GOBOs

[Shizzeraei Mattepundi]

Howdy,

Ok so I've got no budget, I mean close to nothin. But fortunately I have fallen into what could soon be a rather lucrative gig. Until then I'd like to know what could be used as a cheap but effective GOBO. Most of what I am doing is recoding vocals. Its announcing for an infomercial. Two announcers, only one "live" (my bathroom with lots of moving blankests) room. So far the show sounds pretty good. However, no matter which way I position the two announcers I still get bleed through on the mics that is causing phase problems. So far I've been able to solve this problem with mutes and automation in PTLE. But the turn around on this show is something like two hours. I would imagine that a gobo between the two would probably solve the problem. Or at least make the phase problems less noticeable.

Any ideas as far as cheap materials. It can't really reflect too much as that I already get plenty of "live" sound from the floor and parts of the walls.

Thanks for any help.

BTW i have learned a great deal in the last few months here.

[Bill Park]

The first thing that I would do is move the mic. Sounds to me as if you are centered in the room, or there is a hard side reflection.

Bill

[3daudioinc]

Originally posted by Shizzeraei Mattepundi:
<STRONG>Howdy,

Ok so I've got no budget, I mean close to nothin. But fortunately I have fallen into what could soon be a rather lucrative gig. Until then I'd like to know what could be used as a cheap but effective GOBO.</STRONG>

You want cheap but effective? Do what I did in Samoa. We were in a converted parking garage, hard surfaces everywhere. They had a clothes rack (the cheap roll around kind) covered with costumes. So I positioned where I needed the absorption and it worked great.

The other standard option (as long as you're not in Samoa where it never gets below 75 degrees and they've never heard of blankets!) is to pin up quilts or packing blankets on the walls. If you need them movable, just throw a quilt over a boom stand with the boom horizontal to the floor, like a standing T.

You did say cheap, not pretty, right?

[3daudioinc]

You say phasing problems. What specifically are you experiencing?

Typically the problem with doing two mic setups is early reflections, in my experience. Can you separate them more? Short of that move them really close together, like two sides of a figure 8 mic, and then baffle them tightly. Make sure each is standing in the null of the other's mic, like behind a cardioid if you're using two of those.

In a small room where separation is not a possibility, then just make the leakage that you are picking up is "good leakage" not bad.

[Shizzeraei Mattepundi]

Well I'm experiencing a "wind tunnel" type sound which I am assuming is due to phase problems between the two mics. Wind tunnel as in a little swirlly sounding and a loss of punch. When I mute the bleed on the other track it sounds solid. I like the clothes idea bit. However, I am in a very small space. So the thinner the better. I've considered plywood? What do ya think. The walls are covered with moving blankets of varing thicknesses there is a section close to the bottom of one of the walls that is not coverd. Oh, and then there is a bath tub on the other side of one of the blankets. Still not sure how that affects things.

Side note: How would filling the bath tub affect the overall sound?

[Bill Park]

Side note: How would filling the bath tub affect the overall sound?[/QB]

you like a nice, wet sound?

Drywall works well as a sound block, and some absorbtion on it (like, toss a blanket over it). Just stand up a chunk between the mics. Now -that's- cheap!

I think that the real answer is to re-evaluate where you are recording and why. Why are they in the bathroom? Just to make it feel like they are in a booth somewhere? Could you stick them in the main room with you?

Bill

Bill

[Shizzeraei Mattepundi]

Unfortunatly, I can't have them in the main room with me due in large part to the outragously loud computer.
Also, I have a larger room but it is farther away from my computer room and a little nervous about getting real long cables.
On that note how long is two long.
Moving the computer in not an option (talk to the wife). I feel that the overall sound in the bathroom is pretty nice with the blankets and such. Controling the reflective sounds of say, the living room would require more absorbtive materials then I currently have. Although I might give it a shot.

[Bill Park]

Put the computer in the bathroom.

Bill