I have always been a guitarist, but I do record vocals (I only use the mic for vocals, everything else is digital). I've noticed that people have multiple microphones. Is this for mic'ing drums, acoustic guitar, etc? Or do people use different microphones for different songs (recording), or maybe even for different parts in a song?
multiple microphones?
- Thread starter jl-austin
- Start date
Different mics for different purposes and yes like you said for drums (multiple mics for that!) and different ones for acoustic instruments at times. You can use an SM57 on a lot different things but sometimes a ribbon mic might be preferred on a guitar cab for example. Or a 57 and a ribbon mic, or an SM7B... Lots of different usage and tonal capabilities.
Drew
Forum MVP
I mean, this is such a huge question.
But... like, you know how your amp has different channels, or different presets? And how some of them sound better for some things, than for others? Or how you might have one guitar you like for certain things, but another for something else?
Mics are the same way. There's a bunch of different types of brands - condensers, dynamics, ribbons - and different "styles" within those types (large vs small diaphram condensers, for example), and then different brands, and different models, and they all respond different, are voiced different, and handle different things better than others.
So, while in a pinch you can get by with one or two "versatile" mics that are good for a lot, or one or two very specialized mics if that's mostly what you're going to use them for... but if you're looking to record beyond more than just a hobbyist/bedroom level, you're probably going to need a small collection of mics.
In a pinch, as a home hobbyist doing mostly guitar, I'd say grab one, ideally two, SM57s. They sound great on electric guitars, pretty good on a LOT of other things, and while I prefer to use something other than a SM57 as a "support" mic to supplement a first SM57, a pair of SM57s on a cab (once you get the hang of phase alignment, etc) can sound awfully good, too.
But, I've build a sliiiiightly bigger collection than that, over the years.
I have been using a Shure Beta 58a for over 10 years. My vocals have never been "clear". They have always kind of had a "live sound" to them, which I thought was kind of cool, because my music was never clear. This is all obvious because it's a stage mic.
I recently bought a Lewitt 240 (condenser) mostly because it was on sale at Black Friday. I immediately noticed more clarity, but also more room resonance (boomy, which I can mostly EQ out). After so many years of recording with the beta 58 I'm having a hard time adjusting to it.
I really like the super cardioid microphones (because it seems that the environment I record in doesn't matter as much). However, there are only a few super cardioid budget condenser mics available. Even the AKG C214 is cardioid (which is at the max of what I am willing to spend on a mic).
I recently bought a Lewitt 240 (condenser) mostly because it was on sale at Black Friday. I immediately noticed more clarity, but also more room resonance (boomy, which I can mostly EQ out). After so many years of recording with the beta 58 I'm having a hard time adjusting to it.
I really like the super cardioid microphones (because it seems that the environment I record in doesn't matter as much). However, there are only a few super cardioid budget condenser mics available. Even the AKG C214 is cardioid (which is at the max of what I am willing to spend on a mic).
Drew
Forum MVP
Yeah, there's a good technical reason for that:
What Is A Supercardioid Microphone? (Polar Pattern + Mic Examples) | My New Microphone
The supercardioid is an often misunderstood relative of the well-known cardioid microphone polar pattern. Understanding the supercardioid pattern and when to use it will benefit…
mynewmicrophone.com
Other than switching mics, you have a few other options:
1) Experiment with the position in the room you record in. This actually has the potential to be massively impactful; generally, singing facing out into as much space as you can should somewhat limit the amount of reflection you're getting, but in an odd shaped room, trial and error and taking good notes might be your best bet. But, trying to get the back of the mic as far as reasonably possible from reflective surfaces should help here.
2) Room treatment. Even not fancy stuff - closing curtains can help a little with high frequency flutter, or like hanging a blanket behind the mic. More expensive options here would be some of thos reflection filters designed to go on the mic stand behind the mic, but for little/no money I'm sure you can find ways to block reflections from behind the mic.
3) try a whole new room. See if you can find a room where you LIKE the natural reflections and "room sound," and see if you can record there. Room resonance, if it's musical, can actually be awesome. I remember in college a few guys on my hall an I would often jam on acoustics in the men's bathroom, because the tile walls gave it a killer decay.
EDIT - but, yes, that's a good, valid, technical reason why studios have a selection of mics - pickup pattern is something that can be useful in controlling how a particular instrument is captured to disk or tape, and how much of the room sound vs the instrument sound makes it to the final recording.
