M-Audio Microphone manual

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Contents Microphone Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Microphone T ypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Capsule Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [...]

Chapter 1 Micr ophone Design While all micr ophones ar e designed for the common purpose of con verting variations in sound pressur e to electr onic signals, different technologies ha ve their benefits depending upon the a pplication. This chapter examines the merits of differ ent design types, capsule sizes, polar patterns, electronics and mor e. [...]

ha ve v ery low output, ther eby r equiring more electr oni c g a in  a f a ct o r t ha t n e ce s si t at e s high -quality preamp electr onics in order to a void noise. Condenser micr ophones Condenser mics are the most common f or studio use. A thin electrically conductiv e diaphragm is suspended ov er a back plate, forming a delicate flexibl[...]

Small Capsules Small capsules ar e ty picall y those with dia phragm diameters of less than about 1/2. Categ oricall y , they ar e extremel y accurate through the audible range of 20Hz to 20kHz. Their poor signal-to- noise ratio , howev er , r equir es tricks with electronics and r elegates small capsules to being most useful for measurement rat[...]

invariably pr efer the sound of solid brass. Needless to say , w e use solid brass backplates in all M-Audio mics. The spacing betw een the diaphragm and backplate is critical. In or der to a void pr oblems with barometric pressur e, the spacer ring has a break in order to allow air to move fr eely between these two components. W e precision drill [...]

Omni also exhibits significantly less pr oximity effect than car dioids. One result is that omnis are some what less sensitiv e to the mov ements of an animated vocalist. Another is that omnis tend to ha ve less need f or EQ. As mentioned earlier , while omnis pick up 360 degrees of sound, they tend to be mor e dir ectional as frequencies incr e a [...]

signal through headphones.That’ s because one side of the mic is in phase with the performer (and ther efore reinforcing their perception of their o wn sound) while the other side is not. Addressing the in-phase side while monitoring produces optimal monitoring results . T op Address vs. Side Addr ess Designs The orientation of the diaphragm with[...]

An output transformer and/or amplifier serves as a sort of translator and, in audio, we expect that translation to be excellent in or der to maintain fr equency response, dynamic range, and signal-to-noise ratio. Just as a pr ofessional language translator costs mor e than someone who just took a f ew y ears of for eign language in high-school, pro[...]

still work.) The theor y there is that the tube is used as a sor t of processor to “w arm” up the sound. The reality is that these are still solid state mics masquer ading as tube mics as cheaply as possible . Because of the ph ysics behind tube operation, tube mics ha ve classically been subject to certain ph ysical restriction on the length o[...]

From a technical perspectiv e, the two mics need to be as identical as possible in fr equency r esponse. A f l a t  f requency response implies that ther e is no deviation in the output le vel v ersus the input lev el at any and all fr equencies acr oss the audible spectrum. While a flat frequency r esponse is theor etically ideal, it is rare[...]

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Chapter 2 Ca r ing for Micr ophones High-quality condenser mics lik e the M-Audio line r epresent an investment. A few basic tips will help ensure a lifetime of excellent perf ormance. Shock Protection As you now kno w , condenser mics ar e constructed with extremel y thin diaphragms and very high tolerances. As such, condensers should be protected[...]

Choosing & Using Microphones 14 Cleaning and Storage Alwa ys store a condenser microphone in its case when not in use. Par ticulate matter such as dust can attach itself to the dia phragm and cause degradation of performance ov er time . In most cases, wiping the metal exterior of a microphone do wn with a dry or slightly damp rag will be suffi[...]

Choosing & Using Microphones Chapter 3 Basic Miking Conce pts Micr ophone placement is an ar ea in which art meets science. Micr ophone choice and placement is somewhat subjectiv e, much in the same wa y that choosing a guitar and amp is a matter of personal pr efer ence . Furthermore, each situation brings a difference confluence of perf ormer[...]

Choosing & Using Microphones a pro ximity effect wher e the low-mid fr equencies increase as the distance betw een the sour ce and mic decr eases. (The proximity eff ect is not a big issue with omni patterns or medium-sized capsules of any pattern.) With large diaphragms, then, the placement of the mic affects v olume, room ambiance and tonalit[...]

The R ecording Envir onment Prof essional studios often ha ve se veral diff erent acoustic spaces a v a i l a b l e  f rom small, relatively dead isolation booth to ca vernous r ooms with natural r eflections and long dela y times. Home recordists ha ve f ew er options, yet experimenting with recor ding in differ ent rooms ma y yield interesting[...]

Choosing & Using Microphones 18 common acoustic damping materials for home studio use. Music stands can also be reflective  something y ou can compensate for b y simply draping to wels o ver them. While a r easonable amount of absorption is often desirable for isolation, too much damping can create an anechoic space that literally sucks the [...]

Minimize r eflective surfaces. Har d surfaces lik e wood floors, smooth walls, windows and mir r ors are a common culprit in phase issues because the y reflect sound back into the micr ophone. If things sound odd, tr y moving the performer and/or mic. Also experiment with damping those r eflections with blank ets, towels, baffles and the lik e. Av [...]

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Chapter 4 Ster eo Miking T echniques The use of stereo miking techniques utilizing matched pairs can mak e all the difference between mediocre and outstanding r ecordings. After all, we listen to the world ar ound us in stereo via matched pairs of ears. Stereo miking can be used in applications ranging from individual instruments to small ensembles[...]

Choosing & Using Microphones 22 separation and ca ptur es more r oom reflections. In general, the X-Y technique using cardioids yields an accurate stereo image exhibiting minimal acoustic r eflections, although the separation is not as significant as some other stereo miking techniques. Blumlein Named after British ster eo pioneer Alan Blumlein[...]

together to create one side of the ster eo signal, and subtracts the side signal fr om the mid signal to cr eate the other .The result is a v ery accurate translation of the stereo listening field. The presence of an M-S balance control in the encoder also allows the engineer to contr ol the ratio of mid signal to side signal, and therefor e the pe[...]

Choosing & Using Microphones 24 degrees and fanned out to cov er the physical spread of the or chestra. Another pair of mics is often placed fur ther back in the hall on either side of the orchestra in order to captur e room reflections in the ambient space. Decca T ree is fa vor ed in the film industry because it provides a spacious sound alon[...]

Chapter 5 Specific Miking A pplications Now that we  ve cov ered some basics, it  s time to look at some time-honored guidelines f or common recor ding situations.While experimentation is definitely encouraged, these techniques will get you in the ballpark and, more importantly , pro vide additional understanding about micr ophones and placem[...]

Choosing & Using Microphones 26 experiment with angling the mic down at the perfo rme r s mouth in order to a void projecting the energ y of the breath directly into the micr ophone . Also, make certain that the voc alis t s headphones are the closed-cup variety , as open-cup designs tend to leak sound that the microphone will captur e. A[...]

mount is needed to minimize vibrations fr om ta pping feet and the lik e . In most cases, cardioids are the best choice for miking acoustic guitar .While you can certainly attain good results with a large dia phragm mic, medium diaphragms ar e often pref err ed in order r educe pro ximity effect. 1. Br idge. Miking the bridge yields a very sweet so[...]

Choosing & Using Microphones 28 1. Pop/r ock. The closer the mics are to the hammers, the mor e per cussiv e the resulting sound will be. For this reason, pop/rock r ecordings wher e the piano needs to cut thr ough other tracks ar e often achiev ed by close-miking the hammers. Start by placing a matched pair of cardioid mics face do wn about si[...]

• Single Mic . Using a single mic , the best you can attain is some sense of balance between the individual drums, along with the amount of room r eflection versus pur e drums. Using a boom, tr y angling a cardioid mic towar d the kit at about 6 feet off the gr ound and about one foot in fr ont or behind the kit. Alternately , place the mic four [...]

Choosing & Using Microphones Close-Miking Drums. Much of toda y  s music focuses so strongl y on the kick, snar e and hi-hat that being able to mic these components of a drum individually is fairly critical. At a minimum, you also need a pair of o verheads to catch e verything else in stereo . In a perfect world, you ha ve enough mics and ch[...]

Ho we v er , you can experiment with large capsul e mic  s lik e the M-Audio Luna, which is noted for it  s performance in the higher frequencies.If using a pair , they can either be used in an X-Y coincident fashion or spaced se v eral feet apart ov er the left and right portions of the kit. In both cases, experiment with a height of anywher[...]

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Chapter 6 The M-A udio F a mily of Micr ophones At this point, yo u  ve learned a g ood deal about how micr ophones w ork, how they ar e built and how the y are typically applied. Along the way , w e v e occasionally r eferr ed to some of the specific models in the Groov e T ubes family of mics. Her e  s a brief overview of the entir e M-A[...]

Choosing & Using Microphones 34 Appendix A T r oubleshooting T ips Please consult the following befor e calling tech suppor t (or even a friend). Pr oblem: No audio fr om mic ¥ Ph an to m p ower not on. T urn on phantom power on y our mic preamp or mix er channel. ¥ Gain is too low Make certain the pad is not turned on, both on the mic and pr[...]

Appendix B Contact Information M-Audio , formerly kno wn as Midiman, is a leading pro vider of digital audio and MIDI solutions for toda y  s electr onic musicians and audio pr ofessionals. Founded in 1988, M-Audio now has independent offices in the US, Canada, UK, German y , France , and Japan. M-Aud io s ability to parla y advanced technolo[...]