User Manual
5
Fig. 3
Mic is positioned
4” from grill
Side View
4”
Mic is aimed
directly at center
of loudspeaker
Top View
6
Recording Tips and Tricks
Vocals and Dialog
Ideally, you want to record
vocals in a relatively “dead” room. If you
clap your hands and get an echo effect,
you should consider adding some carpet,
blankets, drapes, or other sound absorbing
materials. On that note, make every effort to
avoid getting too close to the room’s walls.
These hard, reflective surfaces can easily
complicate the recording process. Move
your mic setup toward the room’s center.
Generally, you should position
the vocalist roughly 6 - 8 inches away from the microphone. Getting too close to the
microphone tends to increase bass response and can create problems with plosive
sounds (i.e., those popping Ps, Bs, Ds, and Ts). Getting too far away makes the
microphone more subject to picking up room ambience and creates the effect of the
vocalist being in a bowl. While vocalists may need to move about in order to hit those high
notes, make every effort to maintain a constant distance from the microphone, as this
will provide the greatest tonal balance (see Fig. 1). For the most part, the microphone’s
axis (or center line) should aim toward the nose and mouth to obtain the fullest sound. It’s
not a bad idea, however, to experiment angling the microphone slightly away from dead
center so as to help minimize plosives. Further, you should always place a “pop” filter
between the vocalist and the microphone, with the pop filter positioned 3 - 4 inches in
front of the microphone. This will greatly increase your ability to achieve the most natural
sounding recordings with minimal interference from plosive sounds. Fixing plosives with
audio editing software often creates more of a problem than the plosive itself. Use of
a pop filter will also protect your microphone’s sensitive capsule, keeping it free from
moisture caused by saliva and breath condensation. Remember — good microphone
technique, proper positioning, and use of a pop filter can make all the difference between
a so-so vocal recording and a great one.
Recording Acoustic Guitar
Your best results for capturing
the acoustic guitar (or any similar stringed
instrument) begin with a properly tuned
instrument and strings that, while not old,
aren’t so new as to create tuning issues due
to stretching. There are two optimum points
for microphone positioning: either near the
bridge or by the twelfth fret.
While it may seem natural to place the microphone in front of the
instrument’s sound hole, doing so usually increases low frequency response to the
point of making the instrument sound “boomy.”
Twelfth Fret Placement: Placing the microphone roughly 2 - 4 inches from
the twelfth fret and aimed directly at the strings will generally produce a warm, full
bodied sound with good tonal balance. In addition, the sound hole’s contribution to
the sound will be moderated since the microphone is not pointed directly at it.
Bridge Placement: Similarly, you can position the microphone so it is 3 - 6 inches
from the guitar’s bridge. This will generally produce a somewhat brighter tonal quality.
You should also be prepared to experiment with positioning the microphone slightly
off-axis should you find yourself capturing too much low frequency response from the
guitar’s sound hole.
The acoustic characteristics of your room will also have a pronounced effect
on your results. A “live” room will produce an overall “brighter” guitar sound, while a
“damped” room will produce more of a mellow tone. If you have two microphones,
you may wish to experiment using one in close proximity to the guitar as previously
described, with the second microphone on a stand a few feet away to capture the
room’s ambience. Blending the two sources can produce excellent results.
Recording an Amplified (Electric) Guitar
While the electric guitar can certainly be recorded directly, there are times
when there is simply no substitute for the sound of a real amplifier. Guitar amps have
particular gain stages that facilitate the popular “crunch” guitar sound. While digital
modeling and processing systems certainly have their place, they may not have the
same level of realism as the sound from an amplifier. A small guitar amp can be just as
effective for this application as a stack, because you don’t necessarily need to “crank”
the volume.
Instead, you want to increase the amp’s initial gain to achieve the desired amount of
overdrive.
Typically, a guitar amp is close miked to achieve the highest direct sound.
Placing the microphone roughly 4 inches from the grill, aimed directly at the center of
the loudspeaker will produce the most “edge” to your sound. By angling the microphone
slightly off axis and towards the wall, you can add more “room sound.” Experimentation
is a key factor in achieving the sound you are looking for (see Fig. 3).
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Bridge
Placement
12th Fret
Placement
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