Microphones For Studio Recording – Different Types And Their Uses

When you first get into recording music, you have a generally good idea of what it takes to turn an idea into a proper track. However, as you learn and get more involved in this business, you'll find out that things aren't always that black and white. Today we are going to focus mainly on microphones and how they are utilized in modern recording studios. This piece of gear alone is a rabbit hole, but a good one to start with. By the time you are done reading this guide, you should understand the fundamentals of microphone design and use.

Intro To Microphones

Mics have been completely changed the world when they first appeared two and a half centuries ago. Naturally it took quite some time for this technology to reach wide use. Today, we have all kinds of microphones which are available to just about anyone. In terms of recording music, we need to understand what types of mics are deliver best results.

One thing many newcomers fail to understand is that no single microphone is good enough for every application that comes to mind. If you think about it, that can be said for just about any piece of tool used in any profession. Microphones are tools, first and foremost. An experienced producer will have a whole locker full of various microphones. These will be models he has found to be suitable for his style, but also his technical requirements.

If you think that you can go through your entire recording career with just one microphone, chances are you will find it very difficult to do any serious work. However, we all have to start somewhere. Speaking of starting out, selecting your first mic can be a tedious process. Especially if you don't know what kind of gear you need nor what you really want to do with that mic. In order to help you figure that out, we will break microphones down into two two main categories. One one side we have condenser microphones, while the other is occupied by dynamic models.

Condenser Microphones

They say that trends tend to go in circles. What used to be old fashioned comes back rather quickly. This definitely applies to microphones. Condenser microphones are one of the oldest mic designs out there. They are bulky, often times expensive but ultimately the best option we have for recording vocals these days. If you were to take a tour of every professional recording studio that worked with legendary artists of our time, chances are you would see a condenser in the voice recording booth.

The key with condensers is their sensitivity. Inside every mic of this type hides a mechanical membrane which vibrates as sound pressure changes. This vibration is translated to signal via capacitance and sent down the line. Due to its delicate nature, an average condenser can capture even the most subtle details of human voice. However, there are downsides to it as well. Condenser design is extremely prone to distortion, especially in the higher frequency range. This is why you will generally find them suspended in various shock mounts and fitted with pop filters. Speaking of pop filters, they are a great way to understand just how sensitive condensers are When you talk into a microphone, saying words that start with P or B will cause what are known as plosives. In other words, sounds that overwhelm the diaphragm and cause distortion.

Necessary Gear And Accessories

Most full fledged studio condensers require a number of accessories and additional equipment in order to work. The very first piece of tech that you will need to get is some sort of preamp. The reason for this the fact that condensers produce a very weak signal. If you were to plug that signal into your recording device without boosting it, chances are you wouldn't really hear anything. With that said, a preamp or a USB audio interface with phantom power is a must. Naturally, this doesn't apply to USB condensers but these aren't as popular in terms of professional studio recording.

Next piece of accessory on the list should be a good shock mount. Condensers are sensitive enough to be affected even by a slightest vibration. In order to eliminate those we have shock mounts that create an effective gap between the microphone itself and the surface the mount is installed on. Last but not least, you will need a pop filter. We have already explained what pop filters are used for, so we won't get into any deeper.

Best Applications For Condenser Microphones

So far we know that condensers are great for recording vocals. However that doesn't represent their entire spectrum of capabilities. These mics have been and still are used for recording instruments. The key is to know which instruments are suitable and which are not. Acoustic guitars are the obvious choice. A large majority of unplugged songs you have heard were recorded this way. One metric that will tell whether or not a condenser is capable of recording instruments is its Max SPL rating. In other words, its ability to handle higher Sound Pressure Levels or volume. Mics with low SPL rating should be avoided if you plan on recording instruments. The reason for this is that you can damage or completely destroy them if you expose them to overwhelming SPL levels.

Not so long ago, condensers were considered to be studio queens first and foremost. This type of microphone doesn't generally play well with adverse environmental conditions such as low or high temperature, rain, humidity and so forth. While that is still the case for a majority of them, things definitely are changing for the better. At the end of the day, a recording studio is still the place where your condenser will feel at home the most.

Dynamic Microphones

Dynamic microphones are the more modern design that has pretty much solved most of the issues a condenser has. However, by doing so it has taken away most of the benefits as well. Compared to a condensers, this type of microphone doesn't require additional power and is considered to be passive in nature. Where a mechanical diaphragm is the weapon of choice for the mighty condenser, dynamic models use a moving coil magnetic diaphragm which is much sturdier and flexible.

The main advantage of dynamic mics is their ability to withstand a massive sound pressure levels. Much higher than any condenser can. With that come a number of benefits which we will get into a bit later. Another great thing about dynamic mics is the fact that they are much less complicated to produce, which in turn considerably reduces their price. This is just one of the several reasons why so many people start out with a good dynamic mic these days.

What Are Dynamic Microphones Used For?

In simple terms, these mics are used for just about everything. You can record vocals, instruments, amps and more. However the industry has managed to standardize the scope of applications. One of the most popular environments where dynamic mics thrive are live performances. Whether we are talking about an indoor venue or an outdoor concert, there is no better tool you can have than a dynamic mic. Main reason for this is their robust build and ability to handle all the environmental factors that an average condenser just can't. With that said, vocalists are not the only ones who use dynamics on stage. You will often see a number of mics used as overhead rig for drums while some guitar players like to push their amp through a mic as well.

In a studio setting, dynamic microphones are generally used to record amplifiers or instruments that create too much SPL for condensers to handle. When it comes to recording actual vocals in a studio, condensers are still the tool of choice. Remember how we said that dynamic design solved the issues most condensers have, but also removed the benefits? Here's the thing. Dynamics being more robust usually tend to be too clinical for recording vocals. In other words, they lack the warmth your average condenser can offer. On top of that, there's an argument that dynamic mics aren't capable of capturing those subtle details in one's voice.

Understanding Polar Patterns

One part of understanding how microphones work are polar patterns. Arguably, condensers are more relevant to this section of our guide, but dynamic microphones use polar patterns as well. A polar pattern represents an area from which the microphone picks up sound. There are many patters, but cardioid is both the most popular one and one that's simplest to understand.

If you look at the cardioid pattern, you will see that it focuses mostly at the front of the microphone, with limited lateral coverage. The rear of the microphone is almost completely muted. One thing to note is that every microphone that uses a cardioid pattern tends to have different properties. While these differences are usually subtle, they do exist.

Other patterns that are commonly used are the hyper cardioid, figure eight and omni. Hyper cardioid is very similar to standard cardioid in a sense that it records mostly from the front, but it also opens up an area in the rear of the microphone. With that said, it isn't intended to be used primarily to record what is behind a microphone, but rather add more depth. Figure eight represents what are essentially two cardioid patterns attached back to back. Omni pattern records 360 degrees in relation to the microphone.

Every polar pattern is useful. Again, each is a tool that provides great results under specific circumstances. With that in mind, it is definitely best to start with a standard cardioid pattern and work your way up from there.

Which One To Start With?

Figuring out which of these two microphone types to start with is probably the most asked question in the community. The answer will depend on a number of things. The very first factor is going to be the type of recording you plan on doing. If you'll mostly record voice as in podcasts or vocal tracks, we definitely recommend going into condensers. However, if you want to record your amps, drums or other instruments, chances are that a dynamic mic would be the way to go.

Another factor is the price. Condensers used to be very expensive due to their complicated nature, but that is no longer the case. Right now you'll easily find affordable condensers and dynamic models alike. The only problem is the rest of the equipment you will need to get. For a condenser, that means a decent preamp, a good mount and so forth. Dynamic models are passive and hence require no external power. They also don't require a pop filter either.

With all that in mind, we would still start things off with a decent condenser. Doing so will be a great way of learning how to work a microphone, how it's affected by various factors and what kind of performance you can get by simply tweaking a few parameters. As we've said at the very beginning of this article, you won't stop with one microphone if you are serious about recording music. You might as well use what you need the most right now.

Conclusion
Microphones are an awesome area of music recording to explore. The more you learn, the better you will get at using them. The goal of this guide was to show you that microphones aren't a two dimensional piece of gear, but rather a versatile tool that takes quite a bit of knowledge to use properly. Information presented in this article is just the tip of the iceberg. There's so much more to learn, especially if you are interested in the technical aspect of microphones. The way we record music today wouldn't be possible without mics, making them worth looking into.