Recording 101/3 - Microphones

Neps · 2008-10-27T13:26:33+00:00

Sorry for the delay to the article regarding Microphones. Work sometimes can be a headache..! So as I said in the previous set up article, this one will be about Microphones. When you look into the whole process of recording and mixing music, there are a lot of factors to consider. You have your system, mics, monitors, mixing techniques and most importantly, your ears. (We wont go into taste, because Britney Spears' producer might stumble onto this, and then I wont be able to get a platinum selling album with no effort needed from my side). Most often though, people make the wrong decision purchasing microphones and then wonder why they are not getting the sound they want. And this is where the water gets murky, because, as with most of us, budgets are tight and you have to get something that will work in most situations. So join me into the netherworld of microphones. Microphones mostly fall into 3 categories. * Dynamic * Condenser * Ribbon Now because we mostly are looking at home to semi-pro recording I'm going to focus on the 2 main ones you'd encounter in your search for capturing that guitar or vocal signal that'll send your music into the stratosphere. ( Just had to give a Strat reference ) DYNAMIC Dynamic microphones can be, at its most basic be described as 'self-powered.' The reason I say this is because you don't need an external power source to make the mic work after you've plugged it into your pre amp or mixer. You just plug in, turn up the gain on your mixer/pre amp and you're A for Away. Dynamics work on the principle, that the microphones internal pre amp receives its power from the mixer it self. Thus its a no mess, no fuss piece of equipment. What makes a dynamic a very good choice as a first mic, is it's versatility. From guitars, vocals, drums to some more interesting uses. These mics normally have a high SPL (sound pressure level) rating, which makes it ideal for recording loud sources like a heavy handed drummer (thats basically every drummer I know), or that very nice sounding Marshall stack cranked to 11. There are drawbacks with dynamics though. The sound.. Even though they are quite often used on stage, recording with them does tend to be a pain in the backside (there are under aged people on this forum). These mics tend not to have a nice top end range. Meaning that you end up not getting a very 'open' sound.' Most vocals wont be recorded with dynamics, but there have been cases where using a SM58 (Shure) actually proved to be a better choice than a condenser or ribbon. At the end of the day though it all comes down to that old saying 'Horses for courses!' And you might find that using one proves to be a better bet in your situation than using a condenser, tube or ribbon. CONDENSER In the last few years there has been an explosion of the number of condensers that have flooded the market. Companies (esp. from China) have taken the market by storm, and has proved that you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for a good condenser mic. If you had to state the one obvious difference between a condenser and a dynamic mic, it would be that, whereas dynamics are 'self-powered', condensers need external power to operate. There are 3 main ways to power a condenser. * Phantom Power (+48V DC) * External power supply * Batteries Let's first have a look at the batteries. Condenser mics that are powered by batteries are known as Electet-Condensers. What the battery does, is that it provides the necessary power to the pre amp of the mic to function. So where a dynamic receives it's 'power' from the desk, these need additional power to be able to function. (This goes for all condensers). These were quite common at the lower end of the market, but I havn't seen these for quite some time. Some condensers need an external power supply. These power supplies carry power to your pre-amp, and receives it's power from a normal mains power cable. In some cases the power supply also acts like a preamp for a mixer. In these cases you can expect to pay a pretty penny for them. Phantom power... Phantom power is that little switch that sits on most mixing consoles, labeled as +48VDc. What happens here, is that as soon as you've plugged in the mic, you hit the switch, and the desk sends a Dc voltage to the microphone to power the pre-amp. A quick look at electricity theory: The current you receive at home is an Ac signal. That means that the current alternates between a + and - signal, which is why Ac stands for 'alternating current.' Most home appliances work on Ac currents. However we all have come across gear with AC/DC converters. We mostly find them on guitar pedals, external hard drives and lap top power supplies. This just means that the AC (alternating current) is converted to DC (direct current). To get back to the phantom power.. The power to the mic is sent as a 'direct' voltage via one cable (the 'cold') and then sent back via the shield (neutral) cable. This is done so that there is no external interference to your audio signal when power for the condenser is needed. A miss conception for all microphones in general is that they work on 'stereo' connectors. A mic cable is generally described as a balanced cable, which means that there are 3 wires running through out the cable. A positive (hot), a negative (cold) and a neutral (earth). Now even though this in theory does describe a stereo signal (like we all understand headphone jacks), this is not a stereo signal!! I can remember how many times I've had to explain to someone this fact after they recorded something and then ask 'why is my recording mono?' MICROPHONE POLAR PATTERNS When getting into recording, it's a good idea to know what 'pattern' your mic is. By pattern I mean, the pick up direction. There are 3 patterns that you'd come across in your trips through the murky underworld of microphones. These are: * Cardioid * OmniDirectional * Figure of eight CARDIOID Cardioid is your most common pattern. To explain it in a very easy way is to say - The direction you point your mic is the area it'll pick up. This is your standard polar pattern and, in some ways your most effective microphone pattern to use. The reason I say this, is because we all don't have access to a great sounding room with the proper acoustic treatment, these mics will help to not 'color' the sound with bad room acoustics. Don't get me wrong, you get room 'coloration' no matter what you try. But, these help to keep it to a minimum if you pay attention to micing technique. You however need to pay attention to how you use the mic, and experiment with various placement options. Not just with the microphone, but also with your instrument placement. e.g where you sit in the room, what way your instrument is facing.. It all comes down to, good technique and the will to experiment. OMNI-DIRECTIONAL Omni's pick up from all around. This really is only an option in a great sounding recording space. You get a very 'open' sound in this pattern, and this is where you can get into trouble when recoding in a room which has acoustic problems e.g. too much reflective surfaces, too much or too little bass etc. But, after all this is said, it's worth trying this out, sometimes you'd be amazed with what can happen..! FIGURE OF EIGHT This is a 'funny' pattern. This polar pattern is known for it's ability to pick up signal from 2 sides. An easy way to think of it is to say you put 2 cardioid microphones together facing in the opposite direction. As you can see from the figure above, it looks a lot like a cardioid pattern on opposite sides. This kind of pattern is mostly used with the Mid-Side (MS) micing technique. In short, MS is basically a Fig.-of-8 mic combined with a cardioid. A lot of people use this to record drum overheads, and some other sources where you want a wide stereo signal combined with a focused centre channel. OTHER THOUGHTS One thing to look at when buying a mic is its frequency response. Some mics are tailored for specific signals. These can vary from ones built for kick drums and bass to mics used almost exclusively for vocals. At the end of the day, you have to go look for something that will suit your needs. Out of versatility, most people will buy 2 mics. A dynamic, cardioid mic, and a condenser cardioid. Most cardioids do offer selectable polar patterns. But that comes at a cost. But to have access to these 2 different mics will be of great help to your recordings and quality. There are quite a few companies that now make affordable condenser mics. Just from the top of my head I can think of 2. SE Electronics and Studio Projects. And the great thing is, that they wont break the bank if you're looking to supplement your recording setup. If you have questions about anything covered or not covered regarding microphones, mail me and I'll try and get to you ASAP. And a parting word from my side is the following.. ALWAYS SWITCH OFF PHANTOM POWER BEFORE DISCONNECTING A CONDENSER, AND ALWAYS MAKE SURE PHANTOM POWER IS SWITCHED OFF BEFORE CONNECTING A CONDENSER!!! There are people who say that this wont make a difference, but rather be safe than sorry...!!

guitarboy2828

Sorry to resurrect this old topic, but thought it'd be better than starting a new one..

I have found out that our church has 2 pretty cool condenser mic's lying around that I've never seen before. So, I'm trying to figure out what would be the best way to use them to record an acoustic. The two mics are: 1. A Sennheiser e914 http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/home_en.nsf/root/professional_wired-microphones_instrument-mics_evolution-900-e-914?Open&path=professional_wired-microphones_instrument-mics_evolution-900

and the second one is an AKG C414 XL II: http://www.akg.com/site/products/powerslave,id,1129,pid,1129,nodeid,2,_language,EN.html

Is it just a matter of playing around with them and seeing what sounds good? or is there a trick to it?

AlanRatcliffe

GREAT mics - I'd be very happy having either in my collection.

The 414 is a classic that's been through many versions, but all good. Natural sound and low self noise. More often used in studio than onstage because of feedback, but also not unusual to see them on toms live in the big shows. With a good mic pre you'll hear a mouse fart at 10 000 paces.

The 914's are good in almost any application you'd use small diaphragm condensers - overheads, acoustic guitar, etc.

[deleted]

I am hoping to get a few decent mics in the near future.
Either way, I might post and ask a few more questions here to before I take the plunge.

Thanks for reminding me of this thread
I am so in love with the Blue Microphone Kiwi (and I havn't even heard it)

btw, the Kiwi, @ R16000 I though it was a bargain ? and it actually is... one day when im big

Neps

All the Blue mics are sweet!! What makes them even sweeter (apart from their sound) is that they look awesome!! I managed to play with the Blue Bottle a few times in the states and I almost packed it into my bag and brought it back with me.. Its such a nice toy!!

raithza

I'm also currently looking for a mic to record acoustic guitar/vocals/harmonica. I found a Rode NT-3 for an affordable price - it seems to garner good reviews and be very versatile. How does it compare to the NT-2?

DaFiz

Some years ago I bought a Shure Betagreen BT01 which I used in a pub for vocals. Later I got a SM58 for vocals and the old BT01 went down to the guitar amplifier and did allright there.
They were cheap and adequate and I wonder if they're still available...? :-\

AlanRatcliffe

raithza wrote I'm also currently looking for a mic to record acoustic guitar/vocals/harmonica. I found a Rode NT-3 for an affordable price - it seems to garner good reviews and be very versatile. How does it compare to the NT-2?

Different things. The NT3 is a very versatile mic. Quite nice on acoustic. Works for vocals, but I'd rather have the smoothness of an LDC like the NT2 (The NT3 diaphragm is halfway between a small and a large - call it a medium). I'd also far prefer dynamic like an SM57 (or even a 58) for harmonica.

raithza

Alan Ratcliffe wrote
raithza wrote I'm also currently looking for a mic to record acoustic guitar/vocals/harmonica. I found a Rode NT-3 for an affordable price - it seems to garner good reviews and be very versatile. How does it compare to the NT-2?
Different things. The NT3 is a very versatile mic. Quite nice on acoustic. Works for vocals, but I'd rather have the smoothness of an LDC like the NT2 (The NT3 diaphragm is halfway between a small and a large - call it a medium). I'd also far prefer dynamic like an SM57 (or even a 58) for harmonica.

Ok... Thank you for your input. Unfortunately at this point I only have money for 1 mic that will be useable for all 3 those, would you recommend the NT-3 or SM58? It's just for a home demo recording so it doesn't have to be perfect for each application. From what I've gathered online it seems that the NT-3 would be most useable for all 3?

AlanRatcliffe

NT3. You can always expand with more specialised mics later, but the NT3 will give good results on most things you point it at.

raithza

thanks +1 ?

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