Ok, I've understood phase issues and cancellation for a while...

Some of the things I try to do include keeping the microphones in a 1-4-1 relationship to their instruments... so if the mic is 1 foot from the guitar, then there must be 4 feet to the next mic that is 1 foot from another source like a vocal... more likely to be 1/2 that but the point remains...

So, now I have a vectrascope and I was trying to 'see' phase issues. I have a track that has a banjo player and another where she sings...

The banjo is pretty loud so it definitely goes in both microphones. I pan the tracks 100% Left and right to accent the phase differences in the vectrascope. The correlation meter shows better phase relationship when the phase is flipped but it makes her voice sound nasal.

Obviously, I'll go with what sounds good, but I wanted to ask if I'm generally going about it right. Her voice isn't going into both microphones at all equally. Perhaps that pushes the correlation down? Flipping the phase actually serves to cancel some of her voice allowing the correlation to look a little better since it is only correllating the banjo?

I tried to make a screen capture but got frustrated.

I find,using what "sounds" best,a lot better,than what looks best/correct on the screen,especially when it comes to 3rd party apps,that are meant to show phase etc.

Just a thought.
Bob

I'm immediately reminded of some AKUS live recordings, where both the vocals and the instruments are mixed separately, yet the result is solid. I am wondering if the the polarity pattern and axis placement of the mics are affecting your phase issue.

Melda MAutoAlign

Melda's MAutoAlign tool works really well. I'm using the demo of this now, but I'm going to buy it when I can.

Say you mic'd one instrument with 2 (or more) mics. You put this VST on all the tracks, play your project and click 'Analyze' in the VST, and it automatically detects and sets the proper delay for you. It has a built in delay utility similar to Cakewalk's Channel Tools.

I used it on a song where 6 vocal parts were done separately. I put it in all the tracks, analyzed them, and I was amazed at how well they sat in the mix afterward.

It's not always perfect, but it's a great tool to help with this. Honestly, I never would have been able to figure out all the phase issue's with that 6 vocal project. I always just settled for it and accepted it for what it was, now after trying this, I'm going back and remixing the entire project.

The demo is fully functional for 14 days ... give it a try.

Link to demo main page.

Bub, this one is really interesting. I downloaded the plugin you mention MAutoAlign and dropped it on the 5 tracks and applied it. I then re-bounced the mix without changing anything right alongside the first bounce so I could AB. First thing I notice is the levels of spikes in the track have changed... some higher, some lower. Mostly higher on the track that has the phase question panned to it. Very interesting!! But I'm not sure I like the sound better. The Banjo is definitely clearer... but I think the Vocal isn't quite what I want. It's a puzzle. I go back and forth ABing. I will say I lowered the concrete limiter by 1 DB for the MAutoAligned bounce, so ... but the sound equally loud after that. I have to change the levels of the mix to adjust around the impact of the timing shifts.

I'm almost sure I want this plugin... but still listening.

I would make sure it's first in my FX chain and make sure the signal going in is hot enough.

One of my tracks in the vocal test I did was really low, -24db ... it didn't pick it up. I normally run at -18db and above ... but I missed this one track.
You can also set how sensitive it is as well, but I haven't tried to tweak any of that stuff yet.

I've used it on doubled rhythm and lead guitars, and vocals.

It's working perfectly, BTW. I know the distances between the mics from my recordings, and it calculates them very accurately. It reminds me of stories where people were able to calculate mic movements on stage between sets.

And I bought it. Thanks Bub. I do recordings with lots of open mics in the same room all the time, and this is just worth it. $60 USD.

Only thing I was scratching my head on was how I might be able to do it myself... couldn't come up with it though.

That's great!

The demo period is up for it on my system. I'm going to miss it. :(