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- What kind of microphones do you use and how to you determine which ones to use?

 

Microphones are a critical element in the overall recording chain.  As I have mentioned before, a good end result from your recording project consists of many different elements.

 Recap:

(Good Performer)x(Good Performance)x(Good Recording Chain)x(Good Room Acoustics)x(Good Monitoring) = Good Result

 

The microphone directly falls in the Good Recording Chain category.  With a good preamp (which also fits into the Good Recording Chain category) and a good quality microphone that fits the performer (male? Female?) and performance (i.e., tired vocalist?, shows passion?, good mic technique?, good singing technique, etc), the chances for an outstanding end result are increased.

 

 

 As a result, it’s important for the studio to understand which microphones are best for any particular performer, performance, and room that it will be recorded in.  However, the bottom line is a good sense of how to mix the science (acoustics theory) and art (subjective gut feel for what sounds good).

 

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Summary of Options:

 

 Vocals: Mojave Audio MA-200, Shure SM7b, Neumann TLM103, Shure SM57, Sennheiser MD421, Rode NT-1a

 

Kick Drum:  Shure Beta52, AKG D112, SM7b

 

Snare: Shure SM57 (top and bottom)

 

Toms: Sennheiser MD421, AKG D112, SM57

 

Drum Overheads:  Rode NT-5s, Rode NT-1as

 

Bass Guitar Cabinet:  AKG D112, Shure Beta52, Sennheiser MD421

 

Electric Guitar Cabinet: SM57, Sennheiser MD421, Shure SM7b

 

Fiddle: Neumann TLM103, Rode NT-1a, Sennheiser MD421

 

Mandolin: Neumann TLM103, Mojave Audio MA-200, Rode NT-1a, Sennheiser MD421, Rode NT-5’s

 

Acoustic Guitar:  Rode NT-5’s (stereo X-Y pattern), Shure SM7b

 

Harmonica: Shure SM7b, Sennheiser MD421, Shure SM57 

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Microphones come in many different flavors to meet all the studio needs.  I won’t go into all the gory technical details on the differences between a small diaphragm condenser versus a large diaphragm dynamic versus a large diaphragm condenser microphone.  I’ll attempt to summarize the features of some of my critical microphones in my cabinet.
 

Shure SM7b:  The workhorse in the studio.  This is a large diaphragm dynamic microphone popular in many studios, including those in Nashville and Los Angeles.  Most bands today will use the SM7b for their vocals.  It’s especially good for loud or harsh vocals.  The SM7b can also be used to record the kick drum or bass amp. 
 

Shure SM57:  Another legendary workhorse in the studio.  If you had one microphone, and only one microphone, in the studio, this is the one to have. It can practically do anything from vocals to drums to loud guitar amps, especially with a high quality preamp. 

Sennheiser MD-421:  This is another legendary microphone in the studio.  Studios use this microphone to capture floor toms or for vocals.  This is another microphone that is hard to live without.  It’s also great for brass instruments. This is highly regarded by the pros for toms, strong vocalists, woodwinds, and guitar amps.
 

Royer Mojave Audio MA-200:  This is an outstanding, high-quality condenser microphone for the most professional and discerning vocal performances.  This is another versatile condenser microphone that can be used for vocals, acoustic instruments, piano, fiddle, mandolin, overhead drums, orchestral recording, gospel recording, and commercial voice-overs.
 

Neumann TLM-103:  This is another outstanding, high-quality condenser along the lines of the Mojave Audio MA-200.  This microphone can also be used for high-quality vocal performances or on a variety of instruments in the studio.
 

Rode NT-1a:  This is a great all-around large condenser microphone. The NT-1 is a high performance professional recording microphone.  This microphone is especially good at capturing vocals or as a room mic (i.e., capturing all the drums at once in addition to separate drum mics).   But we need to be careful.  This is a very, very sensitive microphone.  It picks up everything.  Even the smallest of burps!
 

 Rode NT-5: This is a great pair of small diaphragm condensers great for stereo recording. The NT-5’s are almost always used in pairs to provide a natural stereo recording, typically using the X-Y technique. We typically use these on the drum overheads or on acoustic guitar.
 

AKG D112:  This microphone is designed to capture a clean kick drum or bass guitar performance with a powerful, punchy sound.  This gets a lot of use in the studio.
 

Shure Beta52:  This is another studio standard microphone designed to capture a clean kick drum or bass guitar performance with a powerful, punchy sound. 

NOTE: We usually this both the AKG D112 and Shure 52 at the same time on the kick drum; one on the front in the hole (if there is a hole) to capture the boominess of the kick drum and the other on the kick pedal side to capture the attack of the kick drum.

 These are just some of the weapons we have in our studio arsenal.