The world of microphones

So, you want to record some music, you have a PC or Mac with appropriate software or an 8-track of some fashion and you need to choose a microphone. Easy, you go down to your local branch of Academy of Sound, or Sound Control and you walk in the door, immediately you are met by an odd looking tech nerd with spots and three-inch glasses, behind him is the biggest glass case since that bit in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Only there's no albino princess in there, no instead you behold a confusing mess of mesh domed torpedos and rejects from the Sputnik project. This is where I can help.

Pete's guide to microphones.

The two main types of microphone out there are Dynamic and Condensor (sometimes referred to as Capacitor by our transatlantic friends). Here is what this site has to say about condensor microphones:

At the heart of every studio microphone is a transducer system designed to convert sound into an equivalent electrical signal. This works by means of a moving coil suspended in a magnetic field, or by utilising the change in capacitance of an electrically polarised capsule where one of the capacitor elements is a lightweight, conductive diaphragm. So-called capacitor mics tend to be expensive when compared to dynamic models, but they have very real advantages that justify their cost.

Not too helpful? Here it is in my words:

Microphones work by converting Acoustic Energy (hold your hand in front of your mouth and shout something, you should feel the Acoustic Energy) into Electrical Energy, which is then transferred down the microphone cable and into your recording device, or amplifier. The Acoustic Energy (or 'sound') causes a small diaphragm inside the microphone to vibrate at different frequencies, these vibrations generate the Electrical Energy.

Shure SM58 Dynamic Microphone
Dynamic Microphones like the Shure SM58 use the energy itself created by the sound to create the electrical energy (we'll call that the 'signal' from here on in)and it is for this reason that Dynamic Microphones serve a different purpose to Condensor Microphones. The dynamic nature of the device means that it requires more sound to operate, in order to generate enough sound to register. The diaphragm in a dynamic mic is larger and thicker than that of a condensor. This has pros and cons, it means you need to get the dynamic mic close to the recording source.

Applications for a Dynamic Microphone:

Recording guitar, bass, drums or the on stage recording of live vocals.


Neuman Condensor MicrophoneCondensor Microphones actually have a seperate power supply that helps boost the generation of signal from the diaphragm. This means that they have a much smaller and thinner diaphragm, which is a lot more sensitive (very expensive condensor microphones can pick up the sound of a gnat farting on the dark side of the moon). They can also pick up sound of a higher frequency than their dynamic cousins. There are once again pros and cons to this type of microphone, you don't want to close mic drums with them, the sound pressure level (SPL) produced by this type of instrument could damage the microphone, but for acoustic guitar, vocals or other acoustic instruments these microphones are amazing. You can also use them to record a whole band, if you get everyone in a room and get them sounding just right, it is possible to pick up a very ambient, natural sound just by using two condensor microphones mixed in stereo.

Applications for Condensor Microphones:

Vocals, groups of instruments, acoustic guitars and other acoustic instruments.

One final note on Condensor Microphones, they either use Phantom Power (where they draw power from the recording unit itself) or they use batteries (located inside the microphone shell). If you are using a mixing desk then check the manufacturer's manual for info on whether you require a microphone that makes use of phantom power or one that uses batteries. Most battery powered microphones have switches, remember to turn off the switch and remove the batteries when not in use, as your batteries will run down very quickly. You may be able to purchase a condensor microphone that can make use of phantom power and has the facility for batteries.

If you have any more questions please leave some comments.

Pete

(Further study and much more in depth terms can be found here, here and here)

my wish list

ok, having played on one of these last night, I want one, and want it now.

*adopts canadian accent*


'It will be mine, oh yes it will be mine'



It's a Mapex Pro-M series fusion kit, with extra 8 and 10 inch toms, I've already emailed my local drum retailer to enquire about one! Of course I have no money and am in about three thousand pounds of debt but this matters not, for I am going to get it some how!

Pete



I love music shops.

I found this and was concerned

The following came from this site. Like having CDs? Like having an ipod? Watch out, you may need to decide between one or the other if things go bad. Please read on...

Duluth, Minnesota — Testimony today in Capitol Records, et al v. Jammie Thomas quickly and inadvertently turned to the topic of fair use when Jennifer Pariser, the head of litigation for Sony BMG, was called to the stand to testify. Pariser said that file-sharing is extremely damaging to the music industry and that record labels are particularly affected. In doing so, she advocated a view of copyright that would turn many honest people into thieves.

Related StoriesDigital Freedom Campaign to organize students against RIAA abuse
Programming note: I'll be on All Things Considered this afternoon
RIAA: Jammie Thomas has "no basis" to complain about damage award
RIAA anti-P2P campaign a real money pit, according to testimony
Pariser noted that music labels make no money on touring, radio, or merchandise, which leaves the company particularly exposed to the negative effects of file-sharing. "It's my personal belief that Sony BMG is half the size now as it was in 2000," she said, thanks to piracy. In Pariser's view, "when people steal, when they take music without compensation, we are harmed."

Pariser has a very broad definition of "stealing." When questioned by Richard Gabriel, lead counsel for the record labels, Pariser suggested that what millions of music fans do is actually theft. The dirty deed? Ripping your own CDs or downloading songs you already own.

Gabriel asked if it was wrong for consumers to make copies of music which they have purchased, even just one copy. Pariser replied, "When an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song." Making "a copy" of a purchased song is just "a nice way of saying 'steals just one copy'," she said.

Countless studies have shown that the majority of music on portable music players like the iPod comes from sources other than download services. For most people, that music is comprised primarily of songs "ripped" from CD collections to MP3 or some other comparable format. Indeed, most portable music players comes with software (like iTunes) which is designed to facilitate the easy ripping of CDs. According to Pariser's view, this is stealing.

We've actually heard something similar to this view before. As part of the 2006 triennial review of the effectiveness of the DMCA, a number of content-related industries filed a joint reply with the government on the effectiveness of the DMCA and the challenges that lay ahead for copyright. The argument relating to CDs espoused in the joint reply could be summarized: although nothing has prevented consumers from making backups of CDs, this cannot be construed as authorization from the music labels for them to do so. Thus, there has been no authorization of said backups, and the coincidental ability to make backups currently should not be mistaken for fair use.

Pariser's views appear to be similar, insofar as she clearly suggests that consumers have no right to make backups of the music that they have purchased in CD form or even in download form.

Ken Fisher contributed to this report.

Now I don't know about you, but I always thought it was ok to make copies of CDs you already own, for your own personal use. Apparently record labels (was she speaking for all of them?) don't like it at all, and I understand that illegal downloads are very damaging to labels, and the main artists to suffer are not the huge bands who already have a lot of money, it's the fledgling artists struggling at the bottom. Of all these artists the 'alternative' sector suffer the most. So please think twice before you illegally download a song *slaps himself about and deletes a LOT of mp3s*

Pete

Rick Rubin

Who is he? The influential record producer responsible for putting Run-DMC and Aerosmith together for the single 'Walk This Way' which relaunched the drug addled crones' careers. Rubin boasts successful production of an extensive list of albums. How many people can claim to have The Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, System of a Down, Slayer, Danzig, Johnny Cash, Slipknot, Jay-Z Shakira, and Justin Timberlake on their CV? The Beastie Boys described him as a weird Jewish guy who, inspired by 70's rock act AC/DC produced their 1986 album 'License to Ill'.

Why should you care about Rick Rubin? His commercial success perhaps? Take a look at the albums he has produced, 'BloodSugarSexMagic' and 'Toxicity' were huge hits for the Red Hot Chilis and System of a Down, firmly rooting them in the consciousness for years to come. How about Def Jam records, later to become Def American and eventually American Records? The label he co-managed, enabling some of the early artists he produced, (see Beastie Boys and Slayer) serious album sales.

He's also producing Metallica's new album, their first not produced by Bob Rock since 1990's 'Black Album'. I am looking forward to hearing this, especially since the mixed reviews 'St Anger' recieved. Perhaps he can reinvent them as he did Aerosmith when they were wasted old has-beens.

Pete



James Hetfield of Metallica discusses new album, produced by Rubin.

my new song

I've spent the last two days free time tirelessly slaving over a mixing desk in not one but two locations (it's all portable). The result? All the electric, acoustic and bass guitar parts (seven in total) for my latest project. It's the most ambitious project I've undertaken solo before. In preperation I spent an hour writing it all down prior to plugging any microphones in. This proved to be an incredibly good idea, and allowed me to know exactly what to play on what bar, (there are a couple of hundred bars in this song) this allowed me to get into the individual takes more, hopefully improving on my performances, instead of having to count my way through them.

It hasn't been all plain sailing though, I badly damaged the mounting on my best microphone yesterday! I managed to bodge it up but I am not happy to say the least. I will have to save up for another one or find a replacement mount.

The song features a mixture of guitar styles, effects and feels. The song is made up of sections that wink at Heavy Metal like Black Sabbath and 70's proggressive rock. I threw in some 60's psychedelia for good measure too.

I hope to record the drum track on Tuesday, and the vocals at some point. Without the benefit of a decent monitoring system I may not put a fully mastered version on the internet until after Christmas, when I may have invested in some more nice tech gear :-).

I'm quite excited about this project, I haven't recorded anything of note for a few months, perhaps this is the end of my writer's block!

Pete

Coheed and Cambria

I mentioned them briefly in my last post, I've had a couple of their albums for two years but am enjoying a revival of sorts in my listening to them both, this coincides with their latest album being released too.
If you don't know about them or have only heard of them I urge you to check them out. I think you will love this band if:

a) you like sci-fi or graphic novels- all of their albums tell an ongoing story that's far too complicated for me to grasp, I've really only just got into the music!

b) you like catchy melodic choruses, tight rock rhythms, and general music of upbeat pace and feel.

c) you like singers who have huge 'fros (who doesn't love this?)

If you had to pigeonhole them into a genre (and you really have to with bands, even though doing so can negate their intricacies in the ear of the unlistener) I would say they fit somewhere between the progressive rock of 70's artists like Rush (in their ethos mainly, but it's also worked out musically, please say you have heard the album 2112). Stylistically they resemble melodic rock and emo without the latter's inherent whining about being dumped in year nine by a cheer leader or whatever.

I find the music inspiring and I hope you do too. Check em out, the latest album 'No World for Tomorrow' is only eight quid on play.com and I am waiting for it to drop through my letter box!


'Welcome Home' from the album 'Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness'


Pete

what's new?

so, I've been a little quiet, sorry - Just finished teaching my first lesson to my first drum student. I've been up to lots recently, and tomorrow with any luck I will start recording my next song, which may end up a bit epic.

I've been listening to Coheed and Cambria recently and also Bad Brains. Both very interesting bands, give them your attention, I am currently hooked on the song 'She's Calling You' from the album 'I Against I'. (click the link and preview some songs, it's easy)


My Dad has been really ill recently, and so my Mum and I are splitting our time between working and visiting him. I hope to get my blog on a bit more soon, keep checking for some new music from me and a review or two of the above bands.

Pete