This is where we hit the single biggest hurdle of the whole process - one that will affect any band undertaking a similar recording and it’s where the proper studios have their advantage. Getting a good sound at source is the key to any good recording and it makes mixing simple. And the key to getting good sounds is mic placement. Moving a mic a few inches in one direction or another on, say, a guitar amp, can radically change the sound, and a cheap mic in the right position will sound better than a £1000 mic placed unwisely.
The problem was that our rehearsal room didn’t have a soundproof control room which meant there was no way to make critical mic placement judgements based on what was coming through the speakers as there was so much spill from the live instuments! This is a cardinal sin in recording, but unfortunately it’s a very real scenario when working in this way. Good headphones help, but I have never come across a pair yet that you can trust to make critical decisions. So it was a case of trial and error – set up the mics, record a bit, then listen back and move any mics that weren’t producing the desired result. Far from ideal, but it was all we had so that was what we used. For the most part the mics were placed pretty sensibly (as opposed to experimentally) – as long as you do that you can never go that far wrong!
One of the best books I have ever read the subject of mic placement is Howard Massey’s “Behind the Glass” – its not dedicated to the subject, but there are really useful comments about placement and choice of mics. If you’re undecided about what mics to buy, read this book and note which ones get mentioned again and again. And which ones don’t. The interviews in this book are from some of the top record producers of our time. I advise making it your production bible.
Secondly, listen to the instrument you are recording. Where does the sound come from? What does it sound like if you put your ear there? (Be careful with bass drums!) Experiment with placements and see what works even if you have to go away to listen to it and come back another day. When you’re doing it for yourself, time is your ally. I used more mics on the earlier sessions than later on, simply not bothering to put up the ones that didn’t yield anything anything I wanted to use.