i

INDEX

Note about the author and the essay.....................................................................................................ii What is a microphone?......................................................................................................................p.1 Microphone Types.............................................................................................................................p.2 Polarity..............................................................................................................................................p.3 Frequency Response.........................................................................................................................p.4 What to consider when choosing a microphone................................................................................p.4 Bibliography, references....................................................................................................................p.5

ii ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND THIS ESSAY My name is Christina Kassesian. I'm a guitarist and a composer based in Athens, Greece. This is my first assignment (IMPOOC, week one) for the course Introduction to Music Production (Berklee College of Music and http://www.coursera.org/), by Professor Loudon Stearns . With this e-book, I would like to present a quick practical guide to microphones, from a DIY recording artist's point of view. I will focus on dynamic and condenser microphones, their specifications and main usage. I will also refer to polarity patterns, frequency response and share a few tips on what to keep in mind before buying your first microphone. For the purposes of this essay, I advised several sources on the internet such as wikipedia and music websites, as well as books, videos and the video presentations of this course. Please, note that no copyright infringement was intended. The information I refer to is used exclusively for research/educational reasons. Opinions expressed refer to my personal point of view and should only be taken as a piece of advice from a DIY/ self-taught recording artist, not as a de facto scientific opinion from a professional sound engineer. Your feedback is valuable and very much appreciated. So, thank you for the time you spend reading and evaluating this essay. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed collecting the info and writing it, and that you will find useful information for your own needs. Christina Kassesian Athens, March 2013

WHAT IS A MICROPHONE ?

Microphones (sometimes called mikes or mics) are components found virtually in every recording/rehearsal studio. A microphone is part of the essential equipment for all musicians, we have all seen one or used one several times in our lives. But what exactly is it and what does it do? A microphone is the primary tool found in the sound chain, from a sound source to an audio storage medium. It enables you to record a voice, an instrument or other kinds of sounds that cannot be recorded directly on a recording device. In other words, a microphone is a transducer, that converts one energy type to another. It converts sound pressure variations in the air (sound signal/sound waves) into voltage variations in a wire (audio signal/electrical energy). And it tries to do so without changing the signal at all. But, despite how accurate a microphone is, the signal will always be colored a bit, depending on the microphone type we use.

BASIC MICROPHONE TYPES

There are many types of microphones, that function in a different way and have different kind of needs. The two main types of microphones used are dynamic and condenser. Another popular type of microphone is the ribbon, but it is not to be examined within this essay. DYNAMIC MICROPHONES Dynamic microphones are typically used for live performances. They do not pick up outside of their small area very well, and they can handle a lot of volume without the danger of unwanted feedback. They do not require additional external power (a.k.a. phantom power) to function. They are also very rugged. Rough usage will probably not affect them much, that is why sound engineers prefer them for gigs and extremely loud signals (drums, instrument amps, vocals etc). The dynamic microphone uses a magnetic field to convert the sound impulse from the diaphragm into electrical energy. The diaphragm, often made of plastic, is located in front of a coil of wire (voice coil). The voice coil is suspended between two magnets. When a sound comes in, the diaphragm and the voice coil move, creating the electrical signal. Dynamic mics do not represent the highest or lowest frequencies of our hearing spectrum as accurately as condenser mics, often adding some dirtiness to the signal. Most of the time, they are very inexpensive to buy and maintain. CONDENSER MICROPHONES Condenser microphones are, by far, the most popular choice for studio recordings. They produce a high-quality sound signal. But they are also very sensitive and fragile. They cannot handle highvolume sounds for a long period of time. However, they can offer a more accurate reproduction of the original sound than the dynamic mics. Also, most of the time, they are more expensive. The condenser microphone has an extremely thin metal diaphragm, that is suspended in front of a metal plate, called a backplate. Polarizing voltage is applied to the diaphragm and the backplate, creating a static charge in the space between them. A small signal is produced, when the diaphragm picks up a sound and it vibrates into the field between it and the backplate. Because the signal produced is small, the condenser microphone needs additional external power to function. This additional amount of voltage is known as phantom power (often seen on a preamp or mixer as +48 or 48V). One can find two types of condenser microphones, the ones with large diaphragm (LDM) and the ones with small diaphragm (SDM). An LDM is an excellent choice for a beginner to experiment with.

POLARITY
Microphones pick up sounds in different ways, known as polarity patterns. Polarity patterns have to do with the areas in front and around the microphone that are picked up well and the ones that are rejected. The main polar patterns are five: i) Omnidirectional: Picks up sounds coming in a 360 sphere around the microphone ii) Cardioid: Heart-shaped pattern that gathers sound primarily from the front of the microphone, with some rejection of the sides and all of the rear iii) Hypercardioid: Cardioid pattern that has tighter response in front of the microphone and some sensitivity in the rear iv) Supercardioid: A more focused version of the hypercardioid pattern, with higher rejection of the sides and all of the rear of the capsule v) Figure Eight or Bidirectional: Dual cardioid pattern that picks up from both sides of the microphone Depending on what your sound source is and what kind of recording you would like to do, you can choose among these polarity patterns. You can always choose a switchable pickup pattern, if you want to switch from one polarity pattern to another.

POLARITY PATTERN GOOD FOR

CARDIOID

FIGURE 8

OMNIDIRECTIONAL

SWITCHABLE

Controlling the source of input Rejecting unwanted sounds Concert recordings, live shows, amp miking

Capturing the interplay of two sound sources Ambient room effect

Representation of Maximum the total flexibility environment Versatility in Realistic sounds recordings of acoustic All-around instruments microphone Field recordings

FREQUENCY RESPONSE
Frequency response refers to the highest and lowest possible frequency the microphone can reproduce. Due to many factors, such as the type of material it is constructed from, its shape etc, every microphone responds to frequencies in a different way. Practically, one can keep in mind that, the wider the spectrum of frequencies, the more accurate the microphone's sound reproduction.

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A MICROPHONE

Depending on your budget, your experience in recordings and your overall equipment, there are several things to consider before choosing a microphone. Among them are these: 1) You should determine the main usage of the microphone you want to buy. Not all types of mikes are good for all situations. Make a list of possible usages, check out the different kinds of mikes and make sure to do some reference listening too. 2) You should determine the level of quality you would accept for your recordings. Check out the frequency response, make sure that the mike responds to your needs and if not, then choose another brand. 3) Check out if the mike you are about to buy is compatible with your existing equipment. 4) If you are a beginner, consider buying an all-around microphone like a mid/large diaphragm condenser mike (if it has switchable polarities, it's even better) and a dynamic mike for vocals and amplifier recordings. There are many affordable choices out there. 5) Do a market research, ask a more experienced friend, read users reviews, go to your local store and ask if you can test the mike before buying. 6) Experiment with different kinds of mikes before buying the super-extra expensive Neumann you keep dreaming of! It's better to build a collection of equipment step by step than buying all of it at once. You never know when your opinion or taste will change! 7) Keep in mind that, when it comes to sound quality, the best advisors are your own ears and your personal point of aesthetics. The best microphone you can buy is the one that suits your personal needs!

BIBLIOGRAPHY, REFERENCES
For the needs of this essay, I found valuable information reading excerpts from these books: 1) The Sound Effects Bible: How to create and record Hollywood style sound effects, by Ric Viers (Michael Wiese Publications, 2008) 2) Home Recordings for Musicians FOR DUMMIES, by Jeff Strong (3rd edition, Wiely Publishing, Inc. 2009) 3) Guerilla Home Recording: How to get great sound from any studio , by Karl Coryat (2nd edition, Hal Leonard Books, 2008) I also found interesting articles on www.wikipedia.org and lots of useful information on the web, by visiting the websites of recording equipment selling brands. Finally, I advised my personal notes from the video lectures of this class and from other seminars I attended in the past.