_
The Field Recordings Survival Kit is back! Do you remember that successful post, back in summer? I do because this has been the most seen post on this website so far. Awesome isn't it?
So here is my suggestion for a A/B Configuration using our Omnidirectional Microphones, a Rode DeadKitten and a wood clip. It looks pretty straight forward isn't it? Well it comes very handy for various purposes.
The photos are very self-explanatory but yes, you just have to tie both microphones with the wire-protected cable, place the wood clip where both wires are tided to each other mould the positions of the capsules into the classic A/B configuration and top it with a pretty nice and handy Rode DeadKitten which you can fix to the whole thingy with the all-mighty wood clip. With that very configuration I have assembled this mix of various recordings done at a abandoned construction site.
One of the cool things of this configuration is the light weight of it. It's so light that you can place it or tie it to almost anything, from small branches to you jacket or you can leave it hanging from your pants pocket.
Also if you get yourself a long minijack extension you can also place the microphones in places your recorder or even you don't fit at all. With a 3m long minijack cable I have been able to drop the mics into a well way down.
The "handyness" and light weight of it allows you to hold it from the cable. This comes very useful if you want to record stuff on the ground, lets say footsteps you just have to leave cable hanging from your leg and start doing your performance with your feet.
The following recording has been done using a Zoom H1 and this very A/B Configuration. During the whole recording session I was holding the microphones from its very cable and playing with construction waste materials with my feet. Also the gong-ish sound you hear at the beginning and the end of the piece its the sound of a massive rusted metal deposit. As you can guess I throw inside the deposite the mics hanging from its very cable through a hole of the size of my palm.
Simple, isn't it?
Oh! I almost forgot: As you can see on the left-down image you can also mould the Omnis in a ORTF-wannabe configuration. This is not so orthodox but I like to use it from time to time. I widens the stereo image a bit and it fits perfectly into the DeadKitten. The following piece (apart form the obvious contact mic bits) has been recorded using this ORTF configuration on the same Omnidirectional Microphones.
Beyond microphone dogma positioning there is a whole universe of creativity that you can apply to your microphones configuration. If your creative work allows you to do weird things with cheap mics don't hesitate, do so, you might find yourself discovering your own sound that can define you as a field recordist.
