Hope you’re doing marvellously nicely. I’m again at Spitfire London, dressed largely in black, and it’s time for an additional FAQ Friday. As at all times, I don’t see these questions prematurely, which suggests the solutions come straight from expertise relatively than rehearsal.
Why Do Totally different Microphones Have Totally different “Flavours”?
It is a deceptively huge query.
At a technical stage, microphones differ due to their frequency response, transient dealing with, capsule design, transformers, electronics, and the way they react dynamically to sound. If Paul Wolff had been standing subsequent to me, he may clarify this much better than I ever may from an electronics standpoint.
So as an alternative, I’ll reply it as somebody who’s been recording for a really very long time.
Engineers gravitate towards sure microphones in sure conditions as a result of they work, and since our ears are skilled by a long time of information we love.
Dynamic microphones, for example, are sometimes chosen once we need isolation. On a drum package, dynamics assist cut back bleed from different drums. On guitar amps, they deal with excessive sound strain ranges effortlessly and take abuse with out flinching.
That’s why one thing like a Shure SM57 has been used endlessly on snare drums and guitar amps. It has a mild presence raise round 3 to five kHz, which helps issues lower by way of a mixture. Put it on a snare or a guitar cab and it instantly feels like a document.
And that familiarity issues.
A 57 right into a Neve 1073, right into a Common Audio 1176 is a sound your ears already belief, since you’ve heard it on numerous information.
Ribbons, Condensers, and Understanding When to Break the Guidelines
None of those are guidelines, by the best way.
Ribbon microphones might be extraordinary on guitar amps and drum kits. A single ribbon over a package can sound phenomenal. Anybody who’s used a Coles 4038 as a mono overhead is aware of precisely what I imply. It’s unimaginable, particularly in vibrant rooms the place you need to tame cymbals with out losing a few pounds or depth.
That’s the place expertise is available in.
You stroll right into a studio, hearken to the room, and make choices instinctively. Possibly the room is vibrant, so that you select a darker ribbon. Possibly the guitar is painfully sharp, so that you mix a Royer Labs R-121 with a 57 to steadiness chunk with heat.
These are the alternatives we study by way of repetition.
Condenser microphones are sometimes described as “extra correct”, nonetheless each condenser has its personal character. Some are brighter, some darker, some smoother within the high finish.
For years, many feminine R&B vocalists gravitated towards AKG C12-style microphones due to their fuller low finish and open high. Personally, I really like Neumann 47-style microphones as a result of they aren’t overly vibrant, but they take EQ fantastically. You possibly can add air with out the vocal turning into aggressive or sibilant.
That’s why these designs are cloned time and again. They’ve earned their fame over a long time of real-world use.
The Two Microphones Each Engineer Trusts
I as soon as requested among the best engineers and producers on this planet, together with Ed Cherney, Hugh Padgham, and Steve Lillywhite, a easy query.
If you happen to may solely document a band with two microphones, which might you select?
Each single one stated the identical factor.
A 57 and a Neumann U87.
The purpose wasn’t model loyalty. It was versatility.
A U87 can go on vocals, piano, overheads, acoustic guitar, bass amp, electrical guitar, or percussion. It’s a utilitarian microphone in the very best sense.
I realized this firsthand early in my profession when Andy Jackson turned as much as a session with a pair of U87s. 4 microphones on the complete drum package, two overheads, a 57 on snare, and a D112 within the kick. That very same 87 later turned the vocal mic, the bass mic, and the acoustic guitar mic.
Fashionable Condensers and Sensible Options
We’re now in an important period for microphones.
There are excellent firms like Mojave, Roswell, and Lewitt making versatile, skilled condensers at extra accessible costs. Just lately, we’ve been testing Austrian Audio’s OC818, and it’s impressed everybody who’s used it, from vocals to drums to acoustic devices.
This isn’t about hype. It’s in regards to the actuality that a single high-quality condenser can clear up an unlimited variety of recording issues.
Mono piano mic, overheads, vocals, guitar, bass, room mic, it may well all be performed if the microphone is nicely designed.
The Most Widespread Avoidable Recording Mistake
The one greatest avoidable challenge in recording is lack of preparation.
Preparation appears totally different relying on the place you’re in your profession.
If you happen to’re working with an inexperienced band, preparation may imply in depth pre-production. If you happen to’re strolling right into a high-level session with world-class gamers, preparation means figuring out the room, the gear, and having all the pieces prepared earlier than the artist walks in.
Once I recorded with David Foster on a tune written by Diane Warren, I went to the studio days prematurely. I assessed the gear, rented what was lacking, tuned the drum package, positioned it in the very best a part of the room, and had all the pieces miked and prepared. When David arrived, we recorded instantly. No delays. No uncertainty.
On the opposite finish of the spectrum, I’ve had classes the place the air-con failed, consoles overheated, headphone sends vanished, and in some way the session nonetheless moved ahead as a result of momentum issues.
Expertise teaches you methods to survive each extremes.
The takeaway is straightforward. No matter stage you’re at, be trustworthy with your self and be prepared. If you happen to’re recording one thing unfamiliar, do your homework. Preparation is at all times the factor you’ll be able to management.
Low cost vs Costly P90 Pickups: What Are You Actually Paying For?
You typically get what you pay for, with diminishing returns.
A £25 pickup may sound good. It’d even sound nice in the fitting context. Nonetheless, cheaper pickups are sometimes noisier, much less nicely shielded, and constructed with extra available elements.
Dearer pickups normally provide higher shielding, tighter tolerances, increased high quality magnets, and consistency from unit to unit. They’re quieter, extra dependable, and infrequently final a lifetime.
That is no totally different from mastering.
You possibly can pay £25 for a grasp or £400 for a top-tier engineer. The dearer choice will not be 4 instances higher, nonetheless you’re paying for expertise, judgement, and the power to repair any drawback immediately.
It’s the identical with traditional gear clones. Some appear to be the unique. Some sound shut. The perfect use premium elements and final a long time. That’s what you’re paying for.
Assume Ferrari versus Jaguar F-Sort. Each are unimaginable. One prices extra as a result of it sits on the excessive finish of what’s doable.
Remaining Ideas
Totally different microphones sound totally different due to design, electronics, and historical past. We select them due to expertise, familiarity, and outcomes. The largest mistake you’ll be able to keep away from will not be being ready. And on the subject of gear, costly doesn’t at all times imply higher, however the very best nearly at all times prices extra.
Thanks a lot for watching and studying. Depart your questions under for future FAQ Fridays, and I’ll see you very quickly.
Have a marvellous time recording and mixing.
