One of the sticky problems that sometimes keeps me up at night is how to listen to the source.
When making a recording of something complex, say a cymbal, we set the microphone in position just above the cymbal. Then we either listen to the results through headphones or speakers and adjust accordingly.
That all makes sense, right?
Once it sounds perfect we go ahead and make our recording.
I am sure you're already two steps ahead of me and have guessed the problem I am flummoxed over. I am not adjusting the microphone setup for the closest to real sound because I can't directly hear what the microphone is hearing.
The only means I have of knowing what the microphone is recording is to listen to it. And that's where the problem lies.
I am adjusting the capture device to best serve my tweeter.
Your tweeter is different than my own. What to do?
Other than figure out how to bypass my ears and get a direct electrical signal into my brain, you and I are stuck with our speakers.
It's an interesting dilemma, right? And while you may not lose any sleep over it, I figure it's worth cussin' and discussin'.
Tomorrow I'll share with you some further thoughts on the matter.
