Microphones 101 - The DSF production compendum

[collective]

This is a great thread, however I think we should stray away from practical applications because part of recording is about seeing what works and doesn't. There are rules to mic'ing (like your not going to mic a kick with a ribbon mic) but there is a lot of room for experimentation.

For instance, my favorite way to mic a kick drum is:

1 Yamaha ns-10 8inch speaker, with a spliced xlr wire, about 1cm from the skin (captures that bass tone of the kick, the WOOOO of an 808. basically)
1 Dyanmic mic (the type is really up to your taste and whats avalable, some of the best i have heard have been a sm58 in this combo)

Everytime I go into the studio to record someone tho, its totally different. I will mic the drums differently, the guitar, piano etc etc. There are some basic rules but a lot is left to trial and error.

[deadly_habit]

This is a great thread, however I think we should stray away from practical applications because part of recording is about seeing what works and doesn't. There are rules to mic'ing (like your not going to mic a kick with a ribbon mic) but there is a lot of room for experimentation.

For instance, my favorite way to mic a kick drum is:

1 Yamaha ns-10 8inch speaker, with a spliced xlr wire, about 1cm from the skin (captures that bass tone of the kick, the WOOOO of an 808. basically)
1 Dyanmic mic (the type is really up to your taste and whats avalable, some of the best i have heard have been a sm58 in this combo)

Everytime I go into the studio to record someone tho, its totally different. I will mic the drums differently, the guitar, piano etc etc. There are some basic rules but a lot is left to trial and error.

pretty much, but i'm gonna add some common applications for the newer users

[Sharmaji]

i can't tell you how excited I am at the prospect of there being more dubstep out there that involves live (and well) recorded material beyond some vocal drops. if yr perkin up at this thread-- DO IT.

a few things from (extremely) personal experience:

the main goal in matching the right mic w/ the right source is to not have to use any post processing. now, we all know that that's a rarity but match up the right gear w/ the right instrument and it really is a surreal experience-- you're a room away, listening thorugh speakers, and it feels like the performance is happening right NEXT to you. forget sound-- you're chasing the ethereal.

personally i hate the subkick for anything other than live apps. in a recording environment, 9 times out of ten it captures a phasey, hollow-ish low end because of proximity issues to other surfaces. it's a cool idea but i haven't found it useful beyond a big stage with an open front. YMMV.

recording to digital? drum overheads, close-mic'd percussion, guitar cabs, horns, and god knows what else--- RIBBONS. royer121 or blue woodpecker and OMFG, life is worth living again. the same can't be said for the cheapo end of the spectrum (woofy lows, grainy highs) but if you're in school and have the access-- PLEASE try them out.

SE condensers are great overall. FWIW the vocal on 'break your heart' was recorded w/ an se2200 i'd just gotten on spec from them-- total keeper. not always the right mic but at the price, always in the running. I've had engineers put up the gemini as a room mic for drumset plenty of times-- lots of niceness in there.

if yr looking to buy a dynamic, there's no better bang-for-buck out there than the mercenary audio-modded sm57. sounds like an sm7 but with more proximity effect, or like a standard 57 w/ a really open high end. all for under 2 bills. for a percussion session last year we set up a royer 121, a neumann u87, and the modded 57-- it won every time.

[HGLDT]

Really great thread, a lot of reading to do.
Do you guys have any recommendations for something in the 100$ range that would serve multiple purposes? Hand percussions, maybe vocals, textures...
Thanks to everyone spreading the knowledge

[Sharmaji]

Really great thread, a lot of reading to do.
Do you guys have any recommendations for something in the 100$ range that would serve multiple purposes? Hand percussions, maybe vocals, textures...
Thanks to everyone spreading the knowledge

sm57 or 58

[wirez]

This is a great thread, however I think we should stray away from practical applications because part of recording is about seeing what works and doesn't. There are rules to mic'ing (like your not going to mic a kick with a ribbon mic) but there is a lot of room for experimentation.

For instance, my favorite way to mic a kick drum is:

1 Yamaha ns-10 8inch speaker, with a spliced xlr wire, about 1cm from the skin (captures that bass tone of the kick, the WOOOO of an 808. basically)
1 Dyanmic mic (the type is really up to your taste and whats avalable, some of the best i have heard have been a sm58 in this combo)

Everytime I go into the studio to record someone tho, its totally different. I will mic the drums differently, the guitar, piano etc etc. There are some basic rules but a lot is left to trial and error.

Last time I mic'd a bass drum I was actually engineering a live set...

I padded it out to shit with a duvet, as you do, placed a D112 nice and far into the back of the kick drum to really capture the thumb and bass going on inside that drum, ran that to a mixing desk (can't remember which, but it was decent), monitored the sound of the kick drum on the big old P.A. system and tweaked the EQ until I had a fat, punchy kick and then recorded the PA speaker with a D112 on the large cone and an SM57 on the tweeter.... Jokes resampling lol

[collective]

I think you guys might be interested in this mic, in a blind test beat out a u47 and m49


http://www.oktavamodshop.com/product_in ... cts_id=137


Real dope lil mic there!

[deadly_habit]

I think you guys might be interested in this mic, in a blind test beat out a u47 and m49


http://www.oktavamodshop.com/product_in ... cts_id=137


Real dope lil mic there!

heh i was just on that page showing it at work

[deadly_habit]

sorry i have very lil free time so this is coming surely, but slowly. that and just got a new mic to test out for tune i'm working on and modding a preamp heh

[trike12]

Bump!

Thanks for the thread.
Came about just as i was going to ask a billion mic questions.
still got one, what would you mic heads recommend me if i say i have a budget of 700$

been looking at this: http://www.thomann.de/dk/neumann_tlm_102_bk.htm
is it worth it? been reading alot of reviews all been positive about it, been watching the
available youtube videos, with sound examples, and it does sound great.
again, is it worth it or do i have better options?

sorry for my lack of detailed (maybe even wrong) english.

[gnome]

Thanks Deadly Habit. This has certainly started my thinking towards getting this assignment done.

Big up!

[RmoniK]

I only know bout as much i learned in physics about mics, so this really helpful, thanks!
I'm on a tight budget and i'd like a mic for vocals and maybe my acoustic piano too. People recommend me Shure 57 or 58. Is that a good decision?

[deadly_habit]

depending on your environment, how you're going to be micing things up and the tone you're after...
hard to make recommendations, but having a 57 or 2 is never a bad thing, the 58 is the same thing just with a windscreen ball on it so you can save a couple bucks
far as vocals i use condensers for studio business
if you really want to get into mics hit the local shop and demo em on what you intended to use em on or for
hell i bought "getting great sounds - the microphone book" for casual reading and to pick up some new tips and knowledge and don't regret it
it's also worth noting there are lots of independent and boutique mic companies worth looking into too

[wirez]

I only know bout as much i learned in physics about mics, so this really helpful, thanks!
I'm on a tight budget and i'd like a mic for vocals and maybe my acoustic piano too. People recommend me Shure 57 or 58. Is that a good decision?

I often use the Beta 58 for vocals, in a small bedroom studio it sounds pretty nice!

A little irrelevant to your question, I've just spotted this new baby, think I might buy it after christmas! -

http://www.bluemic.com/spark/

[deadly_habit]

yea seen that advertised, i wanna give it a test
if it's like their other mics it's quality

[3za]

depending on your environment, how you're going to be micing things up and the tone you're after...
hard to make recommendations, but having a 57 or 2 is never a bad thing, the 58 is the same thing just with a windscreen ball on it so you can save a couple bucks

Thats not true, the sm58 rolls of the lows slightly higher, and has more of a peak in the treble. They are very simular, but a sm58 with out the ball does not = a sm57.

[deadly_habit]

depending on your environment, how you're going to be micing things up and the tone you're after...
hard to make recommendations, but having a 57 or 2 is never a bad thing, the 58 is the same thing just with a windscreen ball on it so you can save a couple bucks

Thats not true, the sm58 rolls of the lows slightly higher, and has more of a peak in the treble. They are very simular, but a sm58 with out the ball does not = a sm57.

even the shure rep told me that it was

[3za]

depending on your environment, how you're going to be micing things up and the tone you're after...
hard to make recommendations, but having a 57 or 2 is never a bad thing, the 58 is the same thing just with a windscreen ball on it so you can save a couple bucks

Thats not true, the sm58 rolls of the lows slightly higher, and has more of a peak in the treble. They are very simular, but a sm58 with out the ball does not = a sm57.

even the shure rep told me that it was

I believe he did, its one of them audio myths 99% of (audio) people believe.

http://www.shure.com/idc/groups/public/ ... csheet.pdf
http://www.shure.com/idc/groups/public/ ... csheet.pdf

tbh them graphs are a bit shit because the scale is not the same,but you can look at the frequency response is different. The diaphragm is the same, but the circuitry is slightly different, I think it might just be one resistor, but im not sure on that.

But by all means take the top off of your sm58, and use it for other things then vocals.

You still believe.

[deadly_habit]

honestly i rarely use em, i prefer the audix and blue dynamics in the same price range

[antithesis]

what about contact mics? where do these fall? not mics at all?