A modern take on classic
ribbon-mic design, the Audio
Engineering Associates
R84 has a figure-8 polar pattern,
which captures sound
from both the front and rear
of the capsule. |
We’re nearing the conclusion
of our quest to find
the right microphone for capturing
different types of tones.
In previous installments, we’ve
looked at the different types of
microphones, checked out the
various microphone features
and characteristics, and learned
how to objectively compare
microphones. (Read them at
premierguitar.com.) This time
around, let’s get down to the
crux of the biscuit—choosing
the right mic.
It all begins with where we
left off last month: Knowing
what our microphones sound
like. This crucial information
allows you to get a good jump
on matching the mic to your
amp and speaker.
For instance, imagine you
have a dark-sounding guitar/
amp/speaker combination. It’s
probably no surprise, but if you
want to bring out the top end
and the detail in your tone,
then the idea would be to start
with a brighter microphone.
Though that’s a very simplistic
example, the concept is valid.
Taking a step back, you should
be dialing in the sound you
want in the room. In other
words, your tone quest begins
with setting up your guitar,
amp, and effects so that what
you hear when you’re playing in
the room sounds right.
From there, you can start
making your mic selection
based on what you know about
your microphones, the guitar
tone you’re capturing, and the
sound you ultimately want to
have in your recording.
If you want a bright, full-range
sound with a clear top end
and a detailed, extended bottom
end, you might reach for a condenser
mic. Look for one with
a wide frequency response that
doesn’t roll off on the top or the
bottom. Many condensers have
a response from 20 Hz to 20
kHz, which is way wider than
the electric guitar can produce.
But we also want that response
to be fairly flat, with no peaks
or dips in the bass, midrange, or
treble frequencies.
For a round, warm tone,
a ribbon microphone like the
Royer R-121 or the AEA R84
will roll off some of the fizziness
on top, while capturing natural-sounding
midrange with a controlled
bottom end.
For punch and presence, a
dynamic mic with an upper-midrange
peak (the classic
example is the Shure SM57)
will roll off some extreme top
end, while contributing articulate
midrange that jumps out
of the speaker. A great dynamic
also provides a controlled bottom
end.
If you look at the frequency-response
graph for your microphone,
as well as its frequency-response
spec, you’ll see why
we worked so hard to gain this
knowledge about mics and how
they function. If you have a
ribbon mic with a frequency
response from 60 Hz to 12
kHz, but the graph shows there
is a roll-off on the bottom or
top ends, you know what to
expect when you use this mic
on an amp—the low end is
going to be reduced, which can
help if there’s too much bottom
from the amp. The top end
will be smooth and somewhat
dark, which is great if your amp
is too bright or harsh up top
when you close-mic it.
Remember, as much as we
wish they would, microphones
don’t “hear” quite the same way
our ears do. For one thing, the
mic is typically right up on the
speaker—very few of us listen
to guitar amps that way. Most
of us put our amps and speakers
on the floor, blowing past our
knees—we have no clue what
our amps really sound like. For
another, the sound you hear in
the room may be truly spectacular,
but it may not be exactly
perfect when it’s heard through
a set of studio monitors along
with other instrument and vocal
tracks in a mix.
So the key is to select a
microphone that will enhance
the sound and capture it with
the character it needs, yet will
also allow it to fit properly in
the final mix. With what you
know from learning about the
particular mics you own (or the
mics you are thinking about
buying), you can work through
options the way we just did to
get a good idea of what the mic
will do for you.
Keep in mind you don’t have
to use just one mic. Sometimes
a better solution is to use two—
or even three—mics of different
types, with each contributing
a certain quality to the final
sound. If you record each mic
to its own track, then you can
balance them in the final mix
for exactly the tone you want.
At this point, though, we
still have some work to do.
Choosing the mic or mics to
use is a big component of your
recorded tone, but it’s also really
just the beginning. Once you
have your mic, you’ve got to
place it properly to get the ideal
sound. (Check out my Guitar
Tracks column in the December
2010 issue for one approach
to placing a microphone on a
guitar speaker.) Once you’ve
positioned the mic, you have
to choose the right preamp and
other processing gear, and then
get the recording made. This
may sound daunting, but fear
not, we’ll begin exploring these
topics in the next issue!
Mitch Gallagher is
the former editor in chief of
EQ magazine. He’s written
more than 1000 articles
and six books on recording
and music technology, and
has released an instructional
DVD on mastering. His upcoming book is
entitled
Guitar Tone: Pursuing the Ultimate
Electric Guitar Sound. To learn more, visit
mitchgallagher.com.