how to choose the right microphone for vocals [recording vocals pt 2]

http://homerecordinghome.com

How To Choose The Right Microphone For Vocals [Recording Vocals Pt 2]

http://homerecordinghome.com/how-to-choose-the-right-microphone-for-vocals/

http://homerecordinghome.com/


Most people don't consciously appreciate the sounds of microphones

but they know they like a song.

A microphone is the first piece of gear in

the process of translating sounds to "tape"

or disk. It's a critical link in your signal

chain, which ends in a song that people

enjoy. It is the first piece in the complex

apparatus that translates a song from artist

to listener.

Image © B Rosen via Compfight


http://www.flickr.com/photos/82763263@N00/4255321476/

http://www.compfight.com/


The choices for mics are endless. And endlessly expensive. And

what's the difference between all these mics, anyway?

Here are some things you need to know first. Loosely guarded secrets

of home recording, if you will.



Loosely Guarded Secret #1: Amazing

recordings are made with average,

inexpensive mics. Every day.

You don't need a fancy mic to make good recordings.



Loosely Guarded Secret #2: It's not the gear.

It's the engineer.

No matter what gear you're using, it's the skills of the

engineer that really matter. There is nothing about world

class recording gear that guarantees a good record.



Loosely Guarded Secret #3: You get the best

results by matching the mic to the voice.

It's not the gear, it's the engineer. This secret is where

professional studios really have an edge.



My Kingdom for a Microphone

There are thousands of microphone options on the market. But which

one is right for you?

Let's look at a few vocal recording situations.



One Mic to Rule Them All

The classic suggestion for a beginner is to make their first microphone

a large diaphragm condenser. It is perfect attributes for a beginner

microphone, and also makes them suited to a variety of recording

tasks.

A decent mic should never limit you, and a

quality mic should make your technique

shine in the recording.



Male Vocals

You'll get some great results on male vocals with a large or small

diaphragm condenser, especially since the condenser microphone

lends some detail to higher harmonics.

There are many musical situations where a condenser isn't the right

choice. In music like rock, metal, or hip hop, you might get better

results from a dynamic microphone.



Female Vocals

Female vocals have incredible harmonic complexity, compared to

their male counterparts, excellent candidates for using a ribbon

microphone.

Ribbon mics are said to have a smooth, dark, or warm sound. They

also conveniently reject a lot of the high frequency information in the

female voice that you'll fight when it comes time to EQ the vocals.



How To Choose The Right Microphone For Vocals [Recording Vocals Pt 2]

http://homerecordinghome.com/how-to-choose-the-right-microphone-for-vocals/


how to choose the right microphone for vocals [recording vocals pt 2]

Technology