OK
welcome to a new decade, This month there is a profile of the most sought
after mic ever the AKG C12. A brand new session from local rockers Velvet
Star and the first look at our modified Pre-73
Choosing
which microphone to buy is a tough decision as we are all to
some extent limited by budget. Did you choose your studio microphones
really because you liked the sound or was it because someone
told you they were the best one to use? Is it because of a glowing
review in Sound on Sound or is it simply because its the best
thing you can afford? After the thorny financial qestion there
are two different criteria to consider when choosing your studio
microphones.
If you are trying to create a particular sound then you might
choose a microphone that is specifically tailored for that job
and most large diaphragm condenser microphones have deliberately
tailored frequencies that give the mic a particular "character".
Much is made of the deliberate smooth sound of valve mics or
the presence peak of certain vocal mics.
However if you want to capture a performance, then you will
want to choose a microphone that will capture that sound without
adding or subtracting anything (or at least as little as possible).
Most studio microphones are designed within a price range and
the non-linearities in a microphone's design can distort and
change the sound they receive. At the top end companies like
Sennheiser and Neumann have spent years and huge sums in development
to minimise these distortions and to come as close as modern
technology will allow to create the most accurate and tranparent
microphones available. Obviously there are going to be differences
in quality between these mics and the latest budget Chinese
copy but most people out there will be happy to make their recordings
with the cheaper mics as buying a Soundfield
or a pair of Sennheiser
MK30s is out of the hobbyists price range. Nevertheless,
the microphone is the most important part of the recording and
reproduction process and choosing which microphone to use on
a particular job is a key part of the recording. It is the very
first link in the chain, that vital part that changes acoustic
energy into electrical energy and what is lost here can never
be regained later. If this link in the chain is not right, it
will degrade forever all that follows.
Studio
microphones
The secret is to understand the recording chain and all the
elements have to be in place to get it right. If you have good
performers with tuned instruments (and that includes the voice)
and they are in a nice sounding space then with a little experimentation
of mic position you can get a good recording from almost any
microphone. There have been a number of listening tests where
the listeners weren’t told which mic they were listening
to and dependent on the room and position, people often preferred
the sound of a £70 Shure to a £1500 Neumann. It
really is down to confidence and experience. Have a listen to
the drum sounds on some of the great 60s albums like Sgt Pepper
and you can't really hear the kick or the toms but the recordings
sound fantastic. Even better check out Bebop a Lula by Gene
Vincent and hear what can be done with a couple of old ribbon
mics and a mono tape recorder. Stunning!
So,when choosing syour studio microphones don’t get bogged
down with the idea that you can't record decent music without
spending thousands of pounds on the latest must have
gear. Use what you’ve got and experiment with different
mic positions and more importantly different rooms. The best
advice is to go down to your local club and start recording
the bands, Then you'll realise why every live venue has a box
full of SM57s and 58s.
When it comes to choosing studio microphones there is no substitute
for experience. Try any decent microhone and experiment. Try
different mics in different positions to see which one works
best on that particular day.
