sound for a classical solo violin. The results: 1. Single large condenser mic The Rode NT1A is place around 1 feet and 2 feet respectively from the violin and it is on axis with the violin's bowing place. Comparing both, recording the violin at 2 feet away have a better sound as it captures more of the room ambiance and the sound was not so 'into your face' as the one at 1 foot away. 2. Single small diaphragm condenser mic  The AKG C451 pecil mic is placed 1 foot and 2 foot away respectively from the violin an on axis with the violin's bowing place. The recorded sound was much more softer compared to the NT1A recordings, and the tones are also not so defined. 3. Ribbon mic with pencil mic An Avantone CR-14 ribbon mic is placed  2 feet away  from the violin an on axis with the violi...

For vocal recording techniques, we tried using an AKG C414 large diaphragm condenser mic with different polar patterns and different positions. We also considered the room acoustic by putting Gobos at different positions. We are trying to record a clear recording of the vocal with room ambiance. The results: 1. Cardioid pattern with gobos surrounding the vocalist. The sound captured is loud and clear, but it sounds 'dead' as the reflections are being absorbed by the gobos. 2. Cardioid pattern with gobos at front and back With the removal of the side gobos, the vocal captured sounded more spacious then the first one. 3. Omnidirectional pattern with gobos at the back The sound captured is quite clear and it has a pretty good ambiance to it, making the whole recording sounds much better.

For the bass miking techniques experiments, we connect the bass guitar to the board via DI box and also miked it using 2 different mics in different positions which are the AKG C414 and AKG D2. The result: 1. AKG C414(On axis) with DI - The large diaphragm condenser is set to cardioid pattern is placed near to the cone of the Hartke HD150 bass amplifier. The sound is a bit muddy and is too boomy when low notes are played. 2. AKG D2(On axis) with DI The sound captured is much clearer and also with enough attacks. 3. AKG D2 (at the edge of the cone) with DI The sound is not as clear as when is positioned on axis and the low end is not as intense as well. 4. AKG D2 (off axis) with DI  The mic is tilted so that it is off axis with the cone of the amplifier. Less attack are being captured using this techniques and it is also very soft and muddy. Thus to get a clear bass definition from the playing, I prefer using the AKG D2 positioned on axis o...

For the electric guitar miking techniques experiments, we are using both Rode NT1A condenser mic and a Shure SM57 dynamic mic and placed them in different position to get the right sound for a rock song. The result: 1. The SM57 is place on axis and near to the cone of the amplifier, and the NT1A is placed on the edge of the cone of the amplifier. The sound captured is punchy with attacks and the recording is quite clear with the distortions from the amplifier. 2. The SM57 is tilted a little to the left so that it is slightly off axis with the cone, and the NT1A stays at the same position. I feel like this technique gives a higher frequency and more tonality is heard from the recording. 3. The SM57 is tilted more to the left so that it is completely off axis with the cone, and the NT1A stays at the same position. This technique makes the recording muddier and also the sound is softer.