Post on 22-May-2015
description
Microphone PrimerThe Hows and Whats of Microphones
The world of microphonesWhat kind of mic do I need?
What kind of mics are there?
What's the best mic to get?
Of course, it all depends…
Types of microphonesDynamic microphone
Ribbon microphone
Condenser (capacitor) microphoneElectret
Liquid
Laser
Crystal
Plastic cups & string
Types of microphonesDynamic microphone
Ribbon microphone
Condenser (capacitor) microphoneElectret
Let’s drop the rest….
CaveatThese are all generalizations
Note use of “tends to”, “generally”, “mostly”
Microphones can vary greatly within same type
Optimal microphone use can depend on large number of factors
Dynamic microphones“Mechanical” – does not use power, uses volume
(signal) to drive recording
Tolerates higher signal level without clipping
Tends to pick up more low-end (bass)
Dynamic microphonesDynamics are good for
Guitar amps
Percussion / drums
Warmer sounds on vocals (louder vocals)
Live recordings (they don't pick up soft background sounds)
Ribbon microphonesIt’s a type of dynamic microphone
Generally higher-end (more expensive)
Different mechanics
Thicker, warm sound, not muddy
Condenser microphonesAlso called capacitor microphones
Main difference – needs power to recordNeed to activate power AFTER everything is pluggedMake sure gain (volume) is down
High end condensers - have dedicated power source Orpheus (8k€)
Condensers can offer different pickup patternsWe’ll talk about this in a minute
Condenser microphonesCondensers are good for
Studios (where it’s quiet)
Soft sounds, soft vocals
Picking up more high-frequency sound
Electret microphonesA type of condenser microphone
Typically lower-quality small microphones
Nearly all cell-phone, computer, PDA and headset microphones are electret types.
Other things to considerThings that will affect the recorded sound other than the microphone itself
Frequency response
Pre-amps
Pickup patterns
Recording techniques / mic placement
Room modes / room treatment
Frequency responseDifferent mics will be more sensitive at different
frequency rangesSome mics may respond better / capture more at high
frequencies, others at low frequenciesThis varies from mic to mic, even within the same
“type” of micFor example, for two different condenser
microphones, one may sound better on male voices (lower frequency), another sounds better on female voices (higher frequency)
The only real way to know is to test different microphones with the same source and compare
Pre-ampsThe sound signal strength coming from a mic is
typically very low
A pre-amp increases the gain (volume) for the sound signal from your mic to your recording desk / DAW
Pre-amps do not all increase the gain in the same way, over the same spectrum – so different pre-amps have different impacts on the sound
Pickup patternsThese apply to condenser microphones (not dynamic)
Cardioid
Omnidirectional
Hyper-cardioid
Figure-of-eight
CardioidTypical pickup pattern found on basic mics
including dynamic microphones
Mic upright, parallel to screen
Omnidirectional
Mic upright, parallel to screen
Hyper-cardioid
Mic upright, parallel to screen
Figure-of-eightUsed for recording front and back
Mic upright, parallel to screen
Recording techniques / mic placement
Mic placementSuper close can unnaturally boost low-end soundDon’t point a mic directly at a guitar amp
Using one or more micsPlacement – for stereo effect or for different sounds
Top / bottom of guitar neckCymbals vs snare on drums
“Phase” problems (same sound recorded milliseconds apart can cause phase problems)
Different types of mics in one recording
Room modes / room treatment If you want a “recorded live” (as opposed to digital
instrument) sound, you typically want some sort of “echo”
Rooms naturally echo – all good so far
Square rooms / perfect rectangle / right angle rooms echo “worse” Echoes can cancel each other out – “missing” sound Echoes can add to each other – “loud” sounds What happens is based on “modes” (sizes of wavelengths of
sounds)
Bad echoes cause uneven sounds
If you record in a “bad” room, you try to remove echo with treatment (sound panels on walls, in corners, etc).
OK great, but…What’s the best mic for ME?
Single mic / multiple mics?
Studio or live?
Loud or soft?
All right, the shortcut…What’s the best mic for ME?
A lot of people swear by Shure SM 57 / SM 58 Dynamic cardioid
You should know what that means by now…. SM 57 is flat-ended, for instrument recordingSM 58 had a “ball” end for vocal recording
But it doesn’t really matter…
Another good recommendation is the Rode NT 1Condenser mic
Thank you!And thanks to Rajen for helping sort out all the
confusing information about microphones!
ResourcesMicrophones
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphone
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr98/articles/mic_types.html
This online store lets you compare identical sound samples for different mics! - http://www.thomann.de/gb/microphones.html
Pre-amps
http://recordingbootcamp.com/2010/04/what-is-a-mic-pre-microphone-preamplifiers-and-preamps-explained/
Room treatment
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec07/articles/acoustics.htm