Microphone Placement
In order to maximize the sound quality, you must pay careful attention to the placement of your
CL8 and how it is positioned for the instrument or vocalist that you are miking. All microphones,
especially uni-directional or cardioid microphones, exhibit a phenomenon known as the “prox-
imity effect.” Very simply put, proximity effect is a resulting change in the frequency response of
a microphone based on the position of the mic capsule relative to the sound source. Specifically,
when you point a cardioid mic directly at the sound source (on axis) you will get the best fre-
quency response, however when you start pointing the microphone slightly away (off axis) you
will notice the low frequency response dropping off and the microphone will start to sound
thinner.
For most vocal applications you’ll want to position the microphone directly in front of the artist.
The same may be true for miking instruments, however, you can make some pretty amazing
equalization adjustments by slightly changing the angle of the capsule to the sound source. This
can be a very useful technique in capturing the optimum sound of drum set, acoustic guitar,
piano or other instruments in a live room or sound stage. Experimentation and experience are
the best teachers in getting good sounds, so plug in!
P-Popping
P-Popping is that annoying pop that you can get when the microphone diaphragm gets a blast
of air from a vocalist pronouncing words with the letter “P” included. There are a few ways to
deal with the problem including using an external pop filter. Some famous engineers have
relied on an old nylon stocking over a bent clothes hanger, which actually works very well. (For
a cleaner solution, try a PS01 pop filter from Samson Audio.) You can also try placing the micro-
phone slightly off axis (on a slight angle) from the vocalist. This can often solve the problem
without using an external pop filter.
Stand Mounting the CL8
The CL8 can be mounted to a standard microphone stand using the included swivel mount
adapter. If you are using a U.S. 5/8” mic stand, you will need to remove, by unscrewing, the Euro
stand adapter. Simply screw on the swivel adapter to your mic stand or boom arm. Now, loosen
the thumbscrew and adjust the microphone to the desired angle. Once set, tighten the thumb-
screw to secure the microphone in place.
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Operating the CL8
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