microphones : the hows and whats of microphones

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