WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU REALLY REMEMBERED SOMETHING CALLED 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 most common configurations for the capsule are stereo spaced

The Decca Tree has been used for years as an industry-standard technique for both

pairs and the venerable Decca Tree. The spaced pair, as its name

symphonic and choral recording as well as film scoring. This technique requires

implies, constitutes a pair of identical microphones placed at a certain

three microphones, usually omnis, placed in a triangular array in front of the sound

distance from one another on the same horizontal and vertical plane

source. The Decca Tree is also known as an “LCR” array for “left, center, right.” The

equidistant from the sound source. Omnidirectional microphones are

left and right mics are placed approximately six feet apart on the same horizontal

the mics of choice for this application due to their relatively uniform fre-

and vertical plane, just as in a spaced pair. The center is placed directly in between

quency response at most angles of incidence. Though there are few

the left and right mics, but approximately 4.5 feet in front of them, forming the

hard and fast rules governing mic placement of spaced omnis, careful

“point” of the triangle. This array can be constructed using three separate mic

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

STEREO SPACED PAIR

and so on.

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.

DECCA TREE

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.

ERIES, ALL THE WAY UP TO OUR AWESOME BOTTLE 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 YOURSELF. OR VISIT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED BLUE RETAILER AND AUDITION A MIC FOR YOURSELF. GO AHEAD, STEP UP TO THE MIC.

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Blue Microphones OmniMouse specifications Stereo Spaced Pair