31 Microphone Tips from Recording Hacks
Article Content
Array ( [0] => <p><strong>Here are 31 tips from <a title="About Matthew Mcglynn" href="http://twitter.com/recordinghacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew McGlynn</a> of <a title="Microphone Database | Audio Recording News | RecordingHacks" href="http://recordinghacks.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recordinghacks.com</a>:</strong> [1] => <div class="ad content-ad"><span>ADVERTISEMENT</span><div id="div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0" style="width:300px; height:250px;"></div><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0'); });</script></div> <ol> <li>*Listen*. If the track sounds like crap, move the microphone.</li> <li>Omni mics don’t necessarily mean “bleed.” Try one up close. No proximity!</li> <li>If a client blows into a mic to test it, immediately explain that that’s bad for the mic. While beating him with it.</li> <li>Put a fig-8 mic under the cardioid on acoustic guitar. <a title="Mid-Side Microphones Technique Explained | wikirecording.org" href="https://www.uaudio.com/blog/mid-side-mic-recording/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mid-Side</a> = instant free stereo ambience. Adjust to taste at mix time.</li> <li>Put a second mic 10′ away from the cabinet or acoustic instrument, for ambience.</li> <li>Need a tight, ‘poppy’ kick sound? Try a <a title="Exploring the Boundaries | B & H Photo Video Audio" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_microphone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boundary mic</a>: crown PZM or Shure Beta 91A on a pillow inside the drum.</li> <li><a title="Acoustic Treatment and Design for Recording Studios and Listening Rooms by Ethan Winer" href="http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fix the room</a>. Make <em>all</em> your mics sound better.</li> <li>Buy cables with 90-degree female XLR ends for your end-address snare and tom mics. The drummer will thank you.</li> <li>Try bringing the vocal mic in from above, nose height, angled down. Reduces plosives and makes the singer stand up straight.</li> <li>Need more lows to thicken up a guitar? <a title="Ribbon Shootout: Voiceover | RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/08/16/ribbon-shootout-voiceover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try a ribbon mic</a>. Proximity can be your friend.</li> <li>Check phase coherency of kick, snare, and OH mics *before* you record.</li> <li>Life is too short for crappy cables.</li> <li>Tracking a band live? Dynamic mics will pick up much less bleed/ambient sound than condensers.</li> <li>Bulk mic cable costs $1/ft. Commercial XLR cables cost $1.50-2.00/ft. Learn to solder!</li> <li>Most inexpensive condensers have funky off-axis coloration. Consider what unwanted EQ this brings to your track. Or buy nicer mics. ; )</li> <li>Watch the drummer play before you set up mics: see where not to put them!</li> <li>Still getting too much bleed in the vocal mic? Try a <a title="Shure SM7b on RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/microphones/Shure/SM7B" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shure SM7B</a>: 19dB rear rejection! (<a title="The Ultimate Podcasting Mic Shootout" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/06/02/ultimate-podcast-mic-shootout/#rj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shootout here</a>)</li> <li>Get stereo mic mounts for XY, MS, and ORTF. Using just 1 stand for these pairs is SO MUCH easier than using two.</li> <li>If the room sound isn’t great, keep the drum <a title="Drum Overhead Microphone Comparison" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2010/04/03/drum-overhead-microphone-technique-comparison/">OH mics</a> low to increase the ratio of direct to reflected sound.</li> <li>Have at least 1 very clean, high-gain input channel for your dynamics & ribbons. (Or, get <a title="Cloudlifter CL-1 Review" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/07/02/cloudlifter-cl1-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of these</a>)</li> <li>Very few microphones “suck.” But lots of placements do. (And some engineers, too.)</li> <li>The magnets in ribbon mics will attract harmful “tramp iron” if left exposed. Cover or case them when not in use.</li> <li>There is 1 indispensable tool for finding the best mic position for ANY source. (Hint: you have 2 of them.)</li> <li>High-pass filter the guitar track you’re re-amping, esp. if the cab is close-miked. Proximity + subharmonics = mud.</li> <li>Amateur drummer? Put OH mics high, & cheap dynamics close. Save the grief of an errant stick taking out your best condensers.</li> <li>Just because you can pound nails with your vintage Electro-Voice dynamics doesn’t mean you should do it.</li> <li>Your cab’s speakers probably do not sound the same. Record the one that sounds best.</li> <li>For quiet acoustic instruments, stay away from high-self-noise condenser mics.</li> <li>Hang your tube mics upside-down for long sessions, so the tube heat doesn’t cook the diaphragms.</li> <li>Point the 90-degree nulls of a fig-8 ribbon at nearby instruments you don’t want to record: better isolation than a Cardioid mic.</li> <li>Use a pop shield to enforce a minimum distance between the singer’s mouth and the microphone.</li> </ol> [2] => )
Chosen Position: 1
<div class="ad content-ad"><span>ADVERTISEMENT</span><div id="div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0" style="width:300px; height:250px;"></div><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0'); });</script></div> <ol> <li>*Listen*. If the track sounds like crap, move the microphone.</li> <li>Omni mics don’t necessarily mean “bleed.” Try one up close. No proximity!</li> <li>If a client blows into a mic to test it, immediately explain that that’s bad for the mic. While beating him with it.</li> <li>Put a fig-8 mic under the cardioid on acoustic guitar. <a title="Mid-Side Microphones Technique Explained | wikirecording.org" href="https://www.uaudio.com/blog/mid-side-mic-recording/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mid-Side</a> = instant free stereo ambience. Adjust to taste at mix time.</li> <li>Put a second mic 10′ away from the cabinet or acoustic instrument, for ambience.</li> <li>Need a tight, ‘poppy’ kick sound? Try a <a title="Exploring the Boundaries | B & H Photo Video Audio" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_microphone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boundary mic</a>: crown PZM or Shure Beta 91A on a pillow inside the drum.</li> <li><a title="Acoustic Treatment and Design for Recording Studios and Listening Rooms by Ethan Winer" href="http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fix the room</a>. Make <em>all</em> your mics sound better.</li> <li>Buy cables with 90-degree female XLR ends for your end-address snare and tom mics. The drummer will thank you.</li> <li>Try bringing the vocal mic in from above, nose height, angled down. Reduces plosives and makes the singer stand up straight.</li> <li>Need more lows to thicken up a guitar? <a title="Ribbon Shootout: Voiceover | RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/08/16/ribbon-shootout-voiceover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try a ribbon mic</a>. Proximity can be your friend.</li> <li>Check phase coherency of kick, snare, and OH mics *before* you record.</li> <li>Life is too short for crappy cables.</li> <li>Tracking a band live? Dynamic mics will pick up much less bleed/ambient sound than condensers.</li> <li>Bulk mic cable costs $1/ft. Commercial XLR cables cost $1.50-2.00/ft. Learn to solder!</li> <li>Most inexpensive condensers have funky off-axis coloration. Consider what unwanted EQ this brings to your track. Or buy nicer mics. ; )</li> <li>Watch the drummer play before you set up mics: see where not to put them!</li> <li>Still getting too much bleed in the vocal mic? Try a <a title="Shure SM7b on RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/microphones/Shure/SM7B" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shure SM7B</a>: 19dB rear rejection! (<a title="The Ultimate Podcasting Mic Shootout" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/06/02/ultimate-podcast-mic-shootout/#rj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shootout here</a>)</li> <li>Get stereo mic mounts for XY, MS, and ORTF. Using just 1 stand for these pairs is SO MUCH easier than using two.</li> <li>If the room sound isn’t great, keep the drum <a title="Drum Overhead Microphone Comparison" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2010/04/03/drum-overhead-microphone-technique-comparison/">OH mics</a> low to increase the ratio of direct to reflected sound.</li> <li>Have at least 1 very clean, high-gain input channel for your dynamics & ribbons. (Or, get <a title="Cloudlifter CL-1 Review" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/07/02/cloudlifter-cl1-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of these</a>)</li> <li>Very few microphones “suck.” But lots of placements do. (And some engineers, too.)</li> <li>The magnets in ribbon mics will attract harmful “tramp iron” if left exposed. Cover or case them when not in use.</li> <li>There is 1 indispensable tool for finding the best mic position for ANY source. (Hint: you have 2 of them.)</li> <li>High-pass filter the guitar track you’re re-amping, esp. if the cab is close-miked. Proximity + subharmonics = mud.</li> <li>Amateur drummer? Put OH mics high, & cheap dynamics close. Save the grief of an errant stick taking out your best condensers.</li> <li>Just because you can pound nails with your vintage Electro-Voice dynamics doesn’t mean you should do it.</li> <li>Your cab’s speakers probably do not sound the same. Record the one that sounds best.</li> <li>For quiet acoustic instruments, stay away from high-self-noise condenser mics.</li> <li>Hang your tube mics upside-down for long sessions, so the tube heat doesn’t cook the diaphragms.</li> <li>Point the 90-degree nulls of a fig-8 ribbon at nearby instruments you don’t want to record: better isolation than a Cardioid mic.</li> <li>Use a pop shield to enforce a minimum distance between the singer’s mouth and the microphone.</li> </ol> </p>
Inserting at initial position
Chosen Position: 2
<div class="ad content-ad"><span>ADVERTISEMENT</span><div id="div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0" style="width:300px; height:250px;"></div><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0'); });</script></div> <ol> <li>*Listen*. If the track sounds like crap, move the microphone.</li> <li>Omni mics don’t necessarily mean “bleed.” Try one up close. No proximity!</li> <li>If a client blows into a mic to test it, immediately explain that that’s bad for the mic. While beating him with it.</li> <li>Put a fig-8 mic under the cardioid on acoustic guitar. <a title="Mid-Side Microphones Technique Explained | wikirecording.org" href="https://www.uaudio.com/blog/mid-side-mic-recording/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mid-Side</a> = instant free stereo ambience. Adjust to taste at mix time.</li> <li>Put a second mic 10′ away from the cabinet or acoustic instrument, for ambience.</li> <li>Need a tight, ‘poppy’ kick sound? Try a <a title="Exploring the Boundaries | B & H Photo Video Audio" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_microphone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boundary mic</a>: crown PZM or Shure Beta 91A on a pillow inside the drum.</li> <li><a title="Acoustic Treatment and Design for Recording Studios and Listening Rooms by Ethan Winer" href="http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fix the room</a>. Make <em>all</em> your mics sound better.</li> <li>Buy cables with 90-degree female XLR ends for your end-address snare and tom mics. The drummer will thank you.</li> <li>Try bringing the vocal mic in from above, nose height, angled down. Reduces plosives and makes the singer stand up straight.</li> <li>Need more lows to thicken up a guitar? <a title="Ribbon Shootout: Voiceover | RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/08/16/ribbon-shootout-voiceover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try a ribbon mic</a>. Proximity can be your friend.</li> <li>Check phase coherency of kick, snare, and OH mics *before* you record.</li> <li>Life is too short for crappy cables.</li> <li>Tracking a band live? Dynamic mics will pick up much less bleed/ambient sound than condensers.</li> <li>Bulk mic cable costs $1/ft. Commercial XLR cables cost $1.50-2.00/ft. Learn to solder!</li> <li>Most inexpensive condensers have funky off-axis coloration. Consider what unwanted EQ this brings to your track. Or buy nicer mics. ; )</li> <li>Watch the drummer play before you set up mics: see where not to put them!</li> <li>Still getting too much bleed in the vocal mic? Try a <a title="Shure SM7b on RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/microphones/Shure/SM7B" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shure SM7B</a>: 19dB rear rejection! (<a title="The Ultimate Podcasting Mic Shootout" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/06/02/ultimate-podcast-mic-shootout/#rj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shootout here</a>)</li> <li>Get stereo mic mounts for XY, MS, and ORTF. Using just 1 stand for these pairs is SO MUCH easier than using two.</li> <li>If the room sound isn’t great, keep the drum <a title="Drum Overhead Microphone Comparison" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2010/04/03/drum-overhead-microphone-technique-comparison/">OH mics</a> low to increase the ratio of direct to reflected sound.</li> <li>Have at least 1 very clean, high-gain input channel for your dynamics & ribbons. (Or, get <a title="Cloudlifter CL-1 Review" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/07/02/cloudlifter-cl1-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of these</a>)</li> <li>Very few microphones “suck.” But lots of placements do. (And some engineers, too.)</li> <li>The magnets in ribbon mics will attract harmful “tramp iron” if left exposed. Cover or case them when not in use.</li> <li>There is 1 indispensable tool for finding the best mic position for ANY source. (Hint: you have 2 of them.)</li> <li>High-pass filter the guitar track you’re re-amping, esp. if the cab is close-miked. Proximity + subharmonics = mud.</li> <li>Amateur drummer? Put OH mics high, & cheap dynamics close. Save the grief of an errant stick taking out your best condensers.</li> <li>Just because you can pound nails with your vintage Electro-Voice dynamics doesn’t mean you should do it.</li> <li>Your cab’s speakers probably do not sound the same. Record the one that sounds best.</li> <li>For quiet acoustic instruments, stay away from high-self-noise condenser mics.</li> <li>Hang your tube mics upside-down for long sessions, so the tube heat doesn’t cook the diaphragms.</li> <li>Point the 90-degree nulls of a fig-8 ribbon at nearby instruments you don’t want to record: better isolation than a Cardioid mic.</li> <li>Use a pop shield to enforce a minimum distance between the singer’s mouth and the microphone.</li> </ol> </p>
Here are 31 tips from Matthew McGlynn of recordinghacks.com:
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- *Listen*. If the track sounds like crap, move the microphone.
- Omni mics don’t necessarily mean “bleed.” Try one up close. No proximity!
- If a client blows into a mic to test it, immediately explain that that’s bad for the mic. While beating him with it.
- Put a fig-8 mic under the cardioid on acoustic guitar. Mid-Side = instant free stereo ambience. Adjust to taste at mix time.
- Put a second mic 10′ away from the cabinet or acoustic instrument, for ambience.
- Need a tight, ‘poppy’ kick sound? Try a boundary mic: crown PZM or Shure Beta 91A on a pillow inside the drum.
- Fix the room. Make all your mics sound better.
- Buy cables with 90-degree female XLR ends for your end-address snare and tom mics. The drummer will thank you.
- Try bringing the vocal mic in from above, nose height, angled down. Reduces plosives and makes the singer stand up straight.
- Need more lows to thicken up a guitar? Try a ribbon mic. Proximity can be your friend.
- Check phase coherency of kick, snare, and OH mics *before* you record.
- Life is too short for crappy cables.
- Tracking a band live? Dynamic mics will pick up much less bleed/ambient sound than condensers.
- Bulk mic cable costs $1/ft. Commercial XLR cables cost $1.50-2.00/ft. Learn to solder!
- Most inexpensive condensers have funky off-axis coloration. Consider what unwanted EQ this brings to your track. Or buy nicer mics. ; )
- Watch the drummer play before you set up mics: see where not to put them!
- Still getting too much bleed in the vocal mic? Try a Shure SM7B: 19dB rear rejection! (shootout here)
- Get stereo mic mounts for XY, MS, and ORTF. Using just 1 stand for these pairs is SO MUCH easier than using two.
- If the room sound isn’t great, keep the drum OH mics low to increase the ratio of direct to reflected sound.
- Have at least 1 very clean, high-gain input channel for your dynamics & ribbons. (Or, get one of these)
- Very few microphones “suck.” But lots of placements do. (And some engineers, too.)
- The magnets in ribbon mics will attract harmful “tramp iron” if left exposed. Cover or case them when not in use.
- There is 1 indispensable tool for finding the best mic position for ANY source. (Hint: you have 2 of them.)
- High-pass filter the guitar track you’re re-amping, esp. if the cab is close-miked. Proximity + subharmonics = mud.
- Amateur drummer? Put OH mics high, & cheap dynamics close. Save the grief of an errant stick taking out your best condensers.
- Just because you can pound nails with your vintage Electro-Voice dynamics doesn’t mean you should do it.
- Your cab’s speakers probably do not sound the same. Record the one that sounds best.
- For quiet acoustic instruments, stay away from high-self-noise condenser mics.
- Hang your tube mics upside-down for long sessions, so the tube heat doesn’t cook the diaphragms.
- Point the 90-degree nulls of a fig-8 ribbon at nearby instruments you don’t want to record: better isolation than a Cardioid mic.
- Use a pop shield to enforce a minimum distance between the singer’s mouth and the microphone.

Dan Comerchero
I'm Dan, Founder of The Pro Audio Files and Quiztones ear training apps.
Array ( [0] => <p><strong>Here are 31 tips from <a title="About Matthew Mcglynn" href="http://twitter.com/recordinghacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew McGlynn</a> of <a title="Microphone Database | Audio Recording News | RecordingHacks" href="http://recordinghacks.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recordinghacks.com</a>:</strong> [1] => <div class="ad content-ad"><span>ADVERTISEMENT</span><div id="div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0" style="width:300px; height:250px;"></div><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0'); });</script></div> <ol> <li>*Listen*. If the track sounds like crap, move the microphone.</li> <li>Omni mics don’t necessarily mean “bleed.” Try one up close. No proximity!</li> <li>If a client blows into a mic to test it, immediately explain that that’s bad for the mic. While beating him with it.</li> <li>Put a fig-8 mic under the cardioid on acoustic guitar. <a title="Mid-Side Microphones Technique Explained | wikirecording.org" href="https://www.uaudio.com/blog/mid-side-mic-recording/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mid-Side</a> = instant free stereo ambience. Adjust to taste at mix time.</li> <li>Put a second mic 10′ away from the cabinet or acoustic instrument, for ambience.</li> <li>Need a tight, ‘poppy’ kick sound? Try a <a title="Exploring the Boundaries | B & H Photo Video Audio" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_microphone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boundary mic</a>: crown PZM or Shure Beta 91A on a pillow inside the drum.</li> <li><a title="Acoustic Treatment and Design for Recording Studios and Listening Rooms by Ethan Winer" href="http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fix the room</a>. Make <em>all</em> your mics sound better.</li> <li>Buy cables with 90-degree female XLR ends for your end-address snare and tom mics. The drummer will thank you.</li> <li>Try bringing the vocal mic in from above, nose height, angled down. Reduces plosives and makes the singer stand up straight.</li> <li>Need more lows to thicken up a guitar? <a title="Ribbon Shootout: Voiceover | RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/08/16/ribbon-shootout-voiceover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try a ribbon mic</a>. Proximity can be your friend.</li> <li>Check phase coherency of kick, snare, and OH mics *before* you record.</li> <li>Life is too short for crappy cables.</li> <li>Tracking a band live? Dynamic mics will pick up much less bleed/ambient sound than condensers.</li> <li>Bulk mic cable costs $1/ft. Commercial XLR cables cost $1.50-2.00/ft. Learn to solder!</li> <li>Most inexpensive condensers have funky off-axis coloration. Consider what unwanted EQ this brings to your track. Or buy nicer mics. ; )</li> <li>Watch the drummer play before you set up mics: see where not to put them!</li> <li>Still getting too much bleed in the vocal mic? Try a <a title="Shure SM7b on RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/microphones/Shure/SM7B" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shure SM7B</a>: 19dB rear rejection! (<a title="The Ultimate Podcasting Mic Shootout" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/06/02/ultimate-podcast-mic-shootout/#rj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shootout here</a>)</li> <li>Get stereo mic mounts for XY, MS, and ORTF. Using just 1 stand for these pairs is SO MUCH easier than using two.</li> <li>If the room sound isn’t great, keep the drum <a title="Drum Overhead Microphone Comparison" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2010/04/03/drum-overhead-microphone-technique-comparison/">OH mics</a> low to increase the ratio of direct to reflected sound.</li> <li>Have at least 1 very clean, high-gain input channel for your dynamics & ribbons. (Or, get <a title="Cloudlifter CL-1 Review" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/07/02/cloudlifter-cl1-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of these</a>)</li> <li>Very few microphones “suck.” But lots of placements do. (And some engineers, too.)</li> <li>The magnets in ribbon mics will attract harmful “tramp iron” if left exposed. Cover or case them when not in use.</li> <li>There is 1 indispensable tool for finding the best mic position for ANY source. (Hint: you have 2 of them.)</li> <li>High-pass filter the guitar track you’re re-amping, esp. if the cab is close-miked. Proximity + subharmonics = mud.</li> <li>Amateur drummer? Put OH mics high, & cheap dynamics close. Save the grief of an errant stick taking out your best condensers.</li> <li>Just because you can pound nails with your vintage Electro-Voice dynamics doesn’t mean you should do it.</li> <li>Your cab’s speakers probably do not sound the same. Record the one that sounds best.</li> <li>For quiet acoustic instruments, stay away from high-self-noise condenser mics.</li> <li>Hang your tube mics upside-down for long sessions, so the tube heat doesn’t cook the diaphragms.</li> <li>Point the 90-degree nulls of a fig-8 ribbon at nearby instruments you don’t want to record: better isolation than a Cardioid mic.</li> <li>Use a pop shield to enforce a minimum distance between the singer’s mouth and the microphone.</li> </ol> [2] => )
Chosen Position: 1
<div class="ad content-ad"><span>ADVERTISEMENT</span><div id="div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0" style="width:300px; height:250px;"></div><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0'); });</script></div> <ol> <li>*Listen*. If the track sounds like crap, move the microphone.</li> <li>Omni mics don’t necessarily mean “bleed.” Try one up close. No proximity!</li> <li>If a client blows into a mic to test it, immediately explain that that’s bad for the mic. While beating him with it.</li> <li>Put a fig-8 mic under the cardioid on acoustic guitar. <a title="Mid-Side Microphones Technique Explained | wikirecording.org" href="https://www.uaudio.com/blog/mid-side-mic-recording/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mid-Side</a> = instant free stereo ambience. Adjust to taste at mix time.</li> <li>Put a second mic 10′ away from the cabinet or acoustic instrument, for ambience.</li> <li>Need a tight, ‘poppy’ kick sound? Try a <a title="Exploring the Boundaries | B & H Photo Video Audio" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_microphone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boundary mic</a>: crown PZM or Shure Beta 91A on a pillow inside the drum.</li> <li><a title="Acoustic Treatment and Design for Recording Studios and Listening Rooms by Ethan Winer" href="http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fix the room</a>. Make <em>all</em> your mics sound better.</li> <li>Buy cables with 90-degree female XLR ends for your end-address snare and tom mics. The drummer will thank you.</li> <li>Try bringing the vocal mic in from above, nose height, angled down. Reduces plosives and makes the singer stand up straight.</li> <li>Need more lows to thicken up a guitar? <a title="Ribbon Shootout: Voiceover | RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/08/16/ribbon-shootout-voiceover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try a ribbon mic</a>. Proximity can be your friend.</li> <li>Check phase coherency of kick, snare, and OH mics *before* you record.</li> <li>Life is too short for crappy cables.</li> <li>Tracking a band live? Dynamic mics will pick up much less bleed/ambient sound than condensers.</li> <li>Bulk mic cable costs $1/ft. Commercial XLR cables cost $1.50-2.00/ft. Learn to solder!</li> <li>Most inexpensive condensers have funky off-axis coloration. Consider what unwanted EQ this brings to your track. Or buy nicer mics. ; )</li> <li>Watch the drummer play before you set up mics: see where not to put them!</li> <li>Still getting too much bleed in the vocal mic? Try a <a title="Shure SM7b on RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/microphones/Shure/SM7B" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shure SM7B</a>: 19dB rear rejection! (<a title="The Ultimate Podcasting Mic Shootout" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/06/02/ultimate-podcast-mic-shootout/#rj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shootout here</a>)</li> <li>Get stereo mic mounts for XY, MS, and ORTF. Using just 1 stand for these pairs is SO MUCH easier than using two.</li> <li>If the room sound isn’t great, keep the drum <a title="Drum Overhead Microphone Comparison" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2010/04/03/drum-overhead-microphone-technique-comparison/">OH mics</a> low to increase the ratio of direct to reflected sound.</li> <li>Have at least 1 very clean, high-gain input channel for your dynamics & ribbons. (Or, get <a title="Cloudlifter CL-1 Review" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/07/02/cloudlifter-cl1-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of these</a>)</li> <li>Very few microphones “suck.” But lots of placements do. (And some engineers, too.)</li> <li>The magnets in ribbon mics will attract harmful “tramp iron” if left exposed. Cover or case them when not in use.</li> <li>There is 1 indispensable tool for finding the best mic position for ANY source. (Hint: you have 2 of them.)</li> <li>High-pass filter the guitar track you’re re-amping, esp. if the cab is close-miked. Proximity + subharmonics = mud.</li> <li>Amateur drummer? Put OH mics high, & cheap dynamics close. Save the grief of an errant stick taking out your best condensers.</li> <li>Just because you can pound nails with your vintage Electro-Voice dynamics doesn’t mean you should do it.</li> <li>Your cab’s speakers probably do not sound the same. Record the one that sounds best.</li> <li>For quiet acoustic instruments, stay away from high-self-noise condenser mics.</li> <li>Hang your tube mics upside-down for long sessions, so the tube heat doesn’t cook the diaphragms.</li> <li>Point the 90-degree nulls of a fig-8 ribbon at nearby instruments you don’t want to record: better isolation than a Cardioid mic.</li> <li>Use a pop shield to enforce a minimum distance between the singer’s mouth and the microphone.</li> </ol> </p>
Inserting at initial position
Chosen Position: 2
<div class="ad content-ad"><span>ADVERTISEMENT</span><div id="div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0" style="width:300px; height:250px;"></div><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0'); });</script></div> <ol> <li>*Listen*. If the track sounds like crap, move the microphone.</li> <li>Omni mics don’t necessarily mean “bleed.” Try one up close. No proximity!</li> <li>If a client blows into a mic to test it, immediately explain that that’s bad for the mic. While beating him with it.</li> <li>Put a fig-8 mic under the cardioid on acoustic guitar. <a title="Mid-Side Microphones Technique Explained | wikirecording.org" href="https://www.uaudio.com/blog/mid-side-mic-recording/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mid-Side</a> = instant free stereo ambience. Adjust to taste at mix time.</li> <li>Put a second mic 10′ away from the cabinet or acoustic instrument, for ambience.</li> <li>Need a tight, ‘poppy’ kick sound? Try a <a title="Exploring the Boundaries | B & H Photo Video Audio" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_microphone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boundary mic</a>: crown PZM or Shure Beta 91A on a pillow inside the drum.</li> <li><a title="Acoustic Treatment and Design for Recording Studios and Listening Rooms by Ethan Winer" href="http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fix the room</a>. Make <em>all</em> your mics sound better.</li> <li>Buy cables with 90-degree female XLR ends for your end-address snare and tom mics. The drummer will thank you.</li> <li>Try bringing the vocal mic in from above, nose height, angled down. Reduces plosives and makes the singer stand up straight.</li> <li>Need more lows to thicken up a guitar? <a title="Ribbon Shootout: Voiceover | RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/08/16/ribbon-shootout-voiceover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try a ribbon mic</a>. Proximity can be your friend.</li> <li>Check phase coherency of kick, snare, and OH mics *before* you record.</li> <li>Life is too short for crappy cables.</li> <li>Tracking a band live? Dynamic mics will pick up much less bleed/ambient sound than condensers.</li> <li>Bulk mic cable costs $1/ft. Commercial XLR cables cost $1.50-2.00/ft. Learn to solder!</li> <li>Most inexpensive condensers have funky off-axis coloration. Consider what unwanted EQ this brings to your track. Or buy nicer mics. ; )</li> <li>Watch the drummer play before you set up mics: see where not to put them!</li> <li>Still getting too much bleed in the vocal mic? Try a <a title="Shure SM7b on RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/microphones/Shure/SM7B" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shure SM7B</a>: 19dB rear rejection! (<a title="The Ultimate Podcasting Mic Shootout" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/06/02/ultimate-podcast-mic-shootout/#rj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shootout here</a>)</li> <li>Get stereo mic mounts for XY, MS, and ORTF. Using just 1 stand for these pairs is SO MUCH easier than using two.</li> <li>If the room sound isn’t great, keep the drum <a title="Drum Overhead Microphone Comparison" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2010/04/03/drum-overhead-microphone-technique-comparison/">OH mics</a> low to increase the ratio of direct to reflected sound.</li> <li>Have at least 1 very clean, high-gain input channel for your dynamics & ribbons. (Or, get <a title="Cloudlifter CL-1 Review" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/07/02/cloudlifter-cl1-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of these</a>)</li> <li>Very few microphones “suck.” But lots of placements do. (And some engineers, too.)</li> <li>The magnets in ribbon mics will attract harmful “tramp iron” if left exposed. Cover or case them when not in use.</li> <li>There is 1 indispensable tool for finding the best mic position for ANY source. (Hint: you have 2 of them.)</li> <li>High-pass filter the guitar track you’re re-amping, esp. if the cab is close-miked. Proximity + subharmonics = mud.</li> <li>Amateur drummer? Put OH mics high, & cheap dynamics close. Save the grief of an errant stick taking out your best condensers.</li> <li>Just because you can pound nails with your vintage Electro-Voice dynamics doesn’t mean you should do it.</li> <li>Your cab’s speakers probably do not sound the same. Record the one that sounds best.</li> <li>For quiet acoustic instruments, stay away from high-self-noise condenser mics.</li> <li>Hang your tube mics upside-down for long sessions, so the tube heat doesn’t cook the diaphragms.</li> <li>Point the 90-degree nulls of a fig-8 ribbon at nearby instruments you don’t want to record: better isolation than a Cardioid mic.</li> <li>Use a pop shield to enforce a minimum distance between the singer’s mouth and the microphone.</li> </ol> </p>
Array ( [0] => <p><strong>Here are 31 tips from <a title="About Matthew Mcglynn" href="http://twitter.com/recordinghacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew McGlynn</a> of <a title="Microphone Database | Audio Recording News | RecordingHacks" href="http://recordinghacks.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recordinghacks.com</a>:</strong> [1] => <div class="ad content-ad"><span>ADVERTISEMENT</span><div id="div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0" style="width:300px; height:250px;"></div><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0'); });</script></div> <ol> <li>*Listen*. If the track sounds like crap, move the microphone.</li> <li>Omni mics don’t necessarily mean “bleed.” Try one up close. No proximity!</li> <li>If a client blows into a mic to test it, immediately explain that that’s bad for the mic. While beating him with it.</li> <li>Put a fig-8 mic under the cardioid on acoustic guitar. <a title="Mid-Side Microphones Technique Explained | wikirecording.org" href="https://www.uaudio.com/blog/mid-side-mic-recording/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mid-Side</a> = instant free stereo ambience. Adjust to taste at mix time.</li> <li>Put a second mic 10′ away from the cabinet or acoustic instrument, for ambience.</li> <li>Need a tight, ‘poppy’ kick sound? Try a <a title="Exploring the Boundaries | B & H Photo Video Audio" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_microphone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boundary mic</a>: crown PZM or Shure Beta 91A on a pillow inside the drum.</li> <li><a title="Acoustic Treatment and Design for Recording Studios and Listening Rooms by Ethan Winer" href="http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fix the room</a>. Make <em>all</em> your mics sound better.</li> <li>Buy cables with 90-degree female XLR ends for your end-address snare and tom mics. The drummer will thank you.</li> <li>Try bringing the vocal mic in from above, nose height, angled down. Reduces plosives and makes the singer stand up straight.</li> <li>Need more lows to thicken up a guitar? <a title="Ribbon Shootout: Voiceover | RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/08/16/ribbon-shootout-voiceover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try a ribbon mic</a>. Proximity can be your friend.</li> <li>Check phase coherency of kick, snare, and OH mics *before* you record.</li> <li>Life is too short for crappy cables.</li> <li>Tracking a band live? Dynamic mics will pick up much less bleed/ambient sound than condensers.</li> <li>Bulk mic cable costs $1/ft. Commercial XLR cables cost $1.50-2.00/ft. Learn to solder!</li> <li>Most inexpensive condensers have funky off-axis coloration. Consider what unwanted EQ this brings to your track. Or buy nicer mics. ; )</li> <li>Watch the drummer play before you set up mics: see where not to put them!</li> <li>Still getting too much bleed in the vocal mic? Try a <a title="Shure SM7b on RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/microphones/Shure/SM7B" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shure SM7B</a>: 19dB rear rejection! (<a title="The Ultimate Podcasting Mic Shootout" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/06/02/ultimate-podcast-mic-shootout/#rj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shootout here</a>)</li> <li>Get stereo mic mounts for XY, MS, and ORTF. Using just 1 stand for these pairs is SO MUCH easier than using two.</li> <li>If the room sound isn’t great, keep the drum <a title="Drum Overhead Microphone Comparison" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2010/04/03/drum-overhead-microphone-technique-comparison/">OH mics</a> low to increase the ratio of direct to reflected sound.</li> <li>Have at least 1 very clean, high-gain input channel for your dynamics & ribbons. (Or, get <a title="Cloudlifter CL-1 Review" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/07/02/cloudlifter-cl1-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of these</a>)</li> <li>Very few microphones “suck.” But lots of placements do. (And some engineers, too.)</li> <li>The magnets in ribbon mics will attract harmful “tramp iron” if left exposed. Cover or case them when not in use.</li> <li>There is 1 indispensable tool for finding the best mic position for ANY source. (Hint: you have 2 of them.)</li> <li>High-pass filter the guitar track you’re re-amping, esp. if the cab is close-miked. Proximity + subharmonics = mud.</li> <li>Amateur drummer? Put OH mics high, & cheap dynamics close. Save the grief of an errant stick taking out your best condensers.</li> <li>Just because you can pound nails with your vintage Electro-Voice dynamics doesn’t mean you should do it.</li> <li>Your cab’s speakers probably do not sound the same. Record the one that sounds best.</li> <li>For quiet acoustic instruments, stay away from high-self-noise condenser mics.</li> <li>Hang your tube mics upside-down for long sessions, so the tube heat doesn’t cook the diaphragms.</li> <li>Point the 90-degree nulls of a fig-8 ribbon at nearby instruments you don’t want to record: better isolation than a Cardioid mic.</li> <li>Use a pop shield to enforce a minimum distance between the singer’s mouth and the microphone.</li> </ol> [2] => )
Chosen Position: 1
<div class="ad content-ad"><span>ADVERTISEMENT</span><div id="div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0" style="width:300px; height:250px;"></div><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0'); });</script></div> <ol> <li>*Listen*. If the track sounds like crap, move the microphone.</li> <li>Omni mics don’t necessarily mean “bleed.” Try one up close. No proximity!</li> <li>If a client blows into a mic to test it, immediately explain that that’s bad for the mic. While beating him with it.</li> <li>Put a fig-8 mic under the cardioid on acoustic guitar. <a title="Mid-Side Microphones Technique Explained | wikirecording.org" href="https://www.uaudio.com/blog/mid-side-mic-recording/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mid-Side</a> = instant free stereo ambience. Adjust to taste at mix time.</li> <li>Put a second mic 10′ away from the cabinet or acoustic instrument, for ambience.</li> <li>Need a tight, ‘poppy’ kick sound? Try a <a title="Exploring the Boundaries | B & H Photo Video Audio" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_microphone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boundary mic</a>: crown PZM or Shure Beta 91A on a pillow inside the drum.</li> <li><a title="Acoustic Treatment and Design for Recording Studios and Listening Rooms by Ethan Winer" href="http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fix the room</a>. Make <em>all</em> your mics sound better.</li> <li>Buy cables with 90-degree female XLR ends for your end-address snare and tom mics. The drummer will thank you.</li> <li>Try bringing the vocal mic in from above, nose height, angled down. Reduces plosives and makes the singer stand up straight.</li> <li>Need more lows to thicken up a guitar? <a title="Ribbon Shootout: Voiceover | RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/08/16/ribbon-shootout-voiceover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try a ribbon mic</a>. Proximity can be your friend.</li> <li>Check phase coherency of kick, snare, and OH mics *before* you record.</li> <li>Life is too short for crappy cables.</li> <li>Tracking a band live? Dynamic mics will pick up much less bleed/ambient sound than condensers.</li> <li>Bulk mic cable costs $1/ft. Commercial XLR cables cost $1.50-2.00/ft. Learn to solder!</li> <li>Most inexpensive condensers have funky off-axis coloration. Consider what unwanted EQ this brings to your track. Or buy nicer mics. ; )</li> <li>Watch the drummer play before you set up mics: see where not to put them!</li> <li>Still getting too much bleed in the vocal mic? Try a <a title="Shure SM7b on RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/microphones/Shure/SM7B" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shure SM7B</a>: 19dB rear rejection! (<a title="The Ultimate Podcasting Mic Shootout" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/06/02/ultimate-podcast-mic-shootout/#rj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shootout here</a>)</li> <li>Get stereo mic mounts for XY, MS, and ORTF. Using just 1 stand for these pairs is SO MUCH easier than using two.</li> <li>If the room sound isn’t great, keep the drum <a title="Drum Overhead Microphone Comparison" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2010/04/03/drum-overhead-microphone-technique-comparison/">OH mics</a> low to increase the ratio of direct to reflected sound.</li> <li>Have at least 1 very clean, high-gain input channel for your dynamics & ribbons. (Or, get <a title="Cloudlifter CL-1 Review" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/07/02/cloudlifter-cl1-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of these</a>)</li> <li>Very few microphones “suck.” But lots of placements do. (And some engineers, too.)</li> <li>The magnets in ribbon mics will attract harmful “tramp iron” if left exposed. Cover or case them when not in use.</li> <li>There is 1 indispensable tool for finding the best mic position for ANY source. (Hint: you have 2 of them.)</li> <li>High-pass filter the guitar track you’re re-amping, esp. if the cab is close-miked. Proximity + subharmonics = mud.</li> <li>Amateur drummer? Put OH mics high, & cheap dynamics close. Save the grief of an errant stick taking out your best condensers.</li> <li>Just because you can pound nails with your vintage Electro-Voice dynamics doesn’t mean you should do it.</li> <li>Your cab’s speakers probably do not sound the same. Record the one that sounds best.</li> <li>For quiet acoustic instruments, stay away from high-self-noise condenser mics.</li> <li>Hang your tube mics upside-down for long sessions, so the tube heat doesn’t cook the diaphragms.</li> <li>Point the 90-degree nulls of a fig-8 ribbon at nearby instruments you don’t want to record: better isolation than a Cardioid mic.</li> <li>Use a pop shield to enforce a minimum distance between the singer’s mouth and the microphone.</li> </ol> </p>
Inserting at initial position
Chosen Position: 2
<div class="ad content-ad"><span>ADVERTISEMENT</span><div id="div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0" style="width:300px; height:250px;"></div><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1516673860578-0'); });</script></div> <ol> <li>*Listen*. If the track sounds like crap, move the microphone.</li> <li>Omni mics don’t necessarily mean “bleed.” Try one up close. No proximity!</li> <li>If a client blows into a mic to test it, immediately explain that that’s bad for the mic. While beating him with it.</li> <li>Put a fig-8 mic under the cardioid on acoustic guitar. <a title="Mid-Side Microphones Technique Explained | wikirecording.org" href="https://www.uaudio.com/blog/mid-side-mic-recording/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mid-Side</a> = instant free stereo ambience. Adjust to taste at mix time.</li> <li>Put a second mic 10′ away from the cabinet or acoustic instrument, for ambience.</li> <li>Need a tight, ‘poppy’ kick sound? Try a <a title="Exploring the Boundaries | B & H Photo Video Audio" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_microphone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boundary mic</a>: crown PZM or Shure Beta 91A on a pillow inside the drum.</li> <li><a title="Acoustic Treatment and Design for Recording Studios and Listening Rooms by Ethan Winer" href="http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fix the room</a>. Make <em>all</em> your mics sound better.</li> <li>Buy cables with 90-degree female XLR ends for your end-address snare and tom mics. The drummer will thank you.</li> <li>Try bringing the vocal mic in from above, nose height, angled down. Reduces plosives and makes the singer stand up straight.</li> <li>Need more lows to thicken up a guitar? <a title="Ribbon Shootout: Voiceover | RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/08/16/ribbon-shootout-voiceover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try a ribbon mic</a>. Proximity can be your friend.</li> <li>Check phase coherency of kick, snare, and OH mics *before* you record.</li> <li>Life is too short for crappy cables.</li> <li>Tracking a band live? Dynamic mics will pick up much less bleed/ambient sound than condensers.</li> <li>Bulk mic cable costs $1/ft. Commercial XLR cables cost $1.50-2.00/ft. Learn to solder!</li> <li>Most inexpensive condensers have funky off-axis coloration. Consider what unwanted EQ this brings to your track. Or buy nicer mics. ; )</li> <li>Watch the drummer play before you set up mics: see where not to put them!</li> <li>Still getting too much bleed in the vocal mic? Try a <a title="Shure SM7b on RecordingHacks.com" href="http://recordinghacks.com/microphones/Shure/SM7B" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shure SM7B</a>: 19dB rear rejection! (<a title="The Ultimate Podcasting Mic Shootout" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/06/02/ultimate-podcast-mic-shootout/#rj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shootout here</a>)</li> <li>Get stereo mic mounts for XY, MS, and ORTF. Using just 1 stand for these pairs is SO MUCH easier than using two.</li> <li>If the room sound isn’t great, keep the drum <a title="Drum Overhead Microphone Comparison" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2010/04/03/drum-overhead-microphone-technique-comparison/">OH mics</a> low to increase the ratio of direct to reflected sound.</li> <li>Have at least 1 very clean, high-gain input channel for your dynamics & ribbons. (Or, get <a title="Cloudlifter CL-1 Review" href="http://recordinghacks.com/2011/07/02/cloudlifter-cl1-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of these</a>)</li> <li>Very few microphones “suck.” But lots of placements do. (And some engineers, too.)</li> <li>The magnets in ribbon mics will attract harmful “tramp iron” if left exposed. Cover or case them when not in use.</li> <li>There is 1 indispensable tool for finding the best mic position for ANY source. (Hint: you have 2 of them.)</li> <li>High-pass filter the guitar track you’re re-amping, esp. if the cab is close-miked. Proximity + subharmonics = mud.</li> <li>Amateur drummer? Put OH mics high, & cheap dynamics close. Save the grief of an errant stick taking out your best condensers.</li> <li>Just because you can pound nails with your vintage Electro-Voice dynamics doesn’t mean you should do it.</li> <li>Your cab’s speakers probably do not sound the same. Record the one that sounds best.</li> <li>For quiet acoustic instruments, stay away from high-self-noise condenser mics.</li> <li>Hang your tube mics upside-down for long sessions, so the tube heat doesn’t cook the diaphragms.</li> <li>Point the 90-degree nulls of a fig-8 ribbon at nearby instruments you don’t want to record: better isolation than a Cardioid mic.</li> <li>Use a pop shield to enforce a minimum distance between the singer’s mouth and the microphone.</li> </ol> </p>