Left: For decades, engineers have used Shure’s SM57 dynamic mic for capturing
electric-guitar sounds onstage and in the studio. Middle: The Mojave
Audio MA-200 is one of the many excellent condenser mics on the market.
Right: The Royer R-121 launched a new wave of ribbon-mic design. |
Choosing the right microphone
for capturing your guitar
sound in the studio is an important
part of crafting your recorded tone.
But, with literally hundreds of
microphones on the market, how
can you possibly decide which is
the “right” one? The first step is to
understand how different types of
mics work. Let’s begin by looking
at the three main types of microphones:
dynamics, condensers, and
ribbons.
Dynamic microphones operate
exactly like a speaker in reverse
(in fact, you can actually hook up
a raw speaker to a microphone
preamp and use it to capture
sound). Sound waves strike and
move a dynamic microphone’s
diaphragm—a very thin sheet of
mylar—which is connected to a
coil of wire and wrapped around
a magnet. The coil moves back
and forth around the magnet as
the diaphragm moves, creating
an electrical current in the wire.
This very small electrical signal is
sent to a microphone preamp or
mixer input, where it is amplified
to a level where other electrical
components (equalizers, compressors,
etc.) can deal with it.
Dynamics are the standard for live
vocals, and they are commonly
used to mic electric-guitar amps,
drums, and brass in the studio
and onstage. Popular dynamic
microphones used for guitar amps
include the ubiquitous Shure
SM57, Sennheiser MD-421 and
e609, and Audix i5.
Condenser microphones operate
using the principle of capacitance
(“condenser” is another word
for “capacitor”). They use a thin
Mylar diaphragm covered with a
very thin coating of metal, and this
acts as one plate of the capacitor.
The diaphragm moves in relation
to a fixed backplate (which forms
the other plate of the capacitor),
creating a change in capacitance
that results in a tiny electrical
charge. Because this signal is so
small, condenser mics contain
internal electronics for raising the
level enough that it can be sent
to a microphone preamp or mixer
input. Condensers are most often
used in the studio for mic’ing pianos,
strings, acoustic guitars, and
vocals, and they’re also favored as
room mics and drum overheads.
There are literally hundreds of
modern condenser microphones,
but some popular models include
the Mojave Audio MA-200, Shure
KSM 44, and any number of models
from Audio-Technica, Blue,
Neumann, and Røde.
Ribbon microphones work in
a somewhat similar fashion to a
dynamic mic, though the design is
different. Instead of a diaphragm
connected to a coil of wire (as in
a dynamic mic), a ribbon mic uses
a long, thin strip of lightweight
metal suspended in a magnetic
field. Sound waves cause the ribbon
to move in the field, creating
a tiny electrical signal. This signal
is routed to a mic preamp or mixer
input. In the studio, ribbons are
used on acoustic instruments,
vocals, brass, and guitar amps,
and as drum overheads and distant
mics. Examples of modern
ribbon mics that work well for
recording guitar amps include the
Royer R-121, AEA R84 and R92,
Audio-Technica AT4081, and
Beyerdynamic M 160 and M 130.
In the past, ribbon mics were pretty
much reserved for the studio,
but some new models—such as
the Royer R-121 Live and R-122
Live—are intended for the rigors
of live stage use.
That’s it for this time around.
Next issue, we’ll delve more
deeply into the mysteries of the
world of microphones and look
at how different microphones can
help you refine and tailor your
recorded tone.
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. He has played guitar
for more than 30 years, and his upcoming
book is entitled
Guitar Tone: Pursuing the
Ultimate Electric Guitar Sound. To learn
more, visit
mitchgallagher.com.