Blue Microphones OmniMouse - Manual (Page 3)

DECCA TREE
The most common configurations for the capsule are stereo spaced
pairs and the venerable Decca Tree. The spaced pair, as its name
implies, constitutes a pair of identical microphones placed at a certain
distance from one another on the same horizontal and vertical plane
equidistant from the sound source. Omnidirectional microphones are
the mics of choice for this application due to their relatively uniform fre-
quency response at most angles of incidence. Though there are few
hard and fast rules governing mic placement of spaced omnis, careful
attention to the phase relationship (time
arrival) between the two mics will yield the
best results. One rule that should be
observed is the 3:1 rule which states that the
mics in a spaced pair should be at least three
times further apart from one another than
from the sound source — if the mics are two
feet from the source, they should be at least
six feet apart; if they are 15 feet from the
source, they should be at least 45 feet apart
and so on.
SERIES, ALL THE WAY UP TO OUR AWESOME BOTT LE MIC AND ITS FAMILY OF INTERCHANGEABLE CAPSULES. SO WHETHER YOU’RE RECORDING THAT NEXT PLATINUM ALBUM IN A STATE-OF-THE-ART STUDIO OR A DEMO FOR YOUR KID’S BIRTHDAY, BLUE HAS A MICROPHONE TO FIT YOUR NEEDS. AND YOUR BUDGET. VISIT US ON THE WEB AT WWW.BLUEMIC.COM AND SEE FOR YOURS ELF. OR VISIT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED BLUE RETAILER AND AUDITION A MIC FOR YOURSELF. GO AHEAD, STEP UP TO THE MIC.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU REALLY REMEM BERED SOMETHING CAL LED THE C- 4118? OR THE MX-009, OR THE DL-700 (SERIES K). LET’S FACE IT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW FAMOUS NUMBERS FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF MICS (YEAH, WE KNOW YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE), MOST MIC NAMES THESE DAYS ARE AS MEMORABLE AS THE FINAL SCORE OF SUPERBOWL XXVII. SO LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE WE DO, WE SET OUT TO CHANGE THAT. THE RESULT IS THAT YOU CAN NOW WALK INTO ANY FINER AUDIO RETAILER AND WALK OUT WITH A BABY BOTTLE, A BLUEBIRD, A KIWI OR A CACTUS. NOT TO MENTION A MOUSE. OR AN OMNIMOUSE. OH, AND THEY COME IN INTERESTING COLORS, TOO.
The Decca Tree has been used for years as an industry-standard technique for both
symphonic and choral recording as well as film scoring. This technique requires
three microphones, usually omnis, placed in a triangular array in front of the sound
source. The Decca Tree is also known as an “LCR” array for “left, center, right.” The
left and right mics are placed approximately six feet apart on the same horizontal
and vertical plane, just as in a spaced pair. The center is placed directly in between
the left and right mics, but approximately 4.5 feet in front of them, forming the
“point” of the triangle. This array can be constructed using three separate mic
STEREO SPACED PAIR
stands but commercially-available Decca Tree fixtures are available and allow for ease of
setup and precise placement. The array is generally placed directly behind and a few feet
above the conductor. The benefit to the Decca Tree is its ability to provide a strong center
image while at the same time providing excellent spatial cues both horizontally across the
stereo field as well as a sense of depth. The Decca Tree also stands up very well to various
surround-processing systems which is why it is a favorite of film scoring and mixing engi-
neers. As with the spaced pair configuration, once you have achieved a good placement,
rotate the capsules for optimal pickup.
To get the most out of the OmniMouse, it
is essential to pair it with a high-quality
microphone pre-amplifier. Most professional
recordists prefer to have outboard preamps
on hand, and will choose solid-state or vacuum
tube models based on their unique charac-
teristics. We recommend you audition our
Robbie hybrid vacuum tube mic pre, which
was designed specifically to compliment our
microphone capsules and circuitry. To main-
tain the integrity of your signal, use the Blue
Kiwi high-definition mic cable, a braided-
shield quad-conductor. Whenever possible,
connect the mic preamp line output directly
to your recorder or A/D converter line
input, bypassing the mixing board and any
unnecessary components.