THE MICROPHONE HEY! IS THIS THING ON? By huskybones

Hey swingers! This months article is about the basics of microphones. When you look at an add in a catologue, what do all those terms mean? Which mic is “good” or “right” can depend on what you want/like. Generally you need to know what a mic’s characteritics are, and how they can work for you. So here it is.

Microphones are described first by how they function. They can be omnidirectional or directional in how they “hear” sound. Omnidirectional mics pick up sound from all angles equally.

The directional type are more focused, two types are cardioid and hypercardioid. The cardioid type picks up what it’s pointed at and doesn’t pick up as much from the back or side. The hypercardioid is similar only more focused. I’ve noticed that there is one called a super-cardioid. I’m imagining a microphone with a little red cape and a slightly different frequency response pattern but you get the picture. (The name cardioid comes from the heartshaped pattern that the mic hears in. See the spec sheet for a picture).

The other way to describe a mic is in the mechanism that picks up the sound. Two kinds are condenser and dynamic. Condenser mics are good for vocals, piano and overheads. They sound great in the studio where a whisper can be heard but they’re kind of rare in a club setting because of they’re delicate nature. So, no Roger Daltry moves, OK? These mics need a power source to operate. Some use batteries and others use what’s called phantom power. Your mixer may supply the phantom power or you’ll need an external source.

The Dynamic type is the one that does all the hard work. Your basic Shure SM 57 that’s been dropped and spit on and who knows what, is a dynamic mic. It has a moving coil that’s kind of like the opposite of a speaker, turning air into electricity. They’re good for bass, drums, vocals, and bass-drums.

A “vocal mic” is usually a cardioid dynamic type with something added. They are made to respond in a certain way, boosting the low frequency response when the mic is close and thinning it out when it’s further away. This is called the proximity effect. Certain consonant sounds like B’s and P’s give these mics problems. Using a windscreen can help as can good mic technique (which I’m still working on.). Move the mic up or to the side just as you make the P sound.

Microphone cables are usually the XLR or “balanced line” type. They have three pins as opposed to the 1/4” guitar cable. One thing about cables, for guitars, mikes, or speakers is that they wear out and get noisy fast if you don’t wind them properly. Don’t wrap them around your forearm. THIS IS BAD. Instead, wrap them in a circle around 8” to a foot in diameter with no small curls, no knots, and tie them with a velcro tie. Unless you like buying new chords or having them snap and crackle all through your shows.

Well that’s it for this time. Thanks for reading and if I may, let me leave you with two quotes. These don’t have anything to do with mics, they just make me all giggly.

“Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung.” - Voltaire

“Too many peices of music finish long after the end.” - Igor Stravinski

Thanks
-hb