Mic Choices & Placement

Asking the right questions about your microphones before the talent arrives is what separates a great recording from a good one. When is it better to use a dynamic mic instead of a condenser? How do you place each mic and which is the best polar pattern for each application? You will find the answers to these questions and more as we progress through this course.

Videos

• Mic Choices & Placement (01:11) - The sound you record in a tracking session or overdub is directly affected by your mic choices and placement.

• Microphone Features (01:49) - Learn what mics need phantom power and explore the terms front address mic, side address mic, on-axis, and off-axis.

• Frequency Response (00:38) - What role does frequency response play in your mic choices? Learn about polar patterns and how they affect the quality of your tracks when recording.

• Directionality (02:48) - Every mic exhibits a directional response. Knowing the different patterns and how they affect your recording is key to getting a great result.

• Proximity Effect & More (01:02) - Different microphones exhibit different characteristics based on their polar pattern and design. No two mics sound the same.

• Voicing, Roll-off & Pad (01:33) - Some mics offer extra features that allow you to sculpt the sound, reduce the output gain, and change the sensitivity at different frequencies.

• Mono & Stereo Placement (04:55) - Time-tested mono and stereo mic placement techniques assure proper tonal balance, excellent stereo picture, and phase coherence.

• Boundary Mics & Others (01:23) - Specialty microphones include speakers rewired as mics, boundary microphones originally developed for sound reinforcement, and more.

• Summary (01:20) - A recap of some of the important concepts taught in the Mic Choices & Placement course.