JPF Home Page Forums Musician Gear and Techniques Microphone and Vocalist Forum Getting the best out of your microphone.

There have been a lot of discussions here and in other places about mics and how to use them and what mic is best etc. I thought that I would bring up the subject for discussion and ask for people to both offer and ask for advice re mics and their usage.

I have seen really expensive mics wasted by people who do not or simply cannot use them properly. On the other hand I have heard great stuff fom real cheapos by people who know how to get the best out of them.

For what it is worth my basic suggestions are as follows.

1. Learn how to us your mic properly. Make sure it is set up properly and it is appropriate for the application. Check devices are working properly and settings and levels are correct. If you are not a techie then use your ears to judge or ask someone who knows to show you how to set it up.

2. Learn proper mic technique EG how to hold it or mount it in its stand properly and what is the best distance to be from it when performing. A lot of singers ruin a good performance by being too far from the mic to get a good signal or creating huge distortion by "eating the mic" or holding their fingers over the business end....my pet hate.....why do all rappers do this when they mouth off?

3. Get the best mic you can afford...but make sure it suits your voice and the application.

My guitar player just instructed me to buy an Audix mic. You've heard me, I'm kinda loud and have lousy mic technique, so what this mic does is it automatically eqs everything and the vocalist can be loud and obnoxious!

Hi Polly...I am not familiar with Audix....but am not quite understanding you when you say it automatically EQs. Every voice is different and certain mics suit individual voices better but each mic has to be Eqd for different tastes, applications, voices, sound systems and acoustics. These are always changing.
Mics have come a very long way over the past few years. Technology has advanced at a breakneck speed and music technology including mics has improved beyond all recognition plus have come down drastically in price...glory be...
It is important to choose a mic that suits you and your budget.
Most mics either add to or take away something from the sound source. Some add a little bottom some are thin and add top end.
The best mics capture sound exactly and neither add or take away anything. It is important to know how a mic will sound for your voice so try before you buy is best. One thing I hate is snobbishness abut brands....There are some who think Shure or some other make is the best.....The best mic is the one that suits your taste, needs, pocket and sounds best for your individual voice.
Setting up the mic is down to how you want it to sound.
for live work I always start with everything set flat without any fx and then adjust things till I get the sound I like....IMO a good mic is when I do not need to tweak anything everyting is flat and does not need any changes to the EQ.
If you want the vocalist to be loud and obnoxious then just turn the gain up...LOL

Ok Big Jim,
It appears you have bought a Microphone or two lately. Do those you bought include an instruction sheet on proper use or any guidelines of how to get the best effect. There are people who want to know.

My problem with mics are any given voice going into them!

Mine included lately.

I could have a $2000. mic, and I would still have some of the sounds coming out of ME lately that even if I did everything else right, (and follow the manufacture's instructions as Ray mentions),,,that great mic wouldn't know how to deal with certain "sounds"!

So, any holding, distance, angles info, ect. wouldn't help me now!

Sing along to these two Beatles play on words:
"Got to Get Me Good For The Mic", and "Get Back" to practicing singing, then I'll worry about the right use of the mic!

me me me....

Damn certain tree pollens and whatever else is in this fall air.

I have a fairly large collection of mics ranging from real cheapos (one from ASDAS, the brit equiv of Walmart, that cost less than $4 and it sounds great) to expensive studio mics that cost well into the thousands.

First of all you have to choose a mic fit for the purpose and know how to set it up. Most mics add something to the signal audio spectrum or take something away. Others do both..The more expensive the mic generally the clearer the sound and the greater the range of the sound it captures.
For live work I use top of the range cordless...I have a few including, Shure BETA SM58, SM57 and my fav Audio Technica.

For studio work I have several including a Neumann ( I will not brag about the model), a Rode K2 valve and a Se electronic 2200a which I like a lot and is great sound and specs for the money.

For very rough work demos I grab the first thing to hand.

I will be brief about how to set mics up and use them as this is a huge subject to cover. I will however do my best to answer any questions people ask.

"A mic is only a piece of apparatus to capture sound so there are few moving parts so it should be easy to operate"....LOL

A performance can be ruined or sound bad if the signal is not processed properly or amplified correctly. All too often I see people who have great equipment having it sounding terrible just because they do not know how to work it or make adjustments when they listen to what is coming out. Make sure it does not clip and that the bottom mid and top eq controls are set suitable for the type of sound you want. Most mics work well with a flat Eq and the gain and volume are set at a level that does not feedback or distort. It is important to do a soundcheck prior to recording or performing where adjustments in volumes levels and tones can be tweaked.
I have seen people who do all that and still sound terrible....that is usually down to a couple of things

1. No talent...LOL
2. Poor mic technique

I cannot do much for improving talent but I can help explain what is good practice for singing into a mic.

Find the optimum distance to sing from it is usually 4 inches to about six inches as too far away and you lose the signal or too close and you get distortion. Use distance as a volume control in other words back off a tad at the loud parts of a song and pull closer at low notes or quieter parts. Best to use a mic stand as this cuts out rumbling noise caused by a hand moving about or clutching he mic. If you want to hold the mic then keep hands as still as possible and well away from mouthpiece.

In a studio I always use a pop shield when recording vocals.

Tip..... look after mics.....Do not blow into them or bang them to see if they work....that is a sure fire way of damaging them and reducing their lifespan. Well it would GREATLY reduce your lifespan if I saw you banging one of my mics. LOL
After use give them a good clean wrap them in a dry cloth in a padded box. I also make a habit of unscrewing the mouthpiece and cleaning it plus the foam windguard often as this reduces condensation and reduces germs and passing infections back and forward. It is amazing the amount of gunge that can build up. The inside of the mic should only be cleaned if you know what you are doing.

Hi Jim,
One technique I use is to position the pop screen 4-6 inches away from the mic. I find that often times people are not aware of how much they change proximity to the mic when singing. In this way they become aware and can develop some mic technique of their own.
Rick

Jim,

Thanks for that information. I tend to be further away from the mic which is probably not good.

This may help with the other problem.

Thanks Argo I do the same with a popshield....Sadly handhelds do not have popshields. My pet hates are people who either try to eat the mic or are so far away it barely picks up a signal and my all time fav hate is the wrappers as I call them..... they are the ones who wrap their hands over the business end. Funny most rappers as in R&B rappers do the same that is if they are not clutching their groin or making weird hand gestures instead. It is no wonder what comes out the mic is distorted rubbish.lol

Colin thanks for stopping by.....these new fx pedals are amazing I saw one that actually polished a turd.

And,
If all else fails, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!

Polly,

Audix is a great mic. I use an OM5 which is great for live performances or recordings, but also works well in a studio setting in some instances. As with any mic (even the more expensive ones), you're going to have to 'work it.' I hit the red a lot too, however, this mic is easy. Sing across it if you have to; you'll still get a great sound.

Having said that, I'm also a fan of Shure, MXL, Apex and Audio Technica. Those are the mics I can afford and use! Don't get me started on Neumann (sigh! sniff-sniff.). God, I love Neumann (not the Seinfeld one, LOL). I have used them and love them, but can't afford to own one yet.

I'm another Audix fan - my wife uses an OM5 and I know a couple of engineers who use them on all kinds of voices. If you have feedback problems with a quiet voice then the OM7 can be a lifesaver. The only thing to watch with these mics is that they are very directional so you need to have them pointing directly at your mouth. If you want a less directional mic with a similar sound to the OM5 then try searching for an old Beyer M300. All these mics require a reasonably good PA to work with.

I'm also a fan of the Shure SM58. While it may not be the best mic for a particular voice, it is never going to be the worst mic and always puts in a usable performance. That's why so many of them are used by PA hire companies. It also works with bad PA's better than most other mics.

Cheers

James

I agree with Jim: mic technique is more important than the mic.

Try singing a phrase from one of your own multitrack recordings. Sing the first one as you normally would, and mix that section down.

Try another take singing another foot away from the mic, mix it down.

Try another take with the mic placed somewhere else in the room...sing into it slightly from the side, and mix it down.

Chances are, these three takes are all going to have a different vocal sound...same mic, different technique and placement.

Capture the best possible sound you can at the source, before you press that record button, and you might not feel the need to go out and buy yet another flavor of microphone.

Yep Mark pretty much on the money....I have seen people who are pretty good singers use a great mic and sound terrible. I have seen average singers sound pretty good with an average mic. The difference is mic technique.
OK pros use pretty top of the range stuff.....they would still sound good with any old crap....it is just a case of good mic technique and adjusting the settings on the amp to suit.

The Audix OM2 has a real nice sweet spot maybe 5 inches out, and dead center. Good for live and in the studio as well for very specific uses. I think Shania used Audix OM's for some of her earlier live work.

Paul Ryan
www.ryantunes.com

Bonnie Raitt is another Audix user. Sometimes she uses an OM5 and sometimes one of their stage condenser mics (VX10 or something???).

Cheers

James.

Hi Jim, I have an non electric acoustic guitar I have been writing with lately and love the natural sound. What kind of microphone do you feel would capture the natural sound of the guitar. Thank you in advance for your comments!

Bill White
Theoriginalrocker.com

Very cool!

That is a difficult question. So much goes into what kind of sound you want and what type of guitar you are using and what equipment you already have.....the kind of room you are using and style you are playing also has a huge bearing. You have to try different mics as per the same reasons as vocals. A good workhorse is a Shure SM57 not to be confused with a SM58...or my fav an Audio Technica ATM4041 though anything from the 4000 range is good and designed for acoustic use.
Here is an article from SOS mag which gives some good advice.
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug01/articles/recacgtr0801.asp

PS If you have more than one mic try using two or more placed in different angles and locations...... by adjusting the mix, FX and balance of these tracks you can get some pretty clever results.

Thanks Jim for your time and wisdom! :-)

i tend to get away from the mic when singing live so i wear a shock collar,LOL makes a good scream too!Mike

Best Sounding Mic I've heard for acoustic is the SHURE SM81

It seems to be what is out to be achieved with effect.
There is much done through eq and panning that can be achieved through any mic. I notice that with harmony vocals that multiple ways with that cam bring in all sorts of different angles.

Great thread. I have learned much during my own recording, the value of the pop filter as well as proximity and it's effect on the amount (or lack of) distortion. One of the most difficult balances is that between your distance from the mic and how loud you sing - you need to learn how your system "responds" as you perform.

Personally, I use an Audio Technica AT2020, which is a decently priced mic that I have seen compared to the Shure SM57. For what I am doing, it works well, has a clean sound, good sensitivity, and reasonably accurate reproduction.

Pop