Finding the Right Microphone - Essential Recording Gear For Composers, Part 1
Whether it's recording albums (or just demos), to creating mockups of instrumental works - it's pretty much mandatory for composers to have a functioning home recording studio.
If you're just starting out, all of this may seem overwhelming - after all, you just wanted to write music. So today I'm starting a two-part series where we're breaking down everything essential you'll need to get started.
I'm going to structure this by signal flow - that is the process that a sound takes from its place in the real world to its place in the recording software.
Finding the Right Microphone
This first post will explore the different types of microphones you'll need.
Types of Microphones
The first stop in the signal flow chain is the Sound Source - an instrument (either acoustic or electric) or a vocal. You've got your voice already on your person, and It would be beyond the scope of this post to recommend all of the instruments you might want (although, if you just have one instrument - this keyboard is a pretty good choice)...We'll just start with capturing that sound source.
There are three different types of microphone: Dynamic, Condenser, and Ribbon. Each has its own special powers and works its magic in different situations. The difference between them has a lot to do with physics. I'll do my best to simplify it.
Dynamic Microphones
Let's start with dynamic microphones - the workhorses of the recording world. Dynamic mics work by using a diaphragm (a thin piece of material) attached to a coil of wire that moves inside a magnetic field. When sound waves hit the diaphragm, it moves, and that motion generates an electrical signal. They're great for handling high sound pressure levels, making them perfect for loud instruments like drums and guitar amps. Also, pretty much everything in a live setting.
The Shure SM57 and the Shure SM58 are the industry standard for dynamic mics. Cheap, durable, every recording studio has a collection of them. If you only have one microphone, it should be one of these two.
Condenser Microphones
Condenser microphones are a bit more delicate. They use two charged plates to capture sound. When sound waves hit one of the plates, it causes the distance between the plates to change, and that creates an electrical signal. They are usually split into two categories: Small-diaphragm, and large-diaphragm...I'll let you figure out the difference. They are very good at capturing every nuance of your performance. They're fantastic for vocals, acoustic instruments, and capturing the subtleties of a delicate piano or acoustic guitar.
A great budget condenser microphone is the Blue Spark (update: The Spark has been replaced by the Blackout Spark). It's a great all around condenser with a nice warm tone, but particularly good at vocals (whether spoken or sung). It's also great at handling acoustic instruments - guitar, violin, cello, etc.
Ribbon Microphones
Finally, we have ribbon microphones. They work by using a thin ribbon of metal in a magnetic field. When sound waves hit the ribbon, it moves, generating an electrical signal. Ribbons are known for their warm and smooth sound, making them great for recording strings, brass instruments, and even vintage-style vocals.
Ribbon microphones tend to run a little more expensive on average than dynamic or condenser. But, a decent choice here without breaking the bank is the MXL R144. It's dark and smooth, and it has a nice natural sound.
All of these microphones are around $100 for just the microphone. However, you'll also want some other stuff that will make your microphones work.
Stands
It holds your mic in place - so get a sturdy one. I prefer boom stands because they can be adjusted a lot more. The stock boom stand on Amazon does fine.
Cables
Most microphones use XLR cables to their source, however newer mics (especially for podcasting) use a USB connection. You'll probably want a few of these each in a different length. If you just choose 1, probably go with a ten footer.
We didn't really talk about it because they don't need a microphone, but instruments with a pickup (such as an electric guitar) use 1/4" cables rather than XLR. (As an aside about recording this, I'd run a 1/4" from an electric guitar to its amp, and then stick a SM57 in front of the amp to record it)
Pop-screen
This takes care of really harsh 'P' and 'S' sounds when you're recording vocals of any sort. Here's a pretty good one.
Shockmount
For Condenser and Ribbon Microphones. This keeps ground vibrations from your room from interfering with your recording. These are typically specifically engineered for the microphones they go with - so you will often get one with your microphone purchase. If it doesn't come with it, and you need to purchase a generic one, you'll want to research and see if it is compatible with your mic.
Hopefully this has been a helpful crash course into the world of microphones. Next time we will look at the next stop in the signal flow chain - how to get from your microphone to your computer.