Title: Microphones and Sound for Home Studios
1Microphones and Sound for Home Studios
- Presented by Erich Russek
2Agenda
- 3 Things to Consider
- How the Microphone Sounds
- Studio Microphone Types
- Microphones I Know
- The 3 to 1 Rule
- Where To Place The Mic
33 Things to Consider
- How the microphone sounds.
- How the instrument sounds.
- Where to place the microphone to pick up
different aspects of that sound for the project I
am working on.
4How the Microphone Sounds
Inside every microphone is a membrane, called a
diaphragm, which vibrates in sympathy with sound.
The vibration creates a variable voltage and
changes acoustic energy into electrical energy.
As this electrical energy flows through the
circuit it encounters resistance which is called
impedance.
You may have run across the terms "high Z" or
"low Z". In a recording studio, we most often
use microphones which are low impedance or "low
Z." This is because they are less susceptible
to hum, can use longer cables and we can get a
better signal to noise ratio from them.
5Agenda
- 3 Things to Consider
- How the Microphone Sounds
- Studio Microphone Types
- Microphones I Know
- The 3 to 1 Rule
- Where To Place The Mic
6Studio Microphone Types
- Dynamic
- Ribbon
- Condenser
- PZM (Pressure Response Microphone or
Pressure-Zone-Microphone)
7Dynamic Mics
Dynamic, also called moving coil, mics work on
the principle of magnetic induction. They need no
external power to run and are very simple to make
and relatively cheap to buy. They are also sturdy
and capable of handling loud sounds. Because
they are not sensitive to a wide dynamic range
they are not the best mics for capturing soft
sounds or subtle performances.
8Ribbon Mics
Ribbon microphones have a thin metal corrugated
ribbon stretched across the magnetic field. Sound
pressure hits the ribbon and moves it across the
magnet. They are usually expensive mics and are
not suited to loud sounds such as drums. You
will find them used for vocals and wind
instruments because of their warm tone. They are
not often found in the home studio because of
their cost.
9Condenser Mics
- Condenser mics have a flatter frequency response
than dynamic mics and a higher price tag. They
are not as fragile as ribbon mics but not as
sturdy as dynamics. Because their sound is clear
and detailed they are excellent mics for vocals.
Care must be given, however, because they can
distort with loud volumes.
10Condenser Mics
- Condenser mics often need power to run. Referred
to as phantom power it comes down the mic cable
from the console, a battery inside the mic or a
power pack. The phantom power charges a capacitor
which holds a charge in the mics' fixed
backplate. In front of the backplate resides a
thin diaphragm. When the diaphragm moves in
relation to the fixed backplate, a charge is
developed in relation to how much movement the
diaphragm makes. Unlike the signal created by the
dynamic mic, a condenser's signal is very weak
and must be amplified before it gets to the
console. In order to do this the mic contains a
small amplifier that boosts the signal before it
leaves the mic.
11Patterns
- The directional response of a mic has to do with
how the mic picks up sound around it's polar
axis. The front of a mic is called on-axis, all
other directions into the mic are called
off-axis. When you talk about the on-axis and
off-axis response, you are talking about how a
mic picks up sound in reference to those
directions.
12Patterns
- There are five basic polar patterns that mics
offer - Omni
- Cardioid
- Hyper-cardioid
- Super-cardioid
- Figure eight.
13Omni directional
- An omnidirectional mic picks up sound evenly
from all directions around the mic head. This
would be a useful mic if you wanted to record a
group of singers through one mic. All singers
could gather around the mic and record evenly
whether they are in front of the mic or behind
it. The problem when recording this method is
that the singers must regulate their relative
balances and blend.
14Cardioid
- A Cardioid microphone has the maximum pick up
from the front, less pick up from the sides, and
least pick up from the back of the diaphragm.
This is a common studio mic pattern.
15Hyper-Cardioid
- The Hypercardioid microphone is where the least
sensitive pick up point is more than 90 degrees
but less than 150 degrees off axis. The
Hypercardioid and Super Cardioid mics can be used
to great effect in the studio where you may worry
about sound from nearby leaking into the mic.
16Super-Cardioid
- A Super-Cardioid Pattern microphone pattern has
the maximum sensitivity on axis and least
sensitivity approximately 150 degrees off axis.
17Figure Eight Pattern/ Bi-directional
- A Bi-directional microphone picks up best from
the front and back of the diaphragm and does not
picking up sound from the side. Good for
recording two singers through one mic.
18Agenda
- 3 Things to Consider
- How the Microphone Sounds
- Studio Microphone Types
- Microphones I Know
- The 3 to 1 Rule
- Where To Place The Mic
19Microphones I Know
- There are so many microphones on the market now,
it's tough to know what to buy.
20Dynamic microphones
- Shure SM57 - One of my all time favorite mics.
It's cheap, versatile, sturdy, and good for live
as well as studio applications. I like it on
drums, guitar and vocals. For about 80 it's a
good deal. Get two.
21Dynamic microphones
- Shure SM58 - Brother to the SM57 it is often
favored for vocals while the 57 is the choice for
instruments. I actually prefer the SM57 for
vocals though some say they can't hear any
difference in the two mics. I would also consider
the Beta 58 or Beta 57.
22Dynamic microphones
- Sennheiser MD421 - This is a great mic and a
studio favorite. At 300-400 it is a little
pricey for some home studios. This large
diaphragm dynamic mic is a great mic for toms,
overheads, amps, and under some circumstances,
vocals.
23Condenser Microphones
- Neumann U87 - The mic by which others are
compared. I spent a few hours at bias studios
auditioning different mics. I tried the U87, U47,
414 and a few others. The U87 proved again to be
my number one choice for a vocal mic. It handles
vocal, instrumental and percussion recording very
well. If you shop you can find one for 2300,
because of the price, its not a common choice
for the home studio.
24Condenser Microphones
- AKG C414B/ULS - The 414 is another favorite mic
for percussion, drum, acoustic guitar and wind
instrument recording. This is a mic that I have
often tried but I have never settled on. If this
mic is in your price range give it a try. It is a
very popular mic. It goes for about 1100.
25Condenser Microphones
- Oktava MK-319 - I bought this cardioid mic new
for 69. It has a list price of 599 but is often
on sale for 99. I have found that it is the mic
I return to for recording my own vocals. I have
not heard it with female vocals. I have heard
that these mics may not be built to a consistent
standard so I would suggest that you test this
mic extra carefully before you buy.
26Condenser Microphones
- Samson C01 - Another mic I bought for 69. This
Large Diaphragm Condenser has received a lot of
good press for its price value ratio. I like the
little light that turns on when it's connected
correctly.
27Agenda
- 3 Things to Consider
- How the Microphone Sounds
- Studio Microphone Types
- Microphones I Know
- The 3 to 1 Rule
- Where To Place The Mic
28The 3 to 1 Rule
- Many home studios have a difficult time
recording with more than one mic at a time. One
of the problems they often encounter is bad phase
relationship. Try and follow the 3-to-1 rule and
you can avoid some heartache. For every unit of
distance away from the sound source, your mics
should be at least three units apart. For
instance, if you are recording with two mics on
your piano and they are 3 inches away from a
source then they should be at least 9 inches
apart. If they're 15 inches from the source they
should be 45 inches from each other.
29The 3 to 1 Rule
- Acoustic phase interference occurs when the same
sound arrives at two or more adjacent microphones
at different times. Because they are spaced
apart, sound from the subject will almost
certainly arrive at the two microphones at
different times.
Microphone 1 is one foot from the sound source.
The next closest microphone in the system,
Microphone 2, should be located three feet or
more from Microphone 1. If the distance between
the sound source and Microphone 1 changes to two
feet, then the minimum distance between the two
microphones should be at least six feet,
maintaining the 31 ratio.
30Agenda
- 3 Things to Consider
- How the Microphone Sounds
- Studio Microphone Types
- Microphones I Know
- The 3 to 1 Rule
- Where To Place The Mic
31Where To Place The Mic
- OK, lets say you know how the microphone will
sound once it captures your source. I'll assume
you know what your source sounds like (i.e.,
guitar, piano, drums). Where do you place the mic
for best effect? - Put the mic where it sounds good.
32Where To Place The Mic
- If you're trying to capture a natural sound,
you'll probably have more success with the mic at
a distance to the instrument or voice.
33Where To Place The Mic
- Just think about where the listener typically
sits. If you want to create a clean, individual,
in-your-face kind of sound, then use a
close-miking technique. Inches instead of feet.
34Vocals
- One of the most challenging things to record is
the human voice. - You can place the mic anywhere from 2 inches
to 4 feet to mic vocals. When you close mic a
vocalist you must be careful of the mics
proximity effect. This is the effect a mic has
when the source is very close which emphasizes
the low frequencies. A singer, such as myself,
who is into heavy dynamics (shouting and then
whispering) may need to be aware if he is
"working" the mic of the change in timber when he
whispers close to the mic head. When he pulls
back for the volume notes he may sound thinner.
35Vocals
- Positioning the mic is crucial in getting a
clean sound without any plosives. A pop screen
will be needed in addition to precise
positioning. Plosives are the Ps and Ts that
ruffle the diaphragm of the mic, causing unwanted
low end information to get onto your recording.
Position the mic so the diaphragm is just below
the singers nose and pointing down towards the
mouth at about six inches away. Then put the pop
screen (a ring with a nylon material stretched
over it) between the singers mouth and the mic.
This should be sufficient to do the job.
36Vocals
- Another thing to keep in mind is the angle and
reflection off of the music stand. You don't want
the vocal reflecting off the stand into the mic,
this can cause phase problems. An easy solution
is to put some kind of refractive material on the
stand such as a piece of thick carpeting or a
towel. Also be sure to angle the stand down a bit
so the reflection is going away from the mic.
37Vocals
- Pop-shield and/or foam pop filter
- Shock mount
- Vocal groups -the distance between the mics
should be at least 3 times the distance between
the mic the vocalist
38Piano
- I close-mic the piano to give me the best
signal-to-noise ratio. The soundboard of the
piano is responsible for developing the volume
and character of the piano's sound so aim the mic
there. I also listen to an even tone where the
hammers hit the strings. Try the mic over the
middle-C strings, roughly five inches above the
strings. Two mics give a nice stereo image but in
a pinch a single mic will do.
39Piano
- I quite like one or two Crown PZM mics on the
underside of the piano lid. This provides a large
boundary for the mic and a sound I am comfortable
with. - I like the sound where the hammers meet the
strings but if I were looking for a piano sound
that I was a bit more midrange with less snap and
less harmonics, I might consider a mic on the
piano from underneath the soundboard.
40Acoustic Guitar
- If the guitarist loves his pickup, then use a
direct box. - Otherwise, aim the mic to the side of the sound
hole in line with the fret board at about a 45
degree angle. - Aim the mic basically toward the sound hole four
to six inches in front of the instrument but keep
in mind whether you might like more string, pick
or hand sounds and move accordingly. - You can get a louder sound at the sound hole, but
it also sounds muddy or boomy. - Moving the mic toward the bridge will give a
brighter twang. Moving it toward the neck will
give it more warmth.
41Acoustic Guitar
- An Omni pattern mic can give a bigger picture of
the sound - You can use more than one mic. Especially if you
there is not much other instrumentation. - For a sound like the guitarist hears, point mic
over player's shoulder at the guitar body. - Sometimes you may want to record finger-picking
and strumming on separate tracks. Close-mike the
finger-picking and add distance for the
strumming.
42Electric Guitar
- There are many ways to do this but I recommend
- A Shure 57, close to the amp and pointed at the
sweet spot of the speaker. (About half way
between the center and the rim.) - For a more open sound, pull the mic back up to 10
feet. - Consider adding another mic at the strings for
string and hand noise - Or another mic at a distance for open sound..
43Violin
- Place the mic over the bridge for a bright sound
or over the "f" holes for a mellower tone. You
can get a more natural sound by moving the mic a
bit away from the source.
44Trumpet
- Place the mic four to six feet from the bell in
front of the horn. This works well with multiple
trumpets. It allows the players themselves to get
a blend and play as an ensemble.
45Saxophone
- The sound of the sax does not come solely from
the bell but from the keys and the bell. For
tenor and alto place the mic four to six inches
above the bell pointing at the top of the upper
ring of the bell and keys (about a 40 degree
angle). For soprano sax the mic should be at a
slight angle and pointing at a combination of the
bell and the keys.
46Drums/Kit
47Kick
- The closer you place the mic to the beater the
more snap you will get. Move the mic further out
of the kick and the sound will become fuller.
Inside the shell will have the best isolation
from the other drums. Aim the mic off center for
more tone. I like the Audix D4 on the kick.
48Snare
- You can use one or two mics for the snare. I
like an Audix D1 or D2 or the SM57 for the snare.
Aim the first mic at a 45 degree angle about
about 2 inches from the top to the head. Closer
to the rim for a brighter sound. The other mic
can be placed under the snare. If you use two
mics remember that the mics need to be phase
reversed to avoid bass cancellation
49Toms
- Sennheiser 421, Audix D2 or SM57 typically place
the mics just inches away and off center of each
drum head
50Cymbals/Highhat
- Cymbals as close as possible
- Highhat nearer the bell the tighter the sound
51Overheads
- 2 mics about 6 Ft apart
- Snare in the center
- about 20 inches over cymbals
52Percussion
- Tambourine should have a mic about four to six
feet back depending on the sound of the room.
What you're trying to go for is an ambient sound
that gives you some space. Individual percussion
like shakers and triangles can be miked a few
feet back from the player.