Q. Can I calculate the preamp gain difference between two mics?
I have two different mics, made by the same legacy German manufacturer, that I’m ‘shooting out’ to compare them as vocal mics, and generally to make sure they’re working properly...
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I have two different mics, made by the same legacy German manufacturer, that I’m ‘shooting out’ to compare them as vocal mics, and generally to make sure they’re working properly...
In the first of this two-part series, David Mellor gives us an introduction to mic polar patterns.
A valuable test for recording engineers, David Mellor gives examples of different mic types to emphasise the importance of knowing your mic collection in detail.
What are the typical tolerances (say, in milliseconds) for acceptable differences between a pair of drum overheads?
In the final part of this series, Rob Toulson focuses on mic techniques for recording drums and talks us through the issue of frequency cancellation in a multiple mic setup, details how to choose the recording sweet spot in a room and explains the various stereo mic options that are available including the famous Glyn Johns technique.
The parabolic reflector is the ultimate directional microphone setup for outdoor recording. Here’s how to get the best from it.
I want to buy my main vocal microphone. I want a balanced microphone, with a smooth top end to be used with a deep baritone male voice.
Does sending phantom power to a dynamic microphone cause any problems or affect the signal?
As electret condenser mics have internal preamps, do non‑electret condensers also have built‑in preamps?
Recently I had to record a Japanese taiko drum ensemble, but I got a fair bit of distortion even though my recording levels never reached 0dBFS. Why was I getting this distortion/compression?
How often do you need to change the valve in a microphone? How do you know when it needs changing?
I’d like a clearer understanding of what a fully floating balanced output is and how I can take advantage of it....
Is a Beta 87A hotter than an SM58? I know there’s a difference in response curve, but how many dB hotter is it?
My Brüel & Kjær 4006 mics have alternative black and silver capsules. Under what conditions should I consider swapping them out?
I noticed in your review of the Lewitt LCT 1040 microphone that it has a switchable 120Hz 6dB/octave high‑pass filter, for countering the proximity effect. If my mic doesn’t have this feature, can I just set up the same thing in my DAW channel EQ?
In this occasional series of Sound Advice articles about buying gear for your studio, we'll be looking at a different piece of studio equipment and trying to help you decide if you really need it.
I have a Tram TR50 lavalier mic with a very low output level. I was thinking about getting an inline gain booster for it, but someone told me that this kind of device was not appropriate for lav mics...
Is it common to combine an omni mic for LF extension with one or more directional mics for higher up?
I record spoken‑word narration, close‑miked in a small room, with basic room treatment. While I have no noise‑floor problems, I’ve noticed that some of my mics have a lot less noise than others...
I purchased some small‑diaphragm electret condenser microphones from 12 Gauge Microphones and can only use them on my non‑transformer input mic preamps. Do you know of a way to make these mics work with my transformer input preamps?