I have a question
about recording percussion — in particular, tuned percussion. Why is it
that some sound engineers can record without a massive impact when
a mallet strikes a bar, and others can’t? Miking marimbas seems to be
the hardest job, I guess because of its size, and some use two mics,
while others one. What is the best approach?
As
sound comes from such a large area, it is often a good idea to use a
couple of different miking techniques to record a marimba. Placing mics
at either end, but still fairly far from the instrument, and below the
level of the bars will pick up the resonators (the metal tubes), but
will not be too harsh. Alternatively, placing a stereo pair above the
head of the player will capture the sound from his or her perspective,
though the results could lack resonance.
Chris, via email
SOS
contributor Jon Burton replies:
The general consensus seems to be that
marimbas, in particular, are one of the hardest percussion instruments
to mic up. For anyone who hasn’t seen a full-sized marimba up close,
they are very large, at about 2.5 metres long! They also produce sound
from several points. Beneath each bar is a resonator, and it is the
combined sound of these that makes up the wonderfully rich tones. The
range of notes produced can also be anywhere between 3.5 and 5.5
octaves.
Choice of mallets can also greatly
affect the tones produced, with soft mallets producing warmer tones and
harder mallets producing far more attack. When recording it is very easy
to over-emphasise the sound of the mallet striking the bar, which
produces a harsh sound. It is therefore important to try to capture the
instrument as a whole, including the resonators.
Engineers
have different views on what to use, with suggestions varying from
single to multiple microphones. As for placement, there is less
variation, with engineers generally plumping for one of two options. The
first would be to have a microphone either end of the marimba between
four and eight feet away, depending on the room you are recording in and
how much room you want to capture. Placement below the level of the
bars will increase the amount of sound from the resonators. Raising the
mics up will increase the sound from the bars. At this point you can
decide what balance suits the track best.
The
other method is one I have always preferred, which is to put a stereo
pair above the head of the player and capture the sound from his
perspective. This can sometimes lack resonance but, if combined with the
first technique, can give you lots of options.
As
for microphone choice, I would go for dynamics for the resonator mics:
a pair of Electro-Voice RE20s works well but, equally, you can use Shure
SM57s. And for the overhead mics I’d use the best capacitor microphones
you have!
In these days of almost unlimited
track counts, recording these as two stereo pairs will give you the
chance both to balance both the stereo image and the relative
contributions of the bars and the resonators.
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