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King of Crunk!
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Mics 101 - Useful Information
The info in this thread would be useful for people who are thinking of purchasing a new microphone or trying to identify what mic to use for what
purpose.
First off, Diaphragm size and mass -
- More Mass – Slower transient response
- Less Mass – Faster transient response
- Larger Diaphragm – Better LF (low freq.) performance, reduced HF (high freq.) performance
- Smaller Diaphragm – Reverse of the above obviously
When you are selecting a mic, the purpose of it, some shit to consider -
1. Selection: Sound? What’s being recorded? Freq. + Transient response of mic?
2. Technique: As in, placement, angle, distance, balance of direct and reverberant sound, intended sound (close / distant?).
3. Choose a mic as a starting point, not EQ. (I’d say this is very important, there’s no point EQing a shit sound later on. Don’t get in the habit of
fixing shit in the mix, get the best possible sound to start with. Obviously for dudes on a budget there’s not a lot you can do, just try to get the
best possible sound you can).
There are 3 different kinds of microphone -
Dynamic (eg SM58)
Condenser (eg Rode NT1)
Ribbon – I will be skipping the ribbon mic unless there is a call for it, because they are rare and don’t really have a place in hip hop either. Reply
if you want me to include it.
Here comes some technical shit, you might wanna skip this, as a diagram helps with it.
HOW A DYNAMIC MIC WORKS -
Cylinder – Onto which is wound a coil of fine gauge wire. The coil sits in the gap of a permanent magnet. Sound waves push and pull on the diaphragm.
Coil moves in sympathy, cutting lines of flux, generating AC Current.
Output leads – affected by how far in and out the coil moves, and the speed of the coil.
Diaphragm – Rigid, thin, plastic / metal – 20/30mm in diameter.
Some dynamic mics have a step up transformer to boost o/p voltage.
DYNAMIC MIC CHARACTERISTICS <- This shit is useful.
Dynamic mics are easily the most common microphone and usually the cheapest.
Characteristics -
1. Most robust mic (often include big pop shield or wind shield or both). They can survive a bit of a beating too, don’t try this though.
2. Resonant Freq. at around 5KHz (this is the presence region).
- A resonant frequency is the frequency at which a system self oscillates -
3. Fairly rapid fall-off at around 8 to 10KHz (high mass – reduced HF performance).
4. Designed with peaks in the midrange (sometimes).
Advantages -
1. Rugged – Handles high SPL (sound pressure levels) before overload.
2. No need for electrical power.
3. Low cost.
4. Less affected by temperate changes and humidity.
5. Lower handling noise. (This makes them good for live shit).
Disadvantages -
1. Poorer HF response (fall of at around 8KHz).
2. Slower transient response (re more mass).
3. Uneven frequency response).
4. Lower sensitivity.
Applications -
1. Drums in general
2. Guitar Amps
3. Anything loud that you wanna get close to
4. Sound reinforcement
Eg – SM58,(beta58),57 – Guitars and shit
- D112 – Kick drum
CONDENSERS -
I notice there’s Dynamic vs Condenser talk in this place. In my opinion neither is really better than the other, they both have different
characteristics. I will can the technical shit about condensers for this section unless you really wanna hear it, as they’re complicated, keep in mind
however that they require phantom power (+48 volts) to function. This can be provided by mixers, preamps etc. If you can’t provide phantom power,
don’t get a condenser, it won’t work.
Condenser mics have varying characteristics, sometimes they come with switchable pick up patterns, high pass filters or pads.
A pad allows you to avoid overload with louder sounds.
A high pass filter eliminates rumble being picked up from the mic stand, etc.
Switchable polar patterns affect how the mic picks up sound.
Condenser mics generally have the best frequency response out of the 3 mic types. Their freq. band is generally the widest and smoothest.
They have the best (eg fastest transient response) out of the three mic types.
As for their handling of high SPL, a dynamic mic will always win out, however many condensers have high SPL handling (eg an NT1). You could mic guitar
amps with them etc. They are also quite rugged, but not nearly as resilient as a dynamic. In a studio situation this is fine, but live it could be a
concern.
A condenser mic is easily the most detailed mic compared to a dynamic or ribbon mic. Dynamic mics by nature aren’t very detailed, and you cannot get
close to your sounds with a ribbon mic, making the condenser the most versatile.
MIC PLACEMENT GUIDELINES -
When you’re going to grab a mic to start recording, or thinking about buying a new mic, take a moment to think about what kind of sound you’re going
to be recording, and how you plan on recording, what sound you want to get down etc. Here’s a rough comparison guide.
Soft Sounds – High Sensitivity mic (low gain).
Loud Sounds – Low sensitivity (low distortion)
Dull Sounds – Bright Mic (HF response)*
Bright Sounds – Duller sounding mic*
*This saves on your EQing later.
Distant miking – Want less spill, high distance
Close miking – Low distortion, fuller sound.
That was too much typing. 
If you read all that, I hope you got something out of it. If you have any questions I will try to answer them for you in this thread.
Good luck with your recording.
[Edited on 19-11-2004 by lapse]
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MC Rama
Cornelius Archibald Van Horn Esquire
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You are a saviour, i've been wasting the abilitites of a 100 buck mic by just plugging in and recording.
(Haven't read the post yet but i'm assuming it'll tell me how to make my mic sound super duper.)
Edit: Nope, I feel so let down. If anyone wants to do a tute on how to get the best value out of your mic, feel free... 
[Edited on 29-8-2004 by MC Rama]
Take off your dress, get on all fours and stick your ass in the air. I\'ll be with you in a minute.
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King of Crunk!
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What kind of mic is it Rama?
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MC Rama
Cornelius Archibald Van Horn Esquire
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Shure Pg48, probably not the best choice for recording but I was but a young lad with money to spend and not a clue in his head.
Take off your dress, get on all fours and stick your ass in the air. I\'ll be with you in a minute.
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N.U.G.
H.N.I.C. (Head Nugga In Charge)
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anyone know what the industry standard mic is for recording vocals?
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King of Crunk!
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A few things you gotta consider, it's really hard to help over the net coz I don't know what kind of voice you're recording, what your
setup is or the sound of that mic. Secondly, PG48s aren't exactly the greatest mic ever but far from the shittest. Orbs has a PG58 and the shit
we've recorded through it seems to be pretty low end heavy, looking at a PG48 polar pattern, it has a high end boost and not a great deal of low
end however.
http://www.shure.com/images/response/fpg48_large.gif <- Check that.
So I guess try and get the best sound you can using some of my placement notes (the closer your mic is to a sound, the more pronounced the bass for
example) and then EQ etc (pref a bit going into your recording setup, say on the mixer, but if you have to use like a VST EQ that is cool too).
Remember, try cutting the freqs. you don't like rather than boosting the ones you do, otherwise you're not getting rid of the shitty freqs.
just boosting the good ones to cover the crap up.
The PG series of mics are a budget performance mic, that 48 more for public speaking. Just experiment. Also sadly you won't get a good sound no
matter what mic you have if you're using shit leads \ preamps \ soundcard etc.
Hope I helped.
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MC Rama
Cornelius Archibald Van Horn Esquire
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Cheers mate, twas helpful indeed.
Take off your dress, get on all fours and stick your ass in the air. I\'ll be with you in a minute.
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King of Crunk!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by N.U.G.
anyone know what the industry standard mic is for recording vocals? |
Due to the nature of microphones, I've never heard of an 'industry standard' because every mic is different and every sound is
different, but there seem to be several reliable mics a lot of dudes fall back on. Shure, Rode and Neumann vocal condensers for studio use are all
decent and there's all higher end models which cost more but have a 'better' sound. Then again, dudes like Bono in U2 record through
SM57's, which are instrument mics. So it's more about what works for you.
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N.U.G.
H.N.I.C. (Head Nugga In Charge)
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| Quote: | Originally posted by lapse
| Quote: | Originally posted by N.U.G.
anyone know what the industry standard mic is for recording vocals? |
Due to the nature of microphones, I've never heard of an 'industry standard' because every mic is different and every sound is
different, but there seem to be several reliable mics a lot of dudes fall back on. Shure, Rode and Neumann vocal condensers for studio use are all
decent and there's all higher end models which cost more but have a 'better' sound. Then again, dudes like Bono in U2 record through
SM57's, which are instrument mics. So it's more about what works for you. |
thanks for that.
I really need to suss out which Mic to get, I guess I'll ask other producers and MCs what they recommend and take it from there.
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King of Crunk!
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N.U.G, a lot of stores will let you try mics out too, Factory Sound in South Melbourne have a dedicated vocal booth and all their staff engineer etc.
Just remember, if you get a good mic, you will be let down by any bad components in your acoustic chain, like a dope Neumann which set you back around
$3800 going through a 10 dollar lead into a computer stock soundcard is going to sound shitty regardless of what the mic is like.
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N.U.G.
H.N.I.C. (Head Nugga In Charge)
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| Quote: | Originally posted by lapse
N.U.G, a lot of stores will let you try mics out too, Factory Sound in South Melbourne have a dedicated vocal booth and all their staff engineer etc.
Just remember, if you get a good mic, you will be let down by any bad components in your acoustic chain, like a dope Neumann which set you back around
$3800 going through a 10 dollar lead into a computer stock soundcard is going to sound shitty regardless of what the mic is like.
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yeah word.
What Mic would you personally recommend to record MCs rhyming on my tracks?
I've got an Audiophile 2496 and a good music PC bu the way.
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King of Crunk!
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I'd check out the Rode K2 and the NT series. The Rode K2 is a tube condenser mic with a detailed sound that's good for capturing vox but
able to handle high sound pressure too.
I dunno it could be just me but I've always been a fan of rodes.
Just check out some stores, ask a bunch of dudes who's music you've heard about what they like to record through and get a list of stuff
going then test it out before you buy, cause in the end your ears are gonna decide.
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N.U.G.
H.N.I.C. (Head Nugga In Charge)
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| Quote: | Originally posted by lapse
I'd check out the Rode K2 and the NT series. The Rode K2 is a tube condenser mic with a detailed sound that's good for capturing vox but
able to handle high sound pressure too.
I dunno it could be just me but I've always been a fan of rodes.
Just check out some stores, ask a bunch of dudes who's music you've heard about what they like to record through and get a list of stuff
going then test it out before you buy, cause in the end your ears are gonna decide. |
excellent advice - thanks for that. I'll let you know how it all goes.
peace
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Perception
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im just searching for a soundcard for my new comp so i can get some good quality...
is the Creative Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS 7.1 any good? could u help me out there lapse..
ive got an Sm58 mic
Knotty Knob Records ?? www.knottyknobrecords.com
\"represent, represent\"
Downloads @ www.myspace.com/knottyknobrecords
SUBVERSIVE CREW
PERCEPTION, CHASE & RESIN
ABNORMAL LOGIC.......
\"catch me agitated roaming streets beneath the city scape\"
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N.U.G.
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^^^^^^^
Soundblasters aren't that great. Havce a look at the M Audio cards like the Audiophile 2496
hows that mic treating u?
[Edited on 29-8-2004 by N.U.G.]
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Perception
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thanks.. i jus needa get a clue on what soundcard i need to compliment an SM58.. i havent recorded much with it so far coz i wanna get my set-up
organised eg. soundcard.. any help is appreciated!
Knotty Knob Records ?? www.knottyknobrecords.com
\"represent, represent\"
Downloads @ www.myspace.com/knottyknobrecords
SUBVERSIVE CREW
PERCEPTION, CHASE & RESIN
ABNORMAL LOGIC.......
\"catch me agitated roaming streets beneath the city scape\"
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King of Crunk!
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How many record ins did you want dude? What kinda quality did you want and how much were you looking to spend?
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Perception
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looking to spend between 170 and 350... im looking for jus clean, crisp vocal quality.. something that will give me the ability to produce like good
quality vocals..
Knotty Knob Records ?? www.knottyknobrecords.com
\"represent, represent\"
Downloads @ www.myspace.com/knottyknobrecords
SUBVERSIVE CREW
PERCEPTION, CHASE & RESIN
ABNORMAL LOGIC.......
\"catch me agitated roaming streets beneath the city scape\"
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AWBS1
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word lapsey, always dropping knowledge.
big ups brudda!
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King of Crunk!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by The Perceptionist
looking to spend between 170 and 350... im looking for jus clean, crisp vocal quality.. something that will give me the ability to produce like good
quality vocals.. |
I don't know any off the top of my head for that price range so look around, you should be able to get a decent 24/96 card with like 2 in 2 out
for around that price range.
There's like no best soundcard, and as for something that'll work well with your mic, well, the card is only capturing the sound, it
won't really change it, so basically go for something with the widest frequency range and the lowest noise you can to make the most of your mic.
Because I don't know what your set up is it's better for you to talk to someone in a store and get them to suggest some stuff. I've
heard of soundcards not working with certain computers so make sure you're aware of that.
I'm using a Terratec EWS 24/96 at home, which is 2 in 2 out, digital in and out and has midi cabilitity too. I think it was around $500, with a
student discount. I'd recommend it, though it took some tweaking to get it working how I wanted it.
Peep this article for sure -
http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards_for_the_home_studio.htm
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Perception
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your the illest cat out... thanks bro, muchly appreciated.. !! i'll let u know what i decided upon
Knotty Knob Records ?? www.knottyknobrecords.com
\"represent, represent\"
Downloads @ www.myspace.com/knottyknobrecords
SUBVERSIVE CREW
PERCEPTION, CHASE & RESIN
ABNORMAL LOGIC.......
\"catch me agitated roaming streets beneath the city scape\"
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King of Crunk!
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No worries.
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Perception
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the audiophile 2496 ? looks like a good card for my price range. i found one for bout $340..
Knotty Knob Records ?? www.knottyknobrecords.com
\"represent, represent\"
Downloads @ www.myspace.com/knottyknobrecords
SUBVERSIVE CREW
PERCEPTION, CHASE & RESIN
ABNORMAL LOGIC.......
\"catch me agitated roaming streets beneath the city scape\"
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N.U.G.
H.N.I.C. (Head Nugga In Charge)
Posts: 2131
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| Quote: | Originally posted by The Perceptionist
the audiophile 2496 ? looks like a good card for my price range. i found one for bout $340.. |
thats what I have and I have no complaints.
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N.U.G.
H.N.I.C. (Head Nugga In Charge)
Posts: 2131
Registered: 24-10-2003
Location: SYD City
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okay after following "lapse's" excellent advice and doing some research, I'm considering either;
- RODE NT2
- RODE K2
- RODE NTK
yo lapse or anyone else who knows, which one of these mics are preferable?
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