I started another thread on experiences of easy-to-handle recording of rehearsals and sessions, but I'll put something here about the microphone 'setting' I'm referring to:

Two AKG C562 Boundary Layer mics (shape of round plate 16 cm in diameter, circa 0,5 cm thick) connected to a recorder (started with c-cass, now we use a minidisc) on top of a table and players around it. The mic should work, but not as effectively, when attached to a conventional stand. And, being omnidirectional, it can be installed on the wall, even on the ceiling as well. The mic is designed for phantom powering so an external battery supply is needed.

It is suggested that for maximum sensitivity, the 'installation' surface be at least one square meter of flat space, but our table hardly ever is that wide. We really haven't paid that much attention (eg we use autolevel rec) to the quality of the recording, our aim rather being to check whether 'the arr' works or not. And for that it serves - especially with minidisc now - more than well; different instruments and voices can be located quite nicely in stereo playback.

The drawback is the price: here in Finland C562 + batt supply is some 700 €, though I'd guess it's not that much ev'rywhere (the reason we've been able to use those two mics is that I and a couple of other band members work at the University of Joensuu and we have 'the kind permission' to do that).

Look at http://www.akg-acoustics.com for further details, check also 'discreet acoustics' section for other models of BL mics by AKG. Sennheiser also makes BL mics, of others I don't know, does anybody?

reg's AKS