Microphones with various polar patterns can be used in vocal recording techniques. Consider recording a choral group or vocal ensemble. Having the vocalists circle around an omnidirectional mic allows well trained singers to perform as they would live: creating a blend of voices by changing their individual singing levels and timbres. Two cardioid mics, positioned back to back could be used for this same application. An omnidirectional mic may be used for a single vocalist as well.
If the singer is in a room with ambience and reverb that add to the desired effect, the omnidirectional mic will capture the room sound as well as the singer's direct voice. By changing the distance of the vocalist to the microphone, you can adjust the balance of the direct voice to the ambience.
The closer the vocalist is to the mic, the more direct sound is picked up relative to the ambience. The standard vocal recording environment usually captures the voice only. This typically requires isolation and the use of a unidirectional mic. Isolation can be achieved with baffles surrounding the vocalist like a shell” or some other method of reducing reflected sound from the room. Remember even a music stand can cause reflections back to the mic. The axis of the microphone should usually be pointed somewhere between the nose and mouth to pick up the complete sound of the voice.
Though the mic is usually directly in front of the singer's mouth, a slightly off-axis placement may help to avoid explosive sounds from breath blasts or certain consonant sounds such as p”, b”, d”, or t”. Placing the mic even further off-axis, or the use of an accessory pop filter, may be necessary to fully eliminate this problem. While many vocals are recorded professionally in an isolation booth with a cardioid condenser microphone, other methods of vocal recording are practiced.
For instance, a rock band's singers may be uncomfortable in the isolated environment described earlier. They may be used to singing in a loud environment with a monitor loudspeaker as the reference. This is a typical performance situation and forces them to sing louder and push their voices in order to hear themselves. This is a difficult situation to recreate with headphones. A technique that has been used successfully in this situation is to bring the singers into the control room to perform. This would be especially convenient for project studios that exist in only one room.
Showing posts with label microphone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label microphone. Show all posts
Saturday, 8 October 2016
9 Microphone Techniques For Recording A Snare Drum
The recording of a snare drum is the focal point of every modern recording. It sits right in the center of the mix, below or above the vocals depending on the style of the music. In this article, I've outlined some mic placement techniques that will help focus in on getting specific snare sounds in your recordings.
1. Close Mic
This is simple, easy, and very exposing. If you are looking to get that initial attack of your snare drum, use this type of placement. On its own it does not sound as appealing as one would first think, but once you add in the rest of your microphones you will begin to understand how the drumset takes shape.
Close mic'ing a snare drum captures ghost notes, blast beats, and other low-volume hits. Adding this type of placement to your snare configurations and then automating it's level in post or during the performance can help pick up snare hits that do not get through to the rest of the microphones on the drumset.
2. Close Mic with Moon Gel Applied
This microphone placement is the same one used in number 1 above, but with Moongel applied. Applying Moongel to a snare drum reduces ringing overtones. Some snares ring a bit more than others depending on the type of head, drum-tuning and wood. This one in particular rang more than what was desired, so the application of moongel was necessary.
Obviously the amount of ring in your snare is based on what you like stylistically. Coming from a heavy rock and metal background I tend to lean towards a more-attack and short-sustain type of snare sound. In my experience I have found that a snare with a long sustain can immensely impede drum editing, time alignment, and replacement; it can also get in the way of other frequencies when it comes time to mix.
3. Six inches from the snare - Let your snare breath
4. Side snare
Obtaining the proper sound of a snare drum should be something that is tried and tried again. Moving microphones, trying different microphones, and referencing a track with desired sounds is the best way to start understanding the recording of a snare drum. Inexperienced users will start to reach for a plugin the second they get the tracks down in their DAW.
Microphone placement is like anything else, practicing will only make you better.
One (not so typical) technique that I like is setting up a microphone from the side. This allows for a combination of the top and bottom as well as some of ringing from the shell. You can increase the amount of top or bottom by simply raising or lowering the microphone. This, again, is a stylistic choice and introduces some new ways to personalize the sound of your snare.
Bonus - A Warm Microphone Pre makes the difference
The Warm WA12 microphone pre is by far one of the best preamps of it's kind and price range. The feel, sound, and overall architecture of this pre amp makes for a great snare top choice just like the microphone pre amp that it's modelled after - the API312. In fact this pre amp is so close to API's design that it's actually considered an absolute clone of the vintage ancestor. This was first noticeable when sending the hot snare top signal through it and understanding how it embraced the low frequencies with ease and didn't break up in the high-end. It is by far the perfect option for home studios and pro studios alike. I used this for all of the snare top recordings in this article.
5. Bottom snare
Typically this one is always paired with a top snare microphone. The common practice is to flip the two microphones out of phase due to their arrangement, but that's really up to the engineer's ear. Listen to your signal, then flip them out of phase and decipher which one sounds better. Sometimes this will even act as an EQ. Regardless, the bottom snare is there to pick up the crisp rattling of the snares against the resonant head. This bright sizzle from the bottom and the attack of a top snare can be used to balance the lows and highs of your initial snare signal when dialing in the right sound during mixing.
6. Overheads
If you follow my other articles you will know that I typically work by getting the sound of the drums with the overheads first. Much of this is understanding the drums in the room, and how the snare sounds with the rest of the kit. For the most part, OH microphones are where a lot of the sound of your drums come from in the final mix, including the snare. Center your snare in the overhead microphones or dedicate a pair of overheads to your snare as secondary overheads. The point is to capture the sound of the snare in the room with the rest of the kit. After that, it's a matter of dialing in the right balance and blending your top, side, bottom or other snare microphones in with the sound.
7. 1 Condenser - In front of the kit
There really is no turning back once you start adding room microphones to your drum sounds. Having many different microphones in different places of your drum room can start to shape the sound of the set even more than you would expect. Placing a condenser microphone like the Mojave MA200 in front of your kit captures a narrow perspective of the drums in the room. The advantage here is that you are recording the kit in mono, so everything is reduced to the center of the stereo image.
That center is where your snare occurs, so if you filter out the high and low end of this signal you essentially have a dedicated snare microphone 10 feet from the kit. Apply some compression and voila!
8. 1 Dynamic - In front of the kit
The same principles apply here as they did in number 7 above, although this perspective changes significantly with a different type of microphone. In comparison to the Mojave, the SM7B is more aggressive in the mid range. If you are familiar with the SM57, the SM7B is close in sound and more accepting of the low end.
You can use this to fatten up the center of your drumset, or simply throw a reverb on it to make for an even more ambient sound. Again, filtering and crushing this type of source can produce results that are unmatched to other recordings.
9. Stereo Room Microphones - Facing opposing walls
Using wide room microphones is a great way to up the intensity and quality of your drum recordings. If you're not in a big room, you can face the microphone capsules in the opposite direction of the drum set. Place them as close to any opposing wall as you can and set them to the Cardiod Pattern”.
Facing the microphones towards a reflective surface breaks the line-of-sight between the capsule of the microphone and the drum means that your distant stereo room microphones will pick up reflections from the wall first. This slight variation of mic positioning creates a difference in the sound of your rooms.
1. Close Mic
This is simple, easy, and very exposing. If you are looking to get that initial attack of your snare drum, use this type of placement. On its own it does not sound as appealing as one would first think, but once you add in the rest of your microphones you will begin to understand how the drumset takes shape.
Close mic'ing a snare drum captures ghost notes, blast beats, and other low-volume hits. Adding this type of placement to your snare configurations and then automating it's level in post or during the performance can help pick up snare hits that do not get through to the rest of the microphones on the drumset.
2. Close Mic with Moon Gel Applied
This microphone placement is the same one used in number 1 above, but with Moongel applied. Applying Moongel to a snare drum reduces ringing overtones. Some snares ring a bit more than others depending on the type of head, drum-tuning and wood. This one in particular rang more than what was desired, so the application of moongel was necessary.
Obviously the amount of ring in your snare is based on what you like stylistically. Coming from a heavy rock and metal background I tend to lean towards a more-attack and short-sustain type of snare sound. In my experience I have found that a snare with a long sustain can immensely impede drum editing, time alignment, and replacement; it can also get in the way of other frequencies when it comes time to mix.
3. Six inches from the snare - Let your snare breath
4. Side snare
Obtaining the proper sound of a snare drum should be something that is tried and tried again. Moving microphones, trying different microphones, and referencing a track with desired sounds is the best way to start understanding the recording of a snare drum. Inexperienced users will start to reach for a plugin the second they get the tracks down in their DAW.
Microphone placement is like anything else, practicing will only make you better.
One (not so typical) technique that I like is setting up a microphone from the side. This allows for a combination of the top and bottom as well as some of ringing from the shell. You can increase the amount of top or bottom by simply raising or lowering the microphone. This, again, is a stylistic choice and introduces some new ways to personalize the sound of your snare.
Bonus - A Warm Microphone Pre makes the difference
The Warm WA12 microphone pre is by far one of the best preamps of it's kind and price range. The feel, sound, and overall architecture of this pre amp makes for a great snare top choice just like the microphone pre amp that it's modelled after - the API312. In fact this pre amp is so close to API's design that it's actually considered an absolute clone of the vintage ancestor. This was first noticeable when sending the hot snare top signal through it and understanding how it embraced the low frequencies with ease and didn't break up in the high-end. It is by far the perfect option for home studios and pro studios alike. I used this for all of the snare top recordings in this article.
5. Bottom snare
Typically this one is always paired with a top snare microphone. The common practice is to flip the two microphones out of phase due to their arrangement, but that's really up to the engineer's ear. Listen to your signal, then flip them out of phase and decipher which one sounds better. Sometimes this will even act as an EQ. Regardless, the bottom snare is there to pick up the crisp rattling of the snares against the resonant head. This bright sizzle from the bottom and the attack of a top snare can be used to balance the lows and highs of your initial snare signal when dialing in the right sound during mixing.
6. Overheads
If you follow my other articles you will know that I typically work by getting the sound of the drums with the overheads first. Much of this is understanding the drums in the room, and how the snare sounds with the rest of the kit. For the most part, OH microphones are where a lot of the sound of your drums come from in the final mix, including the snare. Center your snare in the overhead microphones or dedicate a pair of overheads to your snare as secondary overheads. The point is to capture the sound of the snare in the room with the rest of the kit. After that, it's a matter of dialing in the right balance and blending your top, side, bottom or other snare microphones in with the sound.
7. 1 Condenser - In front of the kit
There really is no turning back once you start adding room microphones to your drum sounds. Having many different microphones in different places of your drum room can start to shape the sound of the set even more than you would expect. Placing a condenser microphone like the Mojave MA200 in front of your kit captures a narrow perspective of the drums in the room. The advantage here is that you are recording the kit in mono, so everything is reduced to the center of the stereo image.
That center is where your snare occurs, so if you filter out the high and low end of this signal you essentially have a dedicated snare microphone 10 feet from the kit. Apply some compression and voila!
8. 1 Dynamic - In front of the kit
The same principles apply here as they did in number 7 above, although this perspective changes significantly with a different type of microphone. In comparison to the Mojave, the SM7B is more aggressive in the mid range. If you are familiar with the SM57, the SM7B is close in sound and more accepting of the low end.
You can use this to fatten up the center of your drumset, or simply throw a reverb on it to make for an even more ambient sound. Again, filtering and crushing this type of source can produce results that are unmatched to other recordings.
9. Stereo Room Microphones - Facing opposing walls
Using wide room microphones is a great way to up the intensity and quality of your drum recordings. If you're not in a big room, you can face the microphone capsules in the opposite direction of the drum set. Place them as close to any opposing wall as you can and set them to the Cardiod Pattern”.
Facing the microphones towards a reflective surface breaks the line-of-sight between the capsule of the microphone and the drum means that your distant stereo room microphones will pick up reflections from the wall first. This slight variation of mic positioning creates a difference in the sound of your rooms.
Thursday, 8 September 2016
Microphone Techniques To Get Great Electric Guitar Sound
In The Studio: Microphone Techniques To Get Great Electric Guitar Sound
Good starting points for capturing and recording the sound you want...
Feb. 19, 2014, by Barry Rudolph
Because of its fundamental importance in popular music, the electric guitar is the subject of intense scrutiny and wide differences of opinions. Just what makes a good guitar sound?
Compared to all the subtle and not so subtle sounds that come out of an electric guitar amp, fidelity judgments of vocal sounds are easy to make!
With good knowledge of the different guitar and amplifier sonic capabilities, coupled with good microphone techniques,we can achieve the ultimate guitar sound that fits” the guitar part, song and production genre.
A good guitar sound starts with a good player with the right amp and guitar all working together. It's unrealistic to rely on an engineer to make poor gear sound wonderful in the control room. Microphone choices and miking techniques are good starting points for capturing and recording electric guitar amp sound.
Microphone Selection
Microphone choice (for me) is as big a part of the guitar amp's recorded sound as the amp and guitar used, volume played and player choice, because the mic type and placement will greatly influence the player's performance and tone.
Dynamics
The Shure SM57 cardioid dynamic is the most common microphone used to record electric guitar. This started back when all the more expensive microphones had already been used in big tracking sessions. Engineers were left with the lowly” SM57 to handle those loud, cranky, noisy guitar amps.
But it turns out that the SM57 is perfect for the task; its frequency response, originally tailored for speaking, matches the mid-range voice” qualities of the guitar. Italso has a compression effect on loud sounds - it squashes nicely, facilitating the engineer's job of maintaining consistent recording levels.
You'll see engineers push a SM57 right into the grill cloth of an amp cabinet, taking advantage of the proximity effect, which boosts low frequencies when the mic is placed close to a sound source. The SM57 locks in a certain size” for the electric guitar, maintaining its appropriate place in the mix without additional EQ or compression.
The Sennheiser MD 421U cardioid dynamic is also popular, offering a wider frequency response (more high and low frequencies) than the SM57. A five-position rotary switch adjusts the frequency response from the flat position, called M (for music), all the way to the contoured S (for speech).
Generally, I find the 421 brighter with less of the compression effect than the SM57. These mics are also more directional, which is important for isolating the sound coming from one speaker in a multi-speaker cabinet.
Condensers
Condenser microphones also work great, but care must to taken to not get an overly bright sound. Your guitar player might complain that his amp sounds brighter than usual (compared to a SM57) and feel he must readjust his recording knob settings. As a result, I place them further away from the speakers.
Condensers pick up more low frequencies from the amp, and this may or may not be a good thing. Pushing a lot of air might work in a heavy metal track, but it also might be inappropriate for a lighter pop song.
I've also noticed certain condensers sometimes add distortion when close-miking extremely loud amps. Occasionally, the metal wind screen can get loose and vibrates. Always use the attenuator pad and maybe the low frequency roll-off. The Neumann U 87 and U-47FET, Shure KSM44 and Audio-Technica AT4041 are all good choices.
With Live Sound, You Can Make Anyone Sound Good
A free subscription to Live Sound International is your key to successful sound management on any scale — from a single microphone to a stadium concert. Written by professionals for professionals, each issue delivers essential information on the latest products specs, technologies, practices and theory.
Whether you're a house monitor engineer, technical director, system technician, sound company owner, installer or consultant, Live Sound International is the best source to keep you tuned in to the latest pro audio world. Subscribe today…it's FREE!!
Good starting points for capturing and recording the sound you want...
Feb. 19, 2014, by Barry Rudolph
Because of its fundamental importance in popular music, the electric guitar is the subject of intense scrutiny and wide differences of opinions. Just what makes a good guitar sound?
Compared to all the subtle and not so subtle sounds that come out of an electric guitar amp, fidelity judgments of vocal sounds are easy to make!
With good knowledge of the different guitar and amplifier sonic capabilities, coupled with good microphone techniques,we can achieve the ultimate guitar sound that fits” the guitar part, song and production genre.
A good guitar sound starts with a good player with the right amp and guitar all working together. It's unrealistic to rely on an engineer to make poor gear sound wonderful in the control room. Microphone choices and miking techniques are good starting points for capturing and recording electric guitar amp sound.
Microphone Selection
Microphone choice (for me) is as big a part of the guitar amp's recorded sound as the amp and guitar used, volume played and player choice, because the mic type and placement will greatly influence the player's performance and tone.
Dynamics
The Shure SM57 cardioid dynamic is the most common microphone used to record electric guitar. This started back when all the more expensive microphones had already been used in big tracking sessions. Engineers were left with the lowly” SM57 to handle those loud, cranky, noisy guitar amps.
But it turns out that the SM57 is perfect for the task; its frequency response, originally tailored for speaking, matches the mid-range voice” qualities of the guitar. Italso has a compression effect on loud sounds - it squashes nicely, facilitating the engineer's job of maintaining consistent recording levels.
You'll see engineers push a SM57 right into the grill cloth of an amp cabinet, taking advantage of the proximity effect, which boosts low frequencies when the mic is placed close to a sound source. The SM57 locks in a certain size” for the electric guitar, maintaining its appropriate place in the mix without additional EQ or compression.
The Sennheiser MD 421U cardioid dynamic is also popular, offering a wider frequency response (more high and low frequencies) than the SM57. A five-position rotary switch adjusts the frequency response from the flat position, called M (for music), all the way to the contoured S (for speech).
Generally, I find the 421 brighter with less of the compression effect than the SM57. These mics are also more directional, which is important for isolating the sound coming from one speaker in a multi-speaker cabinet.
Condensers
Condenser microphones also work great, but care must to taken to not get an overly bright sound. Your guitar player might complain that his amp sounds brighter than usual (compared to a SM57) and feel he must readjust his recording knob settings. As a result, I place them further away from the speakers.
Condensers pick up more low frequencies from the amp, and this may or may not be a good thing. Pushing a lot of air might work in a heavy metal track, but it also might be inappropriate for a lighter pop song.
I've also noticed certain condensers sometimes add distortion when close-miking extremely loud amps. Occasionally, the metal wind screen can get loose and vibrates. Always use the attenuator pad and maybe the low frequency roll-off. The Neumann U 87 and U-47FET, Shure KSM44 and Audio-Technica AT4041 are all good choices.
With Live Sound, You Can Make Anyone Sound Good
A free subscription to Live Sound International is your key to successful sound management on any scale — from a single microphone to a stadium concert. Written by professionals for professionals, each issue delivers essential information on the latest products specs, technologies, practices and theory.
Whether you're a house monitor engineer, technical director, system technician, sound company owner, installer or consultant, Live Sound International is the best source to keep you tuned in to the latest pro audio world. Subscribe today…it's FREE!!
Monday, 8 August 2016
Microphone Positioning
Drum Kit Miking - The drum kit is one of the most complicated sound sources to record. Although there are many different methods, some common techniques and principles should be understood. Below you will find the basics of mic selection and placement, for further detail and reading - you can also read our 6 Part Drum Recording Guide.
Getting Started
Since the different parts of the drum kit have widely varying sound they should be considered as individual instruments, or at least a small group of instrument types: Kick, Snare, Toms, Cymbals, and Percussion.
Certain mic characteristics are extremely critical for drum usage.
Dynamic Range - A drum can produce very high Sound Pressure Levels (SPLs). The microphone must be able to handle these levels. A dynamic microphone will usually handle high SPLs better than a condenser. Check the Maximum SPL in condenser microphone specifications. It should be at least 130 dB for closeup drum use.
Directionality - Because we want to consider each part of the kit an individual instrument; each drum may have its own mic. Interference effects may occur due to the close proximity of the mics to each other and to the various drums. Choosing mics that can reject sound at certain angles and placing them properly can be pivotal in achieving an overall drum mix with minimal phase problems.
Proximity Effect - Unidirectional mics may have excessive low frequency response when placed very close to the drums.
A low frequency roll-off either on the microphone or at the mixer will help reduce the muddied” sound. However, proximity effect may also enhance low frequency response if desired.
It can also be used to effectively reduce pickup of distant low frequency sources by the amount of low frequency roll-off used to control the closeup source.
Typically, drums are isolated in their own room to prevent bleed through to microphones on other instruments. In professional studios it is common for the drums to be raised above the floor. This helps reduce low frequency transmission through the ground.
Here are some basic individual drum miking techniques:
(Kick) Drums
This drum's purpose in most music is to provide transient, low-frequency energy bursts that help establish the primary rhythmic pattern of a song. The kick drum's energy is primarily focused in two areas: very low-end timbre and attack”.
Snare Drum
This is the most piercing drum in the kit and almost always establishes tempo. In modern music it usually indicates when to clap your hands! This is an extremely transient drum with little or no sustain to it. Its attack energy is focused in the 4 - 6kHz range. Typically, the drum is miked on the top head at the edge of the drum with a cardioid or supercardioid microphone.
Hi-Hats
These cymbals are primarily short, high frequency bursts used for time keeping, although the cymbals can be opened for a more loose sound. Many times the overhead mics will provide enough response to the high hat to eliminate the need for a separate hi-hat microphone.
If necessary, a mic placed away from the puff of air that happens when hi-hats close and within four inches to the cymbals should be a good starting point. (See position G in diagram to right; see image 10.) Simpler methods of drum miking are used for jazz and any application where open, natural kit sounds are desired. Using fewer mics over sections of the drums is common. Also, one high quality mic placed at a distance facing the whole kit may capture the sounds of kit and room acoustics in an enjoyable balance. Additional mics may be added to reinforce certain parts of the kit that are used more frequently.
Tom Toms
While the kick and snare establish the low and high rhythmic functions, the toms are multiple drums that will be tuned from high to low between the snare and kick. They are primarily used for fills, but may also be consistent parts of the rhythmic structure.
The attack range is similar to the snare drum, but often with more sustain. An individual directional mic on the top head near the edge can be used on each drum and panned to create some spatial imaging. A simpler setup is to place one mic slightly above and directly between two toms. (See position E in diagram to right; see image 11. )
Overheads
The cymbals perform a variety of sonic duties from sibilant transient exclamation points to high frequency time keeping. In any case, most of the energy is high-frequency content.
Flat frequency response condenser microphones will give accurate reproduction of these sounds. Having microphones with low frequency roll-off will help to reject some of the sound of the rest of the kit, which may otherwise cause phase problems when the drum channels are being mixed.
When there are limited microphones available to record a drum kit use the following guidelines:
Number of microphones
Three
Kick drum, snare, and overhead or kick drum (1,2, and 5)
Four
Kick drum, snare, high hat, and overhead (1, 2, 3 and 5)
Five
Kick drum, snare, high hat, tom-toms, and overhead (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5)
Timbales, Congas, Bongos
Getting Started
Since the different parts of the drum kit have widely varying sound they should be considered as individual instruments, or at least a small group of instrument types: Kick, Snare, Toms, Cymbals, and Percussion.
Certain mic characteristics are extremely critical for drum usage.
Dynamic Range - A drum can produce very high Sound Pressure Levels (SPLs). The microphone must be able to handle these levels. A dynamic microphone will usually handle high SPLs better than a condenser. Check the Maximum SPL in condenser microphone specifications. It should be at least 130 dB for closeup drum use.
Directionality - Because we want to consider each part of the kit an individual instrument; each drum may have its own mic. Interference effects may occur due to the close proximity of the mics to each other and to the various drums. Choosing mics that can reject sound at certain angles and placing them properly can be pivotal in achieving an overall drum mix with minimal phase problems.
Proximity Effect - Unidirectional mics may have excessive low frequency response when placed very close to the drums.
A low frequency roll-off either on the microphone or at the mixer will help reduce the muddied” sound. However, proximity effect may also enhance low frequency response if desired.
It can also be used to effectively reduce pickup of distant low frequency sources by the amount of low frequency roll-off used to control the closeup source.
Typically, drums are isolated in their own room to prevent bleed through to microphones on other instruments. In professional studios it is common for the drums to be raised above the floor. This helps reduce low frequency transmission through the ground.
Here are some basic individual drum miking techniques:
(Kick) Drums
This drum's purpose in most music is to provide transient, low-frequency energy bursts that help establish the primary rhythmic pattern of a song. The kick drum's energy is primarily focused in two areas: very low-end timbre and attack”.
Snare Drum
This is the most piercing drum in the kit and almost always establishes tempo. In modern music it usually indicates when to clap your hands! This is an extremely transient drum with little or no sustain to it. Its attack energy is focused in the 4 - 6kHz range. Typically, the drum is miked on the top head at the edge of the drum with a cardioid or supercardioid microphone.
Hi-Hats
These cymbals are primarily short, high frequency bursts used for time keeping, although the cymbals can be opened for a more loose sound. Many times the overhead mics will provide enough response to the high hat to eliminate the need for a separate hi-hat microphone.
If necessary, a mic placed away from the puff of air that happens when hi-hats close and within four inches to the cymbals should be a good starting point. (See position G in diagram to right; see image 10.) Simpler methods of drum miking are used for jazz and any application where open, natural kit sounds are desired. Using fewer mics over sections of the drums is common. Also, one high quality mic placed at a distance facing the whole kit may capture the sounds of kit and room acoustics in an enjoyable balance. Additional mics may be added to reinforce certain parts of the kit that are used more frequently.
Tom Toms
While the kick and snare establish the low and high rhythmic functions, the toms are multiple drums that will be tuned from high to low between the snare and kick. They are primarily used for fills, but may also be consistent parts of the rhythmic structure.
The attack range is similar to the snare drum, but often with more sustain. An individual directional mic on the top head near the edge can be used on each drum and panned to create some spatial imaging. A simpler setup is to place one mic slightly above and directly between two toms. (See position E in diagram to right; see image 11. )
Overheads
The cymbals perform a variety of sonic duties from sibilant transient exclamation points to high frequency time keeping. In any case, most of the energy is high-frequency content.
Flat frequency response condenser microphones will give accurate reproduction of these sounds. Having microphones with low frequency roll-off will help to reject some of the sound of the rest of the kit, which may otherwise cause phase problems when the drum channels are being mixed.
When there are limited microphones available to record a drum kit use the following guidelines:
Number of microphones
Three
Kick drum, snare, and overhead or kick drum (1,2, and 5)
Four
Kick drum, snare, high hat, and overhead (1, 2, 3 and 5)
Five
Kick drum, snare, high hat, tom-toms, and overhead (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5)
Timbales, Congas, Bongos
Thursday, 4 August 2016
Setting Up And Microphone Technique
by Marc Henshall
A full drum kit can be one the most difficult instruments to record successfully. It requires a great deal of patience and a skilful drummer to achieve excellent results. Don't let this discourage you, though, as your efforts will reward you with far more individual character than is possible with software or drum machine alternatives.
So how do you capture the perfect drum sound?
The options and approaches, of course, are endless, and the seasoned sound engineer will have numerous microphone techniques developed over a number of years. For those of us with a little less experience, it's useful to start with some tried and tested methods, from which, you can adjust to taste as your experience grows.
Setting Up the Drums
In all recording applications, good results start at the sound source. A poorly setup and tuned drum kit, will only ever produce a disappointing result; no matter what trickery you apply with microphone placement and mixing techniques. Make sure the kit and the drummer are on top form before proceeding with anything else.
Setting up and tuning drums is a real skill. It requires a deep understanding of musical styles and the mechanics of a drum kit - combined with a good ear - to get professional results.
If you don't feel confident tackling this on your own, I'd highly recommend you consult someone who does. At the very least, conduct some research first; paying close attention to the kind of drum heads and how they're tuned. If your drum heads are old, they can be very difficult to tune, so you might want to consider replacing them first.
If you're still getting excessive, undesirable resonance after you've replaced and tuned the skins, it's worth considering specialist drum damper products, such as ‘moongel'.
Damper products should tackle any additional resonance and are particularly useful if you prefer a dry sound. Cymbals, on the other hand, are very difficult to control if you're unhappy with the tone. Therefore, the lesson here for drummers is clear: if you have a limited budget for your drum kit - spend it on cymbals first.
Room Acoustics
Once you're satisfied with how the drums sound, the next biggest influence on how your final recording will sound is the room it's in. Two very different approaches apply here: 1)
Embrace the natural acoustic qualities of your room. 2) Control the room acoustics and apply synthetic ambiance later.
Headley Grange
1) Natural Ambiance
There's no doubt that the best drum sounds are recorded in great sounding rooms. What might surprise you though, is that these spaces aren't necessarily pro studios. For example, Led Zeppelin famously recorded drums at the bottom of a 3 storey stairwell for their album ‘Led Zeppelin IV'. The natural reverb - captured using microphones hung down the stairwell - was used to capture their signature stadium drum sound. Check out the drums on ‘When The Levee Breaks' for example.
Whether or not you decide to let natural acoustics shine is a matter of personal taste, genre - and in certain cases - luck. For example, if you're recording drums at home, the kind of home you live in could be the deciding factor. Unfortunately, most home acoustics are less than stellar. However, if you're lucky enough to have an interesting sounding space - try experimenting and embracing the room.
2) Controlling Room Acoustics
If, like many of us, your studio acoustics are naturally uninspiring or detrimental to the recording - you might want to consider controlling rather than embracing them. (Think concrete walls in a garage for example). By reducing reflections using soft materials or specifically designed room kits , it is possible to turn even the most humble of recording spaces into a usable room. Once the basic dry sound is captured, you can easily add room character later on using software plugins. This more controlled approach also has the advantage of retaining control over the room sound right down to the final mixing stage. In other words, if you change your mind about the room ambiance later on, you can easily change it. The same cannot be said for natural ambiance.
Microphones
The kit is setup, the drums are tuned, and the room is sounding great; now it's time to capture your hard work with the appropriate microphone technique. Again, two very different approaches should be considered depending on a number of factors.
1) The Drum Kit as a Homogenous Sound Source
First things first, this approach only works with a great drummer in a fantastic sounding room. The idea is to treat the kit as one entity; using a minimal amount of microphones.
Typically, an experienced engineer will use just 2 overhead microphones with additional close mics - usually on kick and snare - to plug in sonic gaps. Much like our Led Zeppelin example mentioned earlier, this technique is particularly effective in capturing the attack and dynamic range of the drum kit.
If you decide this approach is right for you, it's best to start with the overheads. Most engineers use a couple of large or small diaphragm condenser mics and develop the sound from there. The wide dynamic range and sensitivity of condenser microphones make them ideal for capturing the wide frequency range and dynamics of a drum kit. If you prefer a smoother sounding high-end, then it's also worth considering ribbon microphones as an alternative.
When placing your overhead microphones in this application, you're aiming to achieve a well-balanced representation of the entire kit. Although there are no right or wrong ways to go about this, having some understanding of how the cymbals resonate will help you make an informed choice.
Cymbals radiate their sound above and below, whereas the hi-hat resonates horizontally. With this in mind, you can begin to imagine how a balance between drum and cymbal sounds can be achieved simply by moving the overheads. You can typically achieve a balanced sound of the kit with overheads placed between two and three metres above floor level, and either behind or in front of the kit.
A/B vs X/Y - There are two main microphone techniques to consider for overhead configurations. The most common is referred to as the A/B technique. This approach involves 2 mics positioned to the left and right of the kick, which helps pick up much more of the room sound with a wide stereo image. The second approach is a technique called X/Y configuration.
The X/Y technique presents fewer phasing problems as the capsules are closer together, but gives you less control over balance and image of the individual elements of a kit. You might find that X/Y works better for you in close-mic drum applications, but it's important to experiment when finding a sound that works best for you.
Once you're happy the overheads are capturing a good balanced sound, you can now begin to add spot microphones to support or emphasise certain parts of the kit. In almost all circumstances, you'll want to give the kick drum some more weight, and in some cases, the snare can also benefit from additional support. Consider using a purpose built kick drum mic to boost the bass drum and either a dynamic or condenser to emphasise the snare. Close micing individual drums will be covered in more detail as part of approach number 2, which looks at a more surgical approach to recording drums, by close micing almost every element of the kit.
2) Close Micing a Drum Kit
While the minimal approach described above captures a pure and dynamic sound, close micing comes with its own distinct advantages and can even be the preferred approach for certain genres of music. The close-mic approach can give you a drier, more intimate sound, with greater separation and control. If your room acoustics aren't up to scratch or you have a drummer that isn't great at controlling dynamics - the close mic approach will likely produce better results.
Here are some examples of how to mic each piece of a typical kit:
Overheads - Once again, it's best to start with the overheads as a base from which you refine. In a close-mic multichannel drum recording application, you'll likely find that the overheads work better closer to the kit than you might otherwise try in our first, more minimal approach. As the overheads will primarily be used to capture cymbals, it's better to place the overheads directly above the kit. Under the X/Y technique described earlier, you'll achieve the best results when overheads are placed directly above the snare with each mic pointing left and right respectively. The X/Y techniques inherent phase coherence is particularly valuable when using lots of mics on a single kit. If you do decide to try the A/B technique, be sure to listen carefully for phase problems. Phase problems are a whole separate topic, but, in short, try flipping the phase inversion switch on one channel if your mixer or audio interface allows. Listen for which setting sounds ‘fuller' or ‘stronger' and select that option. If neither sounds good, you might have a phase problem and will need to experiment further with mic placement for a better result.
Kick Drum - The vast majority of kick drums are recorded using a dynamic microphone, and ideally using one that's purpose built for the job. Purpose-designed kick drum microphones have a tailor-made frequency response designed to compliment the low-frequency power and the attack of kick drums. They are also particularly adept at handling high sound pressure levels.
Microphone techniques for kick drums vary greatly from engineer to engineer and from genre to genre. As a general rule of thumb, placing your mic inside the kick drum and pointed towards the beater will capture lots of attack, while positioning further back - or even outside the drums resonant head - will increase low-frequencies. For the best of both worlds, many engineers prefer to balance the attack and low-frequency tone using both mic techniques in combination.
Resonance - Micing up a kick drum can often reveal unwanted resonance when you monitor the result, if this proves to be the case, try placing a pillow inside the drum kit to help dampen any ringing and provide a tighter sound.
Snare - The jury is still out on whether a dynamic or condenser works best for snare drums, and much will depend on style and taste.
By far the most common approach is to use two microphones: with one placed above the snare to capture the ‘crack', and the second placed beneath to give you more ‘fizz'. Once again, whenever two microphones are used to capture the same sound source, phase coherence can become problematic. With a snare drum, the phase relationship between top and bottom is invariably out of phase, so you'll want to flip the phase switch on one channel.
As for dynamic vs condenser microphones on snare drums, the general consensus is that dynamic mics capture weight and body, with greater isolation from other drums. Condenser mics on the other hand, will reveal far more subtlety in the drummers performance and capture more high-frequency detail for a crisp, punchy tone. A condenser, of course, will not handle high sound pressure levels as well as a dynamic mic; so be sure to check levels and apply a pad at the mic or pre-amp if necessary.
In any case, the mic should be positioned close to the edge of your snare for the best harmonic complexity, but secondly to protect the mic from being hit! When considering distance, placing the mic a good 4 inches away from the snare and angled toward the centre will ensure you capture the whole drum sound, with a clear and punchy attack.
Toms - Cast your mind back to our minimalist drum mic approach, and you'll recall that the toms are rarely close miced. This is because if you've set your overhead microphones effectively, the toms should be clear and well balanced with the rest of the kit. Saying this, for certain genres - particularly modern rock or metal - everything is close miced, and this includes the toms.
Much like the snare drum, using a dynamic mic will deliver a full, fat sound, with less spill. Traditionally, dynamic microphones have dominated for tom-tom applications, and the primary reason is almost certainly spill. Think about it like this: The more mics you have, the more spill. The more spill, the less control, and the harder it becomes to balance the kit.
There is, however, always two sides to every story. Over time, the introduction of purpose-built, discreet condenser microphones have made it much more practical for engineers to harness the superior transient response of condenser mics, without risking damage to their favourite mic. As with any microphone selection, listen and experiment to find what works for your genre or song. For more on dynamic vs condenser mics on toms, check out our previous post on the topic.
Hi-hat - I've left this piece until last, because typically, a well placed pair of overheads should be more than enough to capture a nice crisp hi-hat. If you do find a little extra attention is needed, try placing a pencil condenser mic roughly 10 - 15 cm away and pointing directly down at the edge on the far side, away from the snare.
Checking Phase - Bringing the Kit Together
Once you have all the microphones in place, it's important to check phase relationships between each channel. Failure to do so can result in a weak sounding recording. The kick drum will spill into other microphones more than other elements of the kit, so it makes sense to start with this as a reference point.
Monitor carefully with a high-quality pair of headphones and check the phase as follows:
Have the drummer play the kit just as they would during the recording.
Fade up the kick drum
Fade up each individual track in turn and flip the phase polarity
Listen for which setting sounds ‘bigger' or ‘fuller'
Pay particular attention to how your kick and snare sound together as this will form the backbone of your beat. The overheads are also important, but less important in context with the kick if you're working on a close-mic model for recording drums. The reason for this is that you'll likely apply a heavy dose of low cut to overheads during the mixing stage for close-mic applications; allowing the individual kick and snare mics to carry the burden.
More on Phase Issues & How to Avoid Them Using The 3 - 1 Rule
Phase cancellation happens when two microphones are receiving the same soundwave but with opposite pressure zones. When it is necessary to use multiple microphones, phase problems can be minimised by using the 3-to-1 rule. For multiple microphones the rule states that the distance between microphones should be at least three times the distance from each microphone to its intended sound source. As a result, the sound picked up by the more distant microphone should be at least 12dB less than the sound picked up by the closer one. This guideline helps to reduce the audible effects of phase cancellation to a manageable level.
The Bottom Line
When all is said and done, recording drums is a major challenge. The importance of room acoustics and the use of multiple microphones to capture a diverse range of sounds requires a substantial amount of patience, knowledge, and perseverance to obtain first-class results. Nevertheless, in a world where programming a convincing, real sounding drum track is possible using software alone - the sound of real drums could be just what you need to set your recordings apart from the crowd.
A full drum kit can be one the most difficult instruments to record successfully. It requires a great deal of patience and a skilful drummer to achieve excellent results. Don't let this discourage you, though, as your efforts will reward you with far more individual character than is possible with software or drum machine alternatives.
So how do you capture the perfect drum sound?
The options and approaches, of course, are endless, and the seasoned sound engineer will have numerous microphone techniques developed over a number of years. For those of us with a little less experience, it's useful to start with some tried and tested methods, from which, you can adjust to taste as your experience grows.
Setting Up the Drums
In all recording applications, good results start at the sound source. A poorly setup and tuned drum kit, will only ever produce a disappointing result; no matter what trickery you apply with microphone placement and mixing techniques. Make sure the kit and the drummer are on top form before proceeding with anything else.
Setting up and tuning drums is a real skill. It requires a deep understanding of musical styles and the mechanics of a drum kit - combined with a good ear - to get professional results.
If you don't feel confident tackling this on your own, I'd highly recommend you consult someone who does. At the very least, conduct some research first; paying close attention to the kind of drum heads and how they're tuned. If your drum heads are old, they can be very difficult to tune, so you might want to consider replacing them first.
If you're still getting excessive, undesirable resonance after you've replaced and tuned the skins, it's worth considering specialist drum damper products, such as ‘moongel'.
Damper products should tackle any additional resonance and are particularly useful if you prefer a dry sound. Cymbals, on the other hand, are very difficult to control if you're unhappy with the tone. Therefore, the lesson here for drummers is clear: if you have a limited budget for your drum kit - spend it on cymbals first.
Room Acoustics
Once you're satisfied with how the drums sound, the next biggest influence on how your final recording will sound is the room it's in. Two very different approaches apply here: 1)
Embrace the natural acoustic qualities of your room. 2) Control the room acoustics and apply synthetic ambiance later.
Headley Grange
1) Natural Ambiance
There's no doubt that the best drum sounds are recorded in great sounding rooms. What might surprise you though, is that these spaces aren't necessarily pro studios. For example, Led Zeppelin famously recorded drums at the bottom of a 3 storey stairwell for their album ‘Led Zeppelin IV'. The natural reverb - captured using microphones hung down the stairwell - was used to capture their signature stadium drum sound. Check out the drums on ‘When The Levee Breaks' for example.
Whether or not you decide to let natural acoustics shine is a matter of personal taste, genre - and in certain cases - luck. For example, if you're recording drums at home, the kind of home you live in could be the deciding factor. Unfortunately, most home acoustics are less than stellar. However, if you're lucky enough to have an interesting sounding space - try experimenting and embracing the room.
2) Controlling Room Acoustics
If, like many of us, your studio acoustics are naturally uninspiring or detrimental to the recording - you might want to consider controlling rather than embracing them. (Think concrete walls in a garage for example). By reducing reflections using soft materials or specifically designed room kits , it is possible to turn even the most humble of recording spaces into a usable room. Once the basic dry sound is captured, you can easily add room character later on using software plugins. This more controlled approach also has the advantage of retaining control over the room sound right down to the final mixing stage. In other words, if you change your mind about the room ambiance later on, you can easily change it. The same cannot be said for natural ambiance.
Microphones
The kit is setup, the drums are tuned, and the room is sounding great; now it's time to capture your hard work with the appropriate microphone technique. Again, two very different approaches should be considered depending on a number of factors.
1) The Drum Kit as a Homogenous Sound Source
First things first, this approach only works with a great drummer in a fantastic sounding room. The idea is to treat the kit as one entity; using a minimal amount of microphones.
Typically, an experienced engineer will use just 2 overhead microphones with additional close mics - usually on kick and snare - to plug in sonic gaps. Much like our Led Zeppelin example mentioned earlier, this technique is particularly effective in capturing the attack and dynamic range of the drum kit.
If you decide this approach is right for you, it's best to start with the overheads. Most engineers use a couple of large or small diaphragm condenser mics and develop the sound from there. The wide dynamic range and sensitivity of condenser microphones make them ideal for capturing the wide frequency range and dynamics of a drum kit. If you prefer a smoother sounding high-end, then it's also worth considering ribbon microphones as an alternative.
When placing your overhead microphones in this application, you're aiming to achieve a well-balanced representation of the entire kit. Although there are no right or wrong ways to go about this, having some understanding of how the cymbals resonate will help you make an informed choice.
Cymbals radiate their sound above and below, whereas the hi-hat resonates horizontally. With this in mind, you can begin to imagine how a balance between drum and cymbal sounds can be achieved simply by moving the overheads. You can typically achieve a balanced sound of the kit with overheads placed between two and three metres above floor level, and either behind or in front of the kit.
A/B vs X/Y - There are two main microphone techniques to consider for overhead configurations. The most common is referred to as the A/B technique. This approach involves 2 mics positioned to the left and right of the kick, which helps pick up much more of the room sound with a wide stereo image. The second approach is a technique called X/Y configuration.
The X/Y technique presents fewer phasing problems as the capsules are closer together, but gives you less control over balance and image of the individual elements of a kit. You might find that X/Y works better for you in close-mic drum applications, but it's important to experiment when finding a sound that works best for you.
Once you're happy the overheads are capturing a good balanced sound, you can now begin to add spot microphones to support or emphasise certain parts of the kit. In almost all circumstances, you'll want to give the kick drum some more weight, and in some cases, the snare can also benefit from additional support. Consider using a purpose built kick drum mic to boost the bass drum and either a dynamic or condenser to emphasise the snare. Close micing individual drums will be covered in more detail as part of approach number 2, which looks at a more surgical approach to recording drums, by close micing almost every element of the kit.
2) Close Micing a Drum Kit
While the minimal approach described above captures a pure and dynamic sound, close micing comes with its own distinct advantages and can even be the preferred approach for certain genres of music. The close-mic approach can give you a drier, more intimate sound, with greater separation and control. If your room acoustics aren't up to scratch or you have a drummer that isn't great at controlling dynamics - the close mic approach will likely produce better results.
Here are some examples of how to mic each piece of a typical kit:
Overheads - Once again, it's best to start with the overheads as a base from which you refine. In a close-mic multichannel drum recording application, you'll likely find that the overheads work better closer to the kit than you might otherwise try in our first, more minimal approach. As the overheads will primarily be used to capture cymbals, it's better to place the overheads directly above the kit. Under the X/Y technique described earlier, you'll achieve the best results when overheads are placed directly above the snare with each mic pointing left and right respectively. The X/Y techniques inherent phase coherence is particularly valuable when using lots of mics on a single kit. If you do decide to try the A/B technique, be sure to listen carefully for phase problems. Phase problems are a whole separate topic, but, in short, try flipping the phase inversion switch on one channel if your mixer or audio interface allows. Listen for which setting sounds ‘fuller' or ‘stronger' and select that option. If neither sounds good, you might have a phase problem and will need to experiment further with mic placement for a better result.
Kick Drum - The vast majority of kick drums are recorded using a dynamic microphone, and ideally using one that's purpose built for the job. Purpose-designed kick drum microphones have a tailor-made frequency response designed to compliment the low-frequency power and the attack of kick drums. They are also particularly adept at handling high sound pressure levels.
Microphone techniques for kick drums vary greatly from engineer to engineer and from genre to genre. As a general rule of thumb, placing your mic inside the kick drum and pointed towards the beater will capture lots of attack, while positioning further back - or even outside the drums resonant head - will increase low-frequencies. For the best of both worlds, many engineers prefer to balance the attack and low-frequency tone using both mic techniques in combination.
Resonance - Micing up a kick drum can often reveal unwanted resonance when you monitor the result, if this proves to be the case, try placing a pillow inside the drum kit to help dampen any ringing and provide a tighter sound.
Snare - The jury is still out on whether a dynamic or condenser works best for snare drums, and much will depend on style and taste.
By far the most common approach is to use two microphones: with one placed above the snare to capture the ‘crack', and the second placed beneath to give you more ‘fizz'. Once again, whenever two microphones are used to capture the same sound source, phase coherence can become problematic. With a snare drum, the phase relationship between top and bottom is invariably out of phase, so you'll want to flip the phase switch on one channel.
As for dynamic vs condenser microphones on snare drums, the general consensus is that dynamic mics capture weight and body, with greater isolation from other drums. Condenser mics on the other hand, will reveal far more subtlety in the drummers performance and capture more high-frequency detail for a crisp, punchy tone. A condenser, of course, will not handle high sound pressure levels as well as a dynamic mic; so be sure to check levels and apply a pad at the mic or pre-amp if necessary.
In any case, the mic should be positioned close to the edge of your snare for the best harmonic complexity, but secondly to protect the mic from being hit! When considering distance, placing the mic a good 4 inches away from the snare and angled toward the centre will ensure you capture the whole drum sound, with a clear and punchy attack.
Toms - Cast your mind back to our minimalist drum mic approach, and you'll recall that the toms are rarely close miced. This is because if you've set your overhead microphones effectively, the toms should be clear and well balanced with the rest of the kit. Saying this, for certain genres - particularly modern rock or metal - everything is close miced, and this includes the toms.
Much like the snare drum, using a dynamic mic will deliver a full, fat sound, with less spill. Traditionally, dynamic microphones have dominated for tom-tom applications, and the primary reason is almost certainly spill. Think about it like this: The more mics you have, the more spill. The more spill, the less control, and the harder it becomes to balance the kit.
There is, however, always two sides to every story. Over time, the introduction of purpose-built, discreet condenser microphones have made it much more practical for engineers to harness the superior transient response of condenser mics, without risking damage to their favourite mic. As with any microphone selection, listen and experiment to find what works for your genre or song. For more on dynamic vs condenser mics on toms, check out our previous post on the topic.
Hi-hat - I've left this piece until last, because typically, a well placed pair of overheads should be more than enough to capture a nice crisp hi-hat. If you do find a little extra attention is needed, try placing a pencil condenser mic roughly 10 - 15 cm away and pointing directly down at the edge on the far side, away from the snare.
Checking Phase - Bringing the Kit Together
Once you have all the microphones in place, it's important to check phase relationships between each channel. Failure to do so can result in a weak sounding recording. The kick drum will spill into other microphones more than other elements of the kit, so it makes sense to start with this as a reference point.
Monitor carefully with a high-quality pair of headphones and check the phase as follows:
Have the drummer play the kit just as they would during the recording.
Fade up the kick drum
Fade up each individual track in turn and flip the phase polarity
Listen for which setting sounds ‘bigger' or ‘fuller'
Pay particular attention to how your kick and snare sound together as this will form the backbone of your beat. The overheads are also important, but less important in context with the kick if you're working on a close-mic model for recording drums. The reason for this is that you'll likely apply a heavy dose of low cut to overheads during the mixing stage for close-mic applications; allowing the individual kick and snare mics to carry the burden.
More on Phase Issues & How to Avoid Them Using The 3 - 1 Rule
Phase cancellation happens when two microphones are receiving the same soundwave but with opposite pressure zones. When it is necessary to use multiple microphones, phase problems can be minimised by using the 3-to-1 rule. For multiple microphones the rule states that the distance between microphones should be at least three times the distance from each microphone to its intended sound source. As a result, the sound picked up by the more distant microphone should be at least 12dB less than the sound picked up by the closer one. This guideline helps to reduce the audible effects of phase cancellation to a manageable level.
The Bottom Line
When all is said and done, recording drums is a major challenge. The importance of room acoustics and the use of multiple microphones to capture a diverse range of sounds requires a substantial amount of patience, knowledge, and perseverance to obtain first-class results. Nevertheless, in a world where programming a convincing, real sounding drum track is possible using software alone - the sound of real drums could be just what you need to set your recordings apart from the crowd.
Thursday, 21 July 2016
Microphone Practice
There exist a number of well-developed microphone techniques used for miking musical, film, or voice sources. Choice of technique depends on a number of factors, including:
The collection of extraneous noise. This can be a concern, especially in amplified performances, where audio feedback can be a significant problem. Alternatively, it can be a desired outcome, in situations where ambient noise is useful (hall reverberation, audience reaction).
Choice of a signal type: Mono , stereo or multi-channel.
Type of sound-source: Acoustic instruments produce a sound very different from electric instruments, which are again different from the human voice.
Situational circumstances: Sometimes a microphone should not be visible, or having a microphone nearby is not appropriate. In scenes for a movie the microphone may be held above the pictureframe, just out of sight. In this way there is always a certain distance between the actor and the microphone.
Processing: If the signal is destined to be heavily processed, or "mixed down", a different type of input may be required.
The use of a windshield as well as a pop shield , designed to reduce vocal plosives.
There are several classes of microphone placement for recording and amplification.
In close miking, a microphone is placed relatively close to an instrument or sound source, within three to twelve inches, producing a dry or non-reverberant sound. 1 This serves to reduce extraneous noise, including room reverberation, and is commonly used when attempting to record a number of separate instruments while keeping the signals separate, or when trying to avoid feedback in an amplified performance. Close miking often affects the frequency response of the microphone, especially for directional mics which exhibit bass boost from the proximity effect Ubiquitous in the tracking of instruments used in pop and popular music , examples of close-mic vocal tracks include many songs on Elliott Smith 's Elliott Smith and Either/Or , Lily Allen 's " The Fear ", the chorus of Fergie 's " Glamorous ", Imogen Heap 's lead on " Hide and Seek ", and Madonna 's spoken verses on " Erotica ". 2
In ambient or distant miking, a microphone — typically a sensitive one — is placed at some distance from the sound source. The goal of this technique is to get a broader, natural mix of the sound source or sources, along with ambient sound, including reverberation from the room or hall. Example include The Jesus and Mary Chain 's Psychocandy (excepting the vocals), Robert Plant 's vocals on songs from Physical Graffiti , Tom Waits 's lead vocals on his "junkyard" records, and Mick Jagger 's lead-vocals on songs from Exile On Main Street 3
In room miking a distant mic, referred to as the room mic, is used in conjunction with a close mic, "typically placed far enough past the critical distance in a room that the room's ambience and reverberations transduce at an equivalent, if not greater, volume than the sound source itself." 4 Ubiquitous in pop, it is the industry standard for tracking rhythm guitars in rock. A "celebrated" example is the rhythm guitar on Led Zeppelin 's " Communication Breakdown " 4 while other examples include John Frusciante 's electric guitar parts on BloodSugarSexMagik , Noel Gallagher 's lead-guitar on " Champagne Supernova ", and Billy Corgan 's guitar on " Cherub Rock ", " Today ", " Bullet With Butterfly Wings ", " Zero ", and " Fuck You (An Ode To No One) ". 5
Accent (or Spot) Microphone Placement. Often, the tonal and ambient qualities will sound very different between a distant- and close-miked pickup. Under certain circumstances, it's difficult to obtain a naturally recorded balance when mixing the two together. For example, if a solo instrument within an orchestra needs an extra mic for added volume and presence, placing the mic too close would result in a pickup that sounds overly present, unnatural and out of context with the distant, overall orchestral pickup. To avoid this pitfall, a compromise in distance should be struck. A microphone that has been placed within a reasonably close range to an instrument or section within a larger ensemble (but not so close as to have an unnatural sound) is known as an accent (or spot) pickup Whenever accent miking is used, care should be exercised in placement and pickup choices. The amount of accent signal that's introduced into the mix should sound natural relative to the overall pickup, and a good accent mic should only add presence to a solo passage and not stick out as separate, identifiable pickup. 6 7 8
Often each instrument or vocalist is miked separately, with one or more microphones recording to separate channels (tracks). At a later stage, the channels are combined ('mixed-down') to two channels for stereo or more for surround sound The artists need not perform in the same place at the same time, and individual tracks (or sections of tracks) can be re-recorded to correct errors. Generally effects such as reverberation are added to each recorded channel, and different levels sent to left and right final channels to position the artist in the stereo sound-stage. Microphones may also be used to record the overall effect, or just the effect of the performance room.
This permits greater control over the final sound, but recording two channels (stereo recording) is simpler and cheaper, and can give a sound that is more natural.
There are two features of sound that the human brain uses to place objects in the stereo sound-field between the loudspeakers. These are the relative level (or loudness) difference between the two channels Δ L, and the time delay difference in arrival times for the same sound in each channel Δ t. The "interaural" signals (binaural ILD and ITD) at the ears are not the stereo microphone signals which are coming from the loudspeakers, and are called "interchannel" signals (Δ L and Δ t). These signals are normally not mixed. Loudspeaker signals are different from the sound arriving at the ear. See the article " Binaural recording for earphones ".
Various methods of stereo recording edit
X-Y technique: intensity stereophony edit
XY Stereo
Here there are two directional microphones at the same place, and typically placed at 90° or more to each other. 9 A stereo effect is achieved through differences in sound pressure level between two microphones. Due to the lack of differences in time-of-arrival and phase ambiguities, the sonic characteristic of X-Y recordings is generally less "spacey" and has less depth compared to recordings employing an AB setup.
Blumlein Stereo
When the microphones are bidirectional and placed facing +-45° with respect to the sound source, the X-Y-setup is called a Blumlein Pair The sonic image produced by this configuration is considered by many authorities to create a realistic, almost holographic soundstage.
A further refinement of the Blumlein Pair was developed by EMI in 1958, who called it "Stereosonic". They added a little in-phase crosstalk above 700 Hz to better align the mid and treble phantom sources with the bass ones. 10
A-B technique: time-of-arrival stereophony edit
This technique uses two parallel microphones, typically omnidirectional, some distance apart, capturing time-of-arrival stereo information as well as some level (amplitude) difference information, especially if employed close to the sound source(s). At a distance of about 50 cm (0.5 m) the time delay for a signal reaching first one and then the other microphone from the side is approximately 1.5 ms (1 to 2 ms). If the distance is increased between the microphones it effectively decreases the pickup angle. At 70 cm distance it is about equivalent to the pickup angle of the near-coincident ORTF setup.
M/S technique: Mid/Side stereophony edit
Mid-Side Stereo
This coincident technique employs a bidirectional microphone (with a Figure of 8 polar pattern) facing sideways and a cardioid (generally a variety of cardioid, although Alan Blumlein described the usage of an omnidirectional transducer in his original patent) facing the sound source. The capsules are stacked vertically and brought together as closely as possible, to minimize comb filtering caused by differences in arrival time.
The left and right channels are produced through a simple matrix: Left = Mid + Side, Right = Mid − Side ("minus" means you add the side signal with the polarity reversed). This configuration produces a completely mono-compatible signal and, if the Mid and Side signals are recorded (rather than the matrixed Left and Right), the stereo width (and with that, the perceived distance of the sound source) can be manipulated after the recording has taken place.
Jecklin Disk technique edit
The Jecklin Disk technique is similar to A/B recording, with 2 omni-directional microphones at 36 cm apart from each other. A sound absorbing Jecklin disk of 35cm is placed in the middle between the two microphones. The disk makes the apparent separation between the mics much larger than an equivalent A/B recording.
Choosing a technique edit
If a stereo signal is to be reproduced in mono, out-of-phase parts of the signal will cancel, which may cause the unwanted reduction or loss of some parts of the signal. This can be an important factor in choosing which technique to use.
Since the A-B techniques use phase differences to give the stereo image, they are the least compatible with mono.
Jecklin disk has a relatively small distance between the mics. Frequencies coming in sideways can reach only one microphone and will not interfere. Therefore Jecklin disk works reasonably well when converted to mono. Jecklin disk also gives phase shifts and amplitude differences matching good with what a real pair of ears would hear at this position and therefore is well suited for headphone playback.
In the X-Y techniques, the microphones would ideally be in exactly the same place, which is not possible - if they are slightly separated left to right, there may be some loss of high frequencies when played back in mono, so they are often separated vertically. This only causes problems with sound from above or below the height of the microphones.
The M/S technique is ideal for mono compatibility, since summing Left+Right just gives the Mid signal back.
The equipment for the techniques also varies from the bulky to the small and convenient. A-B techniques generally use two separate microphone units, often mounted on a bar to define the separation. X-Y microphone capsules can be mounted in one unit, or even on the top of a handheld digital recorder.
M/S arrays can be very compact and fit easily into a standard blimp windscreen, which makes boom-operated stereo recordings possible. They provide a variable soundstage width to match a zoom lens , which can be manipulated in post-production. This makes M/S is a very popular stereo technique for film location recording. They are often used in small 'pencil microphones' to mount on video cameras, sometimes even coupled to the zoom.
The collection of extraneous noise. This can be a concern, especially in amplified performances, where audio feedback can be a significant problem. Alternatively, it can be a desired outcome, in situations where ambient noise is useful (hall reverberation, audience reaction).
Choice of a signal type: Mono , stereo or multi-channel.
Type of sound-source: Acoustic instruments produce a sound very different from electric instruments, which are again different from the human voice.
Situational circumstances: Sometimes a microphone should not be visible, or having a microphone nearby is not appropriate. In scenes for a movie the microphone may be held above the pictureframe, just out of sight. In this way there is always a certain distance between the actor and the microphone.
Processing: If the signal is destined to be heavily processed, or "mixed down", a different type of input may be required.
The use of a windshield as well as a pop shield , designed to reduce vocal plosives.
There are several classes of microphone placement for recording and amplification.
In close miking, a microphone is placed relatively close to an instrument or sound source, within three to twelve inches, producing a dry or non-reverberant sound. 1 This serves to reduce extraneous noise, including room reverberation, and is commonly used when attempting to record a number of separate instruments while keeping the signals separate, or when trying to avoid feedback in an amplified performance. Close miking often affects the frequency response of the microphone, especially for directional mics which exhibit bass boost from the proximity effect Ubiquitous in the tracking of instruments used in pop and popular music , examples of close-mic vocal tracks include many songs on Elliott Smith 's Elliott Smith and Either/Or , Lily Allen 's " The Fear ", the chorus of Fergie 's " Glamorous ", Imogen Heap 's lead on " Hide and Seek ", and Madonna 's spoken verses on " Erotica ". 2
In ambient or distant miking, a microphone — typically a sensitive one — is placed at some distance from the sound source. The goal of this technique is to get a broader, natural mix of the sound source or sources, along with ambient sound, including reverberation from the room or hall. Example include The Jesus and Mary Chain 's Psychocandy (excepting the vocals), Robert Plant 's vocals on songs from Physical Graffiti , Tom Waits 's lead vocals on his "junkyard" records, and Mick Jagger 's lead-vocals on songs from Exile On Main Street 3
In room miking a distant mic, referred to as the room mic, is used in conjunction with a close mic, "typically placed far enough past the critical distance in a room that the room's ambience and reverberations transduce at an equivalent, if not greater, volume than the sound source itself." 4 Ubiquitous in pop, it is the industry standard for tracking rhythm guitars in rock. A "celebrated" example is the rhythm guitar on Led Zeppelin 's " Communication Breakdown " 4 while other examples include John Frusciante 's electric guitar parts on BloodSugarSexMagik , Noel Gallagher 's lead-guitar on " Champagne Supernova ", and Billy Corgan 's guitar on " Cherub Rock ", " Today ", " Bullet With Butterfly Wings ", " Zero ", and " Fuck You (An Ode To No One) ". 5
Accent (or Spot) Microphone Placement. Often, the tonal and ambient qualities will sound very different between a distant- and close-miked pickup. Under certain circumstances, it's difficult to obtain a naturally recorded balance when mixing the two together. For example, if a solo instrument within an orchestra needs an extra mic for added volume and presence, placing the mic too close would result in a pickup that sounds overly present, unnatural and out of context with the distant, overall orchestral pickup. To avoid this pitfall, a compromise in distance should be struck. A microphone that has been placed within a reasonably close range to an instrument or section within a larger ensemble (but not so close as to have an unnatural sound) is known as an accent (or spot) pickup Whenever accent miking is used, care should be exercised in placement and pickup choices. The amount of accent signal that's introduced into the mix should sound natural relative to the overall pickup, and a good accent mic should only add presence to a solo passage and not stick out as separate, identifiable pickup. 6 7 8
Often each instrument or vocalist is miked separately, with one or more microphones recording to separate channels (tracks). At a later stage, the channels are combined ('mixed-down') to two channels for stereo or more for surround sound The artists need not perform in the same place at the same time, and individual tracks (or sections of tracks) can be re-recorded to correct errors. Generally effects such as reverberation are added to each recorded channel, and different levels sent to left and right final channels to position the artist in the stereo sound-stage. Microphones may also be used to record the overall effect, or just the effect of the performance room.
This permits greater control over the final sound, but recording two channels (stereo recording) is simpler and cheaper, and can give a sound that is more natural.
There are two features of sound that the human brain uses to place objects in the stereo sound-field between the loudspeakers. These are the relative level (or loudness) difference between the two channels Δ L, and the time delay difference in arrival times for the same sound in each channel Δ t. The "interaural" signals (binaural ILD and ITD) at the ears are not the stereo microphone signals which are coming from the loudspeakers, and are called "interchannel" signals (Δ L and Δ t). These signals are normally not mixed. Loudspeaker signals are different from the sound arriving at the ear. See the article " Binaural recording for earphones ".
Various methods of stereo recording edit
X-Y technique: intensity stereophony edit
XY Stereo
Here there are two directional microphones at the same place, and typically placed at 90° or more to each other. 9 A stereo effect is achieved through differences in sound pressure level between two microphones. Due to the lack of differences in time-of-arrival and phase ambiguities, the sonic characteristic of X-Y recordings is generally less "spacey" and has less depth compared to recordings employing an AB setup.
Blumlein Stereo
When the microphones are bidirectional and placed facing +-45° with respect to the sound source, the X-Y-setup is called a Blumlein Pair The sonic image produced by this configuration is considered by many authorities to create a realistic, almost holographic soundstage.
A further refinement of the Blumlein Pair was developed by EMI in 1958, who called it "Stereosonic". They added a little in-phase crosstalk above 700 Hz to better align the mid and treble phantom sources with the bass ones. 10
A-B technique: time-of-arrival stereophony edit
This technique uses two parallel microphones, typically omnidirectional, some distance apart, capturing time-of-arrival stereo information as well as some level (amplitude) difference information, especially if employed close to the sound source(s). At a distance of about 50 cm (0.5 m) the time delay for a signal reaching first one and then the other microphone from the side is approximately 1.5 ms (1 to 2 ms). If the distance is increased between the microphones it effectively decreases the pickup angle. At 70 cm distance it is about equivalent to the pickup angle of the near-coincident ORTF setup.
M/S technique: Mid/Side stereophony edit
Mid-Side Stereo
This coincident technique employs a bidirectional microphone (with a Figure of 8 polar pattern) facing sideways and a cardioid (generally a variety of cardioid, although Alan Blumlein described the usage of an omnidirectional transducer in his original patent) facing the sound source. The capsules are stacked vertically and brought together as closely as possible, to minimize comb filtering caused by differences in arrival time.
The left and right channels are produced through a simple matrix: Left = Mid + Side, Right = Mid − Side ("minus" means you add the side signal with the polarity reversed). This configuration produces a completely mono-compatible signal and, if the Mid and Side signals are recorded (rather than the matrixed Left and Right), the stereo width (and with that, the perceived distance of the sound source) can be manipulated after the recording has taken place.
Jecklin Disk technique edit
The Jecklin Disk technique is similar to A/B recording, with 2 omni-directional microphones at 36 cm apart from each other. A sound absorbing Jecklin disk of 35cm is placed in the middle between the two microphones. The disk makes the apparent separation between the mics much larger than an equivalent A/B recording.
Choosing a technique edit
If a stereo signal is to be reproduced in mono, out-of-phase parts of the signal will cancel, which may cause the unwanted reduction or loss of some parts of the signal. This can be an important factor in choosing which technique to use.
Since the A-B techniques use phase differences to give the stereo image, they are the least compatible with mono.
Jecklin disk has a relatively small distance between the mics. Frequencies coming in sideways can reach only one microphone and will not interfere. Therefore Jecklin disk works reasonably well when converted to mono. Jecklin disk also gives phase shifts and amplitude differences matching good with what a real pair of ears would hear at this position and therefore is well suited for headphone playback.
In the X-Y techniques, the microphones would ideally be in exactly the same place, which is not possible - if they are slightly separated left to right, there may be some loss of high frequencies when played back in mono, so they are often separated vertically. This only causes problems with sound from above or below the height of the microphones.
The M/S technique is ideal for mono compatibility, since summing Left+Right just gives the Mid signal back.
The equipment for the techniques also varies from the bulky to the small and convenient. A-B techniques generally use two separate microphone units, often mounted on a bar to define the separation. X-Y microphone capsules can be mounted in one unit, or even on the top of a handheld digital recorder.
M/S arrays can be very compact and fit easily into a standard blimp windscreen, which makes boom-operated stereo recordings possible. They provide a variable soundstage width to match a zoom lens , which can be manipulated in post-production. This makes M/S is a very popular stereo technique for film location recording. They are often used in small 'pencil microphones' to mount on video cameras, sometimes even coupled to the zoom.
Sunday, 10 July 2016
The Wonderful World Of Microphone Techniques For Drums
Of all acoustic instruments, drums and percussion instruments seem the most elusive to capture with a compelling sound.
Pop recordings are (mostly) driven by an unique and attractive drum sound.
The definition of what makes a good drum sound” has been greatly expanded since the advent of drum machines, samplers and the endless manipulations possible with Pro Tools.
Record producers are looking for the drummer to drive the feel” of the song and their drum sound to fill” a certain amount of space within the song's recording.
Musical tastes and emotion evoke feel while genre and current trends and fashion usually dictate the exact size” and specific nature of the drum sound.
Of course there are always exceptions to any rule.
Size
Size refers to both the actual drum sound itself and the allowed space” the drums occupy within the recording.
Size is equated to all of the following characteristics: realistic (or unrealistic) ambience, a good aural picture” of the drum stage, good internal drum balance between the individual drums, good low frequencies and high frequencies, punchiness or weight” in the low mid-range frequencies and dynamic range or how well you can hear the subtle to the loudest hits without distortion.
Perspective
I find that recording drums has very much to do with your monitor mixing as well as the actual sound you are getting on both the individual drums and the total drum kit.
Sure, if I place the drum mix well above the rest of the backing tracks, I can hype the listener into thinking the drum sound is big and muscular. Tilted monitor mixes can make you think you have a great kick drum sound merely because it is very loud.
Pulling the drum mix back into a more realistic mix perspective reveals the true size of the drum recording as it blends with the rest of the instruments and vocals.
When placed in mix perspective, I can assess the relative tonality and balance of the individual drums and judge the overall kit-ambience quality. Low and high frequencies as well as dynamic range are also better judged at this level.
Like a good foundation of a house, if the drum kit sounds good while in relative balance, then any alternative mixing ideas like loud snare and kick drum mixes will work well.
Pop recordings are (mostly) driven by an unique and attractive drum sound.
The definition of what makes a good drum sound” has been greatly expanded since the advent of drum machines, samplers and the endless manipulations possible with Pro Tools.
Record producers are looking for the drummer to drive the feel” of the song and their drum sound to fill” a certain amount of space within the song's recording.
Musical tastes and emotion evoke feel while genre and current trends and fashion usually dictate the exact size” and specific nature of the drum sound.
Of course there are always exceptions to any rule.
Size
Size refers to both the actual drum sound itself and the allowed space” the drums occupy within the recording.
Size is equated to all of the following characteristics: realistic (or unrealistic) ambience, a good aural picture” of the drum stage, good internal drum balance between the individual drums, good low frequencies and high frequencies, punchiness or weight” in the low mid-range frequencies and dynamic range or how well you can hear the subtle to the loudest hits without distortion.
Perspective
I find that recording drums has very much to do with your monitor mixing as well as the actual sound you are getting on both the individual drums and the total drum kit.
Sure, if I place the drum mix well above the rest of the backing tracks, I can hype the listener into thinking the drum sound is big and muscular. Tilted monitor mixes can make you think you have a great kick drum sound merely because it is very loud.
Pulling the drum mix back into a more realistic mix perspective reveals the true size of the drum recording as it blends with the rest of the instruments and vocals.
When placed in mix perspective, I can assess the relative tonality and balance of the individual drums and judge the overall kit-ambience quality. Low and high frequencies as well as dynamic range are also better judged at this level.
Like a good foundation of a house, if the drum kit sounds good while in relative balance, then any alternative mixing ideas like loud snare and kick drum mixes will work well.
Sunday, 3 July 2016
Vocal Recording Microphone Techniques
The human voice is the most complex and flexible instrument of all, capable of an incredibly broad range of expression, tone and volume. There's also a great deal of diversity from one voice to the next, which mandates a flexible, try-anything approach to vocal recording. Your first-choice vocal mic may sound wonderful on a strong baritone and horrid on a breathy soprano.
Most engineers' favorite vocal mics are large-diaphragm condensers that tend to capture a large, articulate vocal sound suitable for most types of music. But some small- and mid-sized diaphragms can achieve a similar vocal quality. And dynamic mics, though not usually a favorite for studio vocals, can deliver the perfect sound for some voices.
Because mic selection makes such a difference on vocals, it's not uncommon for engineers to record the same vocalist with different mics depending on the song and vocal delivery.
The big, breathy sound of a large-diaphragm condenser may be perfect for a ballad, while the smaller, more focused sound of a vocal dynamic may better cut through a dense, up-tempo arrangement. When it comes time to choose a mic for a given vocalist or song, try every mic you've got; you may be surprised at which one sounds best.
While directional mics are most common for recording vocals, an omnidirectional mic can be very effective as well. An omni will exhibit no proximity effect, allowing you to place the mic much closer without bass buildup. An omni is also less prone to create popping noises, eliminating the need for a pop filter. The lack of proximity effect will also make for a more consistent sound if the vocalist changes distance from the mic. There will be a corresponding drop in level, but no significant change in tone. On mics with variable patterns, you can get good results from the intermediate patterns between cardioid and omni.
A good starting mic position for vocals is directly on-axis with the mouth, 6 to 12 inches away. You may get a softer sound by placing the mic a few inches to either side of the mouth.
Placement above or below the mouth can result in different vocal characters, which may be advantageous for certain voices. One popular off-axis mic placement is roughly 12 inches from the singer, at about forehead level, pointing down towards the mouth. Off-axis placement also has the advantage of reducing sibilance and popping.
Mic distance depends in large part on the room. A noisy or highly reverberant room (or one with poor-sounding acoustics) will require a closer mic placement, at which point proximity effect becomes a significant factor in the vocal sound. At six or eight inches away, certain directional mics generate enough bass boost to really muddy up a vocal sound. If your mic has a low-cut switch, it can clean up the bottom end of the vocal considerably. Such factors are taken into consideration when building a recording studio or musical hall.
Contractors with the experience in acoustics work tirelessly to make sure the sound is perfect from all parts of the room. Finding the right contractor for the job can be tricky. There are plenty of services like Home Advisor that offer a list of local contractors. The sound has to be just right or the whole project can be seen as a failure. With the Home Advisor review site, a contractor or construction company, can be chosen with confidence to get the job done right the first time around. Of course, Home Advisor aren't the ones using the microphones or other equipment after construction is complete. Its up to the musician or whomever to create that perfect musical sound.
Because most vocals are recorded at very close distances, even small shifts in mic or vocalist placement can make a dramatic difference in the sound. A shifty vocalist can make for punches or edits that are very obvious due to the change in level and/or vocal tone. When tracking vocals—especially with a directional mic—it's very important that mic distance and placement stay consistent throughout a session.
To this end, encourage the vocalist to make a mental note of his or her location. It may be helpful to have them frequently check the distance from their lips to the mic or pop filter with their fingers. As a last resort, place a line of tape on the floor where the vocalist can position his or her toes during recording. When miking from distances of a few feet or more, small changes in the vocalist's position are far less noticeable.
Sibilance is the bright burst of noise radiated by consonants such as "s," "t" and "f." With certain voices and mics, sibilance can be overpowering. One method for reducing sibilance with directional mics is to keep the mic directly in front of the mouth, while rotating it off-axis slightly. This reduces the high-frequency pickup of most mics and can eliminate problem sibilance. Ten or twenty degrees is usually enough to do the trick, depending on mic design and pickup pattern.
The most effective means of suppressing popping noises from plosives like "p" and "b" is the fabric pop filter. Stretched over a circular frame, the pop filter mounts to the mic stand or boom arm. Foam filters, whether inside the mic or placed directly over it, are rarely as effective or as acoustically transparent. If you're using a vocal mic with a built-in pop filter, try removing the grill and foam filter and placing the mic behind a fabric pop filter instead. You can easily make your own pop filter with a pair of pantyhose and a 6- or 8-inch embroidery hoop.
For the vocalist who insists on holding the microphone during recording, here's a trick for pacifying them while still getting a clean vocal track. Set up your vocal mic of choice at a safe distance from the vocalist. Attach any handheld mic to a second cable and give it to the vocalist. The singer can then belt their most inspired performance into the placebo mic, while you capture the take without compromise with the more distant mic. For more information, see The Home Studio Guide To Microphones
Most engineers' favorite vocal mics are large-diaphragm condensers that tend to capture a large, articulate vocal sound suitable for most types of music. But some small- and mid-sized diaphragms can achieve a similar vocal quality. And dynamic mics, though not usually a favorite for studio vocals, can deliver the perfect sound for some voices.
Because mic selection makes such a difference on vocals, it's not uncommon for engineers to record the same vocalist with different mics depending on the song and vocal delivery.
The big, breathy sound of a large-diaphragm condenser may be perfect for a ballad, while the smaller, more focused sound of a vocal dynamic may better cut through a dense, up-tempo arrangement. When it comes time to choose a mic for a given vocalist or song, try every mic you've got; you may be surprised at which one sounds best.
While directional mics are most common for recording vocals, an omnidirectional mic can be very effective as well. An omni will exhibit no proximity effect, allowing you to place the mic much closer without bass buildup. An omni is also less prone to create popping noises, eliminating the need for a pop filter. The lack of proximity effect will also make for a more consistent sound if the vocalist changes distance from the mic. There will be a corresponding drop in level, but no significant change in tone. On mics with variable patterns, you can get good results from the intermediate patterns between cardioid and omni.
A good starting mic position for vocals is directly on-axis with the mouth, 6 to 12 inches away. You may get a softer sound by placing the mic a few inches to either side of the mouth.
Placement above or below the mouth can result in different vocal characters, which may be advantageous for certain voices. One popular off-axis mic placement is roughly 12 inches from the singer, at about forehead level, pointing down towards the mouth. Off-axis placement also has the advantage of reducing sibilance and popping.
Mic distance depends in large part on the room. A noisy or highly reverberant room (or one with poor-sounding acoustics) will require a closer mic placement, at which point proximity effect becomes a significant factor in the vocal sound. At six or eight inches away, certain directional mics generate enough bass boost to really muddy up a vocal sound. If your mic has a low-cut switch, it can clean up the bottom end of the vocal considerably. Such factors are taken into consideration when building a recording studio or musical hall.
Contractors with the experience in acoustics work tirelessly to make sure the sound is perfect from all parts of the room. Finding the right contractor for the job can be tricky. There are plenty of services like Home Advisor that offer a list of local contractors. The sound has to be just right or the whole project can be seen as a failure. With the Home Advisor review site, a contractor or construction company, can be chosen with confidence to get the job done right the first time around. Of course, Home Advisor aren't the ones using the microphones or other equipment after construction is complete. Its up to the musician or whomever to create that perfect musical sound.
Because most vocals are recorded at very close distances, even small shifts in mic or vocalist placement can make a dramatic difference in the sound. A shifty vocalist can make for punches or edits that are very obvious due to the change in level and/or vocal tone. When tracking vocals—especially with a directional mic—it's very important that mic distance and placement stay consistent throughout a session.
To this end, encourage the vocalist to make a mental note of his or her location. It may be helpful to have them frequently check the distance from their lips to the mic or pop filter with their fingers. As a last resort, place a line of tape on the floor where the vocalist can position his or her toes during recording. When miking from distances of a few feet or more, small changes in the vocalist's position are far less noticeable.
Sibilance is the bright burst of noise radiated by consonants such as "s," "t" and "f." With certain voices and mics, sibilance can be overpowering. One method for reducing sibilance with directional mics is to keep the mic directly in front of the mouth, while rotating it off-axis slightly. This reduces the high-frequency pickup of most mics and can eliminate problem sibilance. Ten or twenty degrees is usually enough to do the trick, depending on mic design and pickup pattern.
The most effective means of suppressing popping noises from plosives like "p" and "b" is the fabric pop filter. Stretched over a circular frame, the pop filter mounts to the mic stand or boom arm. Foam filters, whether inside the mic or placed directly over it, are rarely as effective or as acoustically transparent. If you're using a vocal mic with a built-in pop filter, try removing the grill and foam filter and placing the mic behind a fabric pop filter instead. You can easily make your own pop filter with a pair of pantyhose and a 6- or 8-inch embroidery hoop.
For the vocalist who insists on holding the microphone during recording, here's a trick for pacifying them while still getting a clean vocal track. Set up your vocal mic of choice at a safe distance from the vocalist. Attach any handheld mic to a second cable and give it to the vocalist. The singer can then belt their most inspired performance into the placebo mic, while you capture the take without compromise with the more distant mic. For more information, see The Home Studio Guide To Microphones
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)