#recording mic

[jessie923]

RC-105 simple outlook recording microphone

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Audio Technica AT2020 USB

Buying a microphone of any type for your production, recording, or DJ system is a daunting task.  Many producers and DJs have spent time behind a DAW or a DVS, but rarely have they felt the need to use the microphone.  I mean, the majority of us aren’t singers or song writers in the traditional sense – and sampling as really enabled us to move past the need for live vocals.  Sometimes there is a need to plug a microphone into the DJ booth for MC use, but rarely do we need the sophistication of a good recording mic, when a Shure SM58 will do just fine. Of course, if you’re just getting into the field of recording vocals, there is a lot to learn about microphones.  There are different types of microphones, such as condenser mics, and then there are mics built to pick up sounds in different directions (omni-directional vs. cardioid).  Often, you may need to purchase much more than the mic itself to be able to use it – and this deters people from taking this path.  If you’re in this boat, then a USB microphone may be up your alley.  The Audio Technica AT2020 boasts USB connectivity and a simple setup without sacrificing necessary features.   http://www.musicradar.com/gear/tech/recording/microphones/at2020-usb-568925

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Focusrite Debuts Scarlett Studio Kit

Of all of the instruments available for you to learn to play, there is one factor that will easily offset your decision to pursue it or not, and that is cost.  Every instrument has an endgame; to produce sound in some sort of logical way that sounds pleasurable to the ear.  Without careful training and tons of practice, your instrument will never be anything more than a noisemaker.  Some instruments are easier to pick up than others, and some are simply too loud to be played around the house (drums).  There is one instrument that will literally cost your nothing; but in turn, might be the most difficult to master: singing. We tend to forget even though everybody has a voice; singing still requires much practice and a good ear to go along with it.  If you’re trying to take your recording and performance to the next level, you will need a recording solution that is better than a computer microphone.  You need a recording interface, along with some decent microphones and headphones to monitor yourself.  Focusrite, makes the Scarlett USB audio interface, but has now packaged it together with a pair of earphones and a studio microphone to boot.  It’s everything you need to get your voice on a track. http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2013/01/04/focusrite-debuts-scarlett-studio-kit/

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Spark Digital Microphone

One of the components that DJs omit from their setup is a good recording microphone.  Those who spend their time recording vocals have no issue with this, but some DJs may only pack a stage microphone for the occasion blast over the speakers.  For general purposes, a workhorse mic like the Shure SM58 is as good as it gets.  These un boosted mics come ready to take damage, and take damage they will.  I’ve encountered many mics with distorted heads and discoloration – yet these mics work perfectly fine even after tons of abuse.  The same cannot be said for professional recording mics and condenser mics – these really need to be taken care of. It’s no wonder that to buy a decent condenser microphone you will likely spend more than a few hundred dollars.  These pieces of gear are very sensitive and simply dropping them on the floor can rattle their components.  The Blue Spark Digital Microphone looks to change the way we look at recording microphones.  For one, it’s low cost – but it also uses a digital connection rather than an analog one.  While I may be a bit wary about its quality, there are many out there who are looking for a mic in this price range. http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2013/04/musikmesse-2013-blue-spark-digital-microphone/

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Audio Technica AT5040

Condenser mics are really the cool specimens of the microphone world.  These are the guys that are carefully boxed up when not in use and handled like dynamite at room temperature when they are in use.  Even the lowest end condenser mic is no cheap deal – and they can still suffer from the same problems as one that costs considerably more money.  The beauty of these mics is how well they can perform in multiple applications.  They can be used for vocals, and they can even be used for something percussive like drums.  The beauty is in their design which is not always instrument specific. What makes these mics different from something like a Shure SM58 is really what they are capable of picking up.  The SM58 is no condenser microphone, but it isn’t a sensitive piece of glass either.  The SM58 can be thrown around and even stepped on a few times, to which it will still work as good as before.  It can handle a beating, but what it can’t do is pick up the ambience of many instruments like the directional range of a condenser mic.  How much you pay for a good condenser and recording microphone is really up to you – it could be in the thousands of dollars.   http://www.musicradar.com/gear/tech/recording/microphones/at5040-575477

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Microphone Pickup – or Polar – Patterns

If you’ve ever found yourself in a higher math class, you might be asking yourself what the point of all of this really is.  This tends to happen in calculus when you are trying to derive equations and integrate function – but the applied part of it just seems over your head.  There is a second in later calculus that involved something called parametric equations, where you are able to work with different coordinate systems in order to create symmetrical and non-symmetrical patterns.  These are actually more relevant to sound engineers than anyone else, but once you understand what the math is actually doing, it seems like a brilliant use of math. Those parametric equations can give you some brilliant designs like the cardioid and the bi-directional design.  On paper they look like a pretty piece of art created with some sort of pattern making machine – but in practice these symbols represent how sound will eventually be picked up on a microphone of that type.  The two dimensional graph is really a cross section of the field of view each type of microphone has.  Omni-directional mics are the most common with a circular field of area where they can pick up sound. http://blog.discmakers.com/2012/07/microphone-pickup-or-polar-patterns/

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5 Top Tips to Get the Most from Your Affordable Vocal Mic

Do you remember the early days of home computers, when you had to buy one with all the works and fittings?  I don’t think people were savvy enough back then to go out and buy a computer and its parts separately – they felt much more comfortable NOT buying them in pieces and putting them together.  Even today, the average computer user has to learn a bit before they can go out and buy computer parts and expect them to work.  One of the goodies that were included in early computers was the ubiquitous microphone.  These were those cheap microphones that broke your eardrums when you coughed into them too loudly. Today, these are all but a thing of the past – but even with a terrible microphone many were able to take and make decent audio recordings (at least with spoken voice).  As long as the right techniques are used to ensure that anomalies are all but eliminated from the recordings, a crappy microphone will do just fine.  The first part of the equation is choosing the proper location.  A room will affect sound more than any recording device can fix it.  Aside from that, learning to use gain controls is key to keep in the proper recording range. http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/2013/08/microphone-tutorial-5-top-tips-to-get-the-most-from-your-affordable-vocal-mic/

[goodgriefband]

Late night recording session.