One of our inSync readers, Aaron H poses a question about phasing problems when using many microphones to mic one sound source. “Beyond well thought out mic placement, is there a method of compensating for phase differences between various mic signals in a mix through use of some delay device(s)?”
You are delving into what can be a pretty deep, and often subjective subject with this topic. To answer the question directly, there are a variety of “alignment” type delay units on the market that can be used for things like this. Just patch one into an insert on your board and use the 100% wet signal with appropriate delay time (usually not more than a few milliseconds).
I have been in sessions where an entire drum mix is delayed to put it in phase with room mics being used. Usually this is done at mix time so that one high quality delay can be used on the mix instead of having to delay each track individually. I have just as often seen the mixes go without any delay or correction – the producer being of the mind that the delay sounds good. And it IS two radically different sounds. It’s a matter of aesthetics which one you prefer.
For recording things like an orchestra where it is common to have close and distant mics placed, generally engineers do delay the close mics to time align them with the distant mics. But again, I have seen engineers leave it alone as well. When you start to think in terms of recording and mixing for surround sound applications the delay from the distant mics can be just want you need to separate the sound of the room from the sound of the orchestra. It all depends on what one is trying to accomplish.