Microphone choice and placement secrets for recording. You can explore many variations on the standard xy stereo mic technique by making the angle of the mics greater than 90 degrees. Grand piano recording studio microphone experiment mid side, xy. Back in the 1960s, spiderman and superman comic books from the usa had a middle section of pinkpaper advertisements for pretty unbelievable technical gadgets. Guidelines to a successful ambient recording of a full classical orchestra using ab stereo the overall aim when recording large orchestras using just a main stereo pair is to faithfully reproduce the instruments, the tonal balance of the orchestra, the directivity of instrument sections and the concert hall in which the orchestra is to be recorded. Zoom meetings will go better with these 6 tips to look. Wider angles can also be used, for a wider stereo image. It also looks prettier than xy in my book, if that counts for anything.
Spacedpair stereo miking involves placing two microphones at a distance in front of the instruments that you want to record and at a distance from one another. One of the confusing things about stereo microphone techniques is the extent of alternative nomenclature used for the various techniques. Grand piano recording studio microphone experiment mid side. Sep 20, 2012 lets get into some microphone placement techniques.
And it would take a lot of talent to mess up the 90 degree placement. Nov 16, 2010 eliminate micplacement guesswork with the shavering technique. In this series, we show you how to zero in on the best mic placement using the xy miking technique for recording acoustic guitar. Samson s mba28 microphone boom arm is the perfect microphone accessories for any radio, podcast or home studio setup. In xy the capsule are as close as you can get without touching at a 90 degree perpendicular placement.
The coincident placement of the two mic elements ensures good mono compatibility. Microphone selection, placement, and setup starleaf. One of the best methods for overhead miking is to use the xy configuration, which provides a good stereo image of the kit, without any phase problems. We take a practical look at the pros and cons of coincident and spaced stereo miking techniques. Assuming youre using a dynamic microphone such as a shure sm57, here are some general rules and guidelines to keep in. Using stereo overhead miking techniques to supplement a. In this configuration, a cardioid microphone can cover up to 1520 voices, arranged in a rectangular or wedgeshaped. A quick introduction to common mic placement techniques. Youll get tips on what type of mics to use, how far from the guitar to place the mics, and where to angle them for the best sound. When simply recording choirs, it is often nice to use an omnidirectional or cardioid microphone pattern.
It should be centered in front of the choir and aimed at the last row. The starleaf telepresence microphone 0155 effectively picks up participants of all volumes from a circle with radius 1. Point a large diaphragm condenser microphone at the bridge of the guitar, approximately 12 inches from the guitar. The same combination can be placed inside the ensemble, while the central microphone may be directed in a direction opposite the other two. The final topics of discussion in this introductory studio basics is are extremely important ones.
Xy, also known as a coincident pair, is a popular method of stereo miking. So lets dive into the three most common stereo techniques for recording acoustic guitar. Mic it microphones, microphone techniques, and their. Microphones, microphone techniques, and their impact on the final mix. Sep 11, 2014 stereo microphone techniques spaced pair or non coincident pair ab the spaced pair technique is commonly used in drum overhead microphone placement time should be given to correct placement as this is the most critical part of your overall drum sound always check the phase of the microphones and mono compatibility i.
Mic placement outdoors is a lot more difficult because you have nothing to hang microphones from to get enough distance over the crowd. Posted on october 31, 2012 by admin under how to mic pianos. Xy and ms microphone techniques can be considered theoretically equivalent, that is, both signal formats can be transformed into each other, assuming ideal microphone characteristics. This is a very popular way to record acoustic guitars, among other acoustic instruments. Microphone selection and placement universal audio. There are several classes of microphone placement for recording and amplification.
Xy stereo tends to pick up less of the room than the previously described techniques, and so can be useful in smaller rooms, or for discriminating against audience pickup in live concert performances. Microphone technique is largely a matter of personal taste. Join renowned audio engineer bobby owsinski as he walks through the process of miking and tracking a complete song by underground sun recording artist iyeoka and alist session musicians in a topoftheline studioin a way that is applicable to any recording space and. The risk can be mitigated somewhat by keeping the two microphone capsules equidistant from the center of the snare drum but even then, the mic placement should be auditioned in mono to reveal possible problems with the kick, toms, or cymbals. For these examples, well look at a few common sources that benefit from the use of condenser microphones.
The rode nt4 stereo condenser mic actually has its capsules set up like this permanently. This book tries not only to preserve for history the techniques and methods of the recording. Spaced pair stereo microphone considerations dummies. In close miking, a microphone is placed relatively close to an instrument or sound source, within three to twelve inches, producing a dry or nonreverberant sound. Xy coincident stereo miking consists of using two microphones that are placed right next to each other so that the diaphragms are as close together as possible without touching one another. Popular microphone techniques for vocals, guitars and drums. The 3to1 rule is another guide for microphone placement. This one is extremely simple to set up just position two cardioid mics usually smalldiaphragm condensers at right angles, aligning the front of the capsules, and youre good to go.
Correct microphone positioning is one of the most important ways to enhance recognition accuracy. The zoom q2n gives you a fast and easy way to create hd videos with highimpact audio. How to record heavy drums xy overhead technique a basic instructional video on how to mic your overheads with the xy technique. How to mic a symphony orchestra with ab stereo recording. To set this up, youll need two preferably identical microphones with cardioid polar patterns placed as close together as possible, but with their capsules at a 90. In this configuration, a cardioid microphone can cover up to 1520 voices, arranged in a rectangular or wedgeshaped section. Secrets of mic placement quickly finding the optimum position for a mic is perhaps the single most useful talent an engineer can have.
This article breaks down mic placement to the individual drum pieces. Jun 23, 2011 because the microphones are far apart, ab arrays are susceptible to comb filtering. Close miking is when you use your microphone, you guessed it, close to the instrument. Place the microphone element to the side of your mouth to avoid noise from breathing. The blumlein stereo microphone technique is named after alan dower blumlein, who patented this approach in 1931. While xy recording requires a matched pair of microphones to create a consistent image, ms recording often uses two completely different mics, or uses similar microphones set to different pickup patterns. Using a simple stereo bar, its easy to get an xy pair going with a single mic stand. A pair of dpa 2011c small disphragm cardioid condenser mikes arranged as an xy stereo pair figure 2. Experiment with distances and microphone placement. Professional studio condenser microphone computer pc microphone kit with 3. The rode ixy is the ultimate recording microphone for iphone or ipad.
The mba38 provides 38 of horizontalvertical arm reach and gives users flexibility to achieve optimal microphone placement. Im a big fan of ortf for more intricate ambience recordings although, as nathan said, it can be a bit distracting. The mid microphone is set up facing the center of the sound source. You will also need two identical mic preamps, with identical gain and other settings dialed up on each. My favorite single point microphone is the sanken css5. Theres a lot of info and some great books out there on the subject, so definitely do so some research. The middle side technique is definitely the most complicated but it has its benefits. How to mic a piano a simple guide to microphone placement. Xy micing is a coincident stereo micing technique that relies on directionality of audio source over time arrival differences, since the capsules are so close together. Once here was a very good experience of brass quintet recording with a microphone three xy, when the musicians were placed around it. In part one of this series i discussed placement of microphones. The gain setting in the dsp input block defines the amount of analog preamp gain or input gain which is applied to the mic input channel. Point one of the microphones toward the soundhole of the acoustic guitar, and another toward the neckbody join. The musicians cheat sheet for stereo micing patterns.
The samson mba38 microphone boom arm is a highlyadjustable microphone desktop stand perfect for any radio, podcast, broadcast, or streaming setup. Tascam tm2x stereo plugin microphone has many useful and convenient functions for high quality recording straight to your dslr camera. These placement tips can help you get started but there are multiple ways to mike any instrument, and the mics you select will affect the optimal placement for a given application. Mar 06, 2015 grand piano recording studio microphone experiment mid side, xy, mono, pairs, hear them all. Make sure the side mic is set to the figure of 8 polar pattern, and that it is placed so that the lobes of the pattern are facing either side of the sound source with what is normally the front side of the mic facing to the right. Even slight variations can deteriorate accuracy significantly. For now, though, im just going to keep this on a basic level. Dimensions of the starleaf telepresence microphone 0155. Home recording for musicians for dummies, 4th edition add to cart.
While you should always experiment with placement and mic choice, generally speaking you will want to use a pair of unidirectional condenser mics placed close to the instrument approximately 6 to 12 inches away. Mic placement outdoors is a lot more difficult because you have nothing. Another popular method is using an xy microphone placement with two smalldiaphragm condenser microphones. It is intended to prevent destructive combfiltering from occurring. Midside or ms microphone is a stereo recording technique that presents an alternative to the typical matched pair microphone recordings. Learning how to use the gear you own is essential, so lets dig into some of the most commonly used mic placement techniques for vocals, acoustic guitars and drums.
Mar 16, 20 each microphone setup produces different results and will suit the style of different types of genres, for example jazz drums will typically only use three, two or even one mic setup, as a jazz drumkit is often just a stripped down version of a standard kit setup therefore less mics are required to capture the natural sound of the kit. With up to 24bit96k recording and onboard highfidelity ad conversion, your ixy recordings are rich, smooth and accurate. Best book on mic placement looking for a really good book with pics about mic placement on many sources. Xy stereo miking made easy uncategorized harmony central. Note the stereo bar and single mic stand as shown in the images above, a stereo bar is commonly used to help facilitate the placement of the two microphones. A quick introduction to common mic placement techniques june 27, 2017 by soundfly team 0 this article is courtesy of soundflys free course series any sound will do, which features essential tips and strategies on creating music from found sounds and sampled sources by youtube star andrew huang and ableton certified trainer brian jackson. If your recording involves multiple instruments, you may want to record the guitar in mono, using a single mic. Discover the industry secrets to recording crisp, rich instrument tracks and vocals in any type of recording environment.
Xy stereo miking is the most common type of stereo microphone setup and the one that youll likely use if you do stereo miking. There exist a number of welldeveloped microphone techniques used for recording musical. This technique uses only amplitude, not time, to create the image, so the chance of phase discrepancies is unlikely. Jun 27, 2017 a quick introduction to common mic placement techniques june 27, 2017 by soundfly team 0 this article is courtesy of soundflys free course series any sound will do, which features essential tips and strategies on creating music from found sounds and sampled sources by youtube star andrew huang and ableton certified trainer brian jackson. Record each mic to its own track, balance levels as desired, and pan opposite each other to taste.
Blumlein stereo miking involves placing two figure8 microphones at right angles to one another with the diaphragms as close together as possible. When using two microphones for a stereo array, distance is also an important factor with regards to amplitude. How to record heavy drums xy overhead technique youtube. Acousticsmicrophone technique wikibooks, open books for an. Place the two mics around a foot from the acoustic guitar or other sound source.
Ortf is not only at a 110120 degree angle but the microphones themselves are 17cm apart. Youre probably miking drums wrong, and how to fix it. Once you get the hang of it you wont ever like going back to doing just simple stereo techniques like xy. Eliminate micplacement guesswork with the shavering technique. This placement is almost as easy and straightforward as xy, but with a wider spread and greater depth. When recording in stereo, a common approach is to arrange two matched microphones in the socalled xy configuration. Place two smalldiaphragm condenser microphones on an xy stereomicrophone holder bar. Home recording for musicians for dummies, 4th edition.
Midside mic technique explained stereo recording 101. It describes the output voltage of the microphone in response to sound. Microphone placement on macbook pro 15 macrumors forums. This clip holds two neumann km184 microphones in an 90 degree xy micing formation. He has written more than articles and six books on recording and. Next to microphone placement and distance considerations, the type of microphone you choose for miking the choir can be the most important decision you make. Thats audio engineering for you, creating some great sounds with careful placement and ingenious mic techniques. This allows for a greater spread than the xy technique while still yielding a fairly monocompatible signal. Its all about clothing, lighting, camera placement and looking the webcam in the eye, says author larry becker of the book great on camera.
After three hardware repairs and a newly confirmed issue with my current macbook pro 15 late 2008, apple is replacing my computer with a brand new macbook pro 15 late 2011 and also upgrading me to the antiglare display at no extra cost. For less than what most manufacturers charge for a single cardioid condenser microphone, the nt4 is capable of capturing clean, bright sound, whether its music or backgroundsambience for film. Microphones, microphone techniques, and their impact on the final mix corbett, ian on. A good starting point is to aim the mic at the point where the neck meets the body. Mic placement has arguably the largest impact on your recorded guitar sound. Nos belgium radio technique is 90 degrees pattern but spread apart 30cm. There are two broad systems of stereophonic recording techniques used to attain these objectives. With the release of the im2x ipod touch, iphone and ipad stereo microphone, tascam has once again introduced another musthave essential to your ios accessory collection. X y stereo miking is the most common type of stereo microphone setup and the one that youll likely use if you do stereo miking. To do this place a matched pair of microphones at a 90 degree angle about 3 feet above the kit, with the diaphragms almost touching.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that some sources use the term ab also written as ab to refer to this category and typically refer to the coincident category as x y also written as xy. X y coincident stereo miking consists of using two microphones that are placed right next to each other so that the diaphragms are as close together as possible without touching one another. Quickly finding the optimum position for a mic is perhaps the single most useful talent an engineer can have. You should always trust your ears and begin by listening to how the instrument sounds, find the sweet spot, and begin your microphone placement there. This x y stereo microphone records pristine sound that fits naturally with the recorded video plus it easily mounts and connects to your dslr camera. Close miking, or spot miking, distant miking and finally ambient miking. For one microphone picking up a typical choir, the suggested placement is a few feet in front of, and a few feet above, the heads of the first row. Example of xy stereo miking technique using shure a27m. The easiest way to set these patterns up quickly is to have some poster board with a pattern drawn out. This coincident pair microphone setup is especially useful when time is short and space is limited.
Professional microphone techniques mix pro audio david mileshuber, philip williams on. The capsules are spaced about 17cm, or just over 6. The microphone ill be speaking to in these examples is the warm audio wa87. Proximity effect as you move a microphone closer to the source, bass frequencies increase as distance. Five techniques for stereo miking drums shure blog. The two microphones are mounted on separate stands, one above the other. Jan 10, 2018 in the event you have neither type of microphone, just make sure that the mics that you use are identical models and dont forget to engage the lowfrequency rolloff switch if the mic has one. The middle mic will usually be in a cardioid pattern. X y stereo miking is the most common type of stereo microphone setup. In an ideal world, wed always be able to record drums in a greatsounding room one of a decent size that, with just a little knowledge of mic technique, makes it almost effortless to capture the sound of a live drum kit, enhanced with nice room ambience. Xy stereo mic technique requires a pair of closely matched cardioid condenser microphones, or a suitable xy stereo microphone. Stereo miking techniques for acoustic guitar universal audio. Aes elibrary xy and ms microphone techniques in comparison.
Position the microphones so that each one is at a 45degree angle, pointed down at the drum kit, approximately 7 or 8 feet above the floor or drum riser. Overhead mic placement left to right you could start by simply centering the overhead mics over the drum kit using an xy or ortf pair note. And the 160degree wideangle lens excels in an array of lighting conditionswhether youre filming at home, in. In an ortf pair, its the backside of the microphones that are near touching, rather than the frontside. Some of these microphone placement suggestions can be used in live applications, as well as for studio recording. Its a classic nashville recording technique, although its popular all over. Popular microphone techniques for vocals, guitars and. Now that you have narrowed down the selection, and your microphone is ready for action, consider the following. If youre like most engineers, then the xy technique is probably the first stereo miking technique you learned.
As a general disclaimer, every instrument, musician, and room is different. This rule states that if you measure the distance from the sound source e. The articulating design of the mba28 provides a maximum horizontalvertical arm reach of 28, giving users convenient flexibility with their mic placement. In the xy techniques, the microphones would ideally be in exactly the same place, which is not possible if they. Microphone sensitivity is a physical characteristic of a microphone.