9. Introduction to Microphones and Recording Basics
In this lesson we’ll cover some fundamentals of microphones. The different types, use cases, and best practices for each type. While each microphone type has a particular strength this is where the “art” in “recording artist” comes into play. While there is a science to it, selecting a microphone is just as much an art form and stylistic choice as it is a science and physics based choice.
Everyone has a different voice. Men can have deep boomy voices while women have lighter softer voices. A mic that is suitable for a big boomy voice may take away the elegance of a lighter softer voice. A microphone that is suitable for a lighter voice may make the bigger boomy voice sound weaker than it truly is. It really is an art form and takes experimentation and experience to be able to hear a sound and know what microphone you need to best capture the sound's essence in its purest form.
I’ll cover the basics here, but ultimately it's an individualistic choice that can change time after time. One might also say that a selection of a particular microphone adds to one’s “sound” or style of recording. But as previously mentioned, this takes time, experience, and experimentation.
Perfection is truly unattainable. But you can get damn close to it.
_________________________________________________________________
-
9.1 Microphone Types and Applications
- A brief overview of dynamic, condenser, and ribbon mics and their use cases.
There are 3 primary types of microphones. Dynamic, Condenser, and Ribbon. Each type comes in different shapes, sizes, ‘flavors’, and pickup patterns. No 2 mics are identical which highlights the artistic side of microphones. You can record the same sound with 2 different mics and get 2 totally different sounding recordings.
_________________________________________________________________
The first type we’ll discuss are Dynamic Microphones. Dynamic microphones are the most common when you think about them from a purely aesthetic standpoint. Specifically speaking the Shure SM58, arguably one of the most iconic microphones.
The Shure SM58 is a type of dynamic microphone. Known for its durability and longevity. While this isn’t a plug for Shure microphones, they often hold a strong presence in the industry as the standard for live performance microphones.
Dynamic microphones are passive, meaning they dont require power to work. Dynamic microphones utilize a magnet with a coil wrapped around it, which is connected to a diaphragm. The diaphragm vibrates back and forth via the sound pressure produced by your voice in order to create an electrical signal.
When the sound applies pressure to the diaphragm it moves the coil that surrounds a magnet. This produces positive and negative voltages that mimic the sound being captured. This is the basic principle of how microphones work. They capture vibrations in the air and convert them to electrical signals. In the case of a Dynamic microphone, it uses ‘brute force’ to move the coil.
Dynamic microphones are typically found in live stage performances, where loud sounds are being captured, as well as some ‘no-so-delicate’ situations. Dynamic microphones aren't very sensitive so you can use them in environments that have a lot of background noise.
On the other side of the same coin, they can often be very ‘warm and inviting’ which is what makes the Shure SM7B such an infamous podcasting mic.
Due to it being a Dynamic mic, the SM7B in particular has a very wide ‘dynamic range’ (i’ve covered dynamic range in-depth in This Blog). It’s fair to say the SM7B is the most iconic broadcasting/ podcasting mic on the planet. Not only that, but Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” was recorded with the SM7B, thus showing its versatility in the recording industry.
_________________________________________________________________
Dynamic Microphones
How They Work:
- Use a coil of wire attached to a diaphragm, moving in a magnetic field to generate audio signals.
- Rugged and does not require phantom power.
Strengths:
- Durable and resistant to moisture.
- Handles high sound pressure levels (SPL) well (e.g., loud instruments).
- Less sensitive to background noise and room acoustics.
Use Cases:
- Live Performances: Vocals (Shure SM58), instruments (kick drum, snare, guitar amps).
- Recording Loud Sources: Drums, electric guitar amps, brass instruments.
-
Broadcasting: Speech for podcasts and radio (Shure SM7B).
_________________________________________________________________
Second, we’ll cover the Condenser microphone. Whereas the dynamic microphone will more often be seen in a Live scenario, the Condenser Microphone will more often be found in a controlled studio environment. This is due to their extreme sensitivity.
When a highly detailed and articulated recording is of upmost importance, the Condenser microphone will be the go-to. Condenser microphones, unlike dynamic microphones, require +48V phantom power in order to operate. This +48 Volts fills a capacitor (think tiny battery) making the microphone electrically changed to begin with. So whereas the dynamic microphone uses brute force vibrations to move a coil over a magnet to produce an electrical signal. The condenser microphone is already electrically charged and balanced to such a level that any sound vibration around it is captured. This also means that the condenser is very sensitive and should not be used to record loud sounds.
Condenser microphones are for precision. So much so that you can hear someone's tongue hit the back of their teeth. Condenser microphones are ‘active’ due to their requirement of power. You can think of a Dynamic mic as a hammer, and a Condenser as a scalpel. Due to their sensitive nature, you’ll want to make sure you are in a controlled environment. Outside noise can very easily bleed into your recordings.
One of my favorite Condenser microphones is the Neumann TLM 103. The first time I was able to hear its quality it made me think “am i hearing my voice or am i hearing the thoughts in my head?” It’s quality and articulation of my voice was very impressive to say the least.
Compared to the SM7B, the TLM 103 could be considered ‘sharp’ or ‘bright’. Where the SM7B would sound ‘warm’ or almost even ‘dull’ compared to how sensitive the TLM 103 was. Both microphones are impeccable in their own rights, but used for entirely different purposes. Robust vs. Articulation is another way to think of Dynamic vs. Condenser.
_________________________________________________________________
Condenser Microphones
How They Work:
- Use a capacitor to capture sound, requiring phantom power to operate.
- Very sensitive and captures fine details.
Strengths:
- High sensitivity and wide frequency response.
- Excellent for capturing subtle nuances and details.
- Best for controlled studio environments.
Use Cases:
- Vocals: Studio vocals, voiceovers, ASMR recordings.
- Acoustic Instruments: Acoustic guitar, piano, string instruments.
- Overheads/Room Mics: Drum overheads, capturing ambiance.
_________________________________________________________________
Lastly, we’ll talk about Ribbon Microphones. The ‘acquired taste’ of microphones. Ribbon microphones are known for their ‘vintage’ sound. They are warm and smooth and used across many different cases. From Foo fighters to Green Day to Lana del Ray to Aero Smith, The Royer R-121 is one of the most renowned Ribbon microphones.
Ribbon microphones are most commonly passive, like the dynamic microphone. Though, few models do come in a powered model. The Ribbon microphone is very easily damaged if you’re not careful with handling it around +48V phantom power.
A Ribbon mic is built with a very very thin metal ‘ribbon’ suspended between 2 magnets. But unlike the dynamic which uses a diaphragm to move a coil, the ribbon itself is used to capture the signal.
Ribbon mics tend to ‘tame’ high frequency information like cymbals or other ‘shrilling’ sounds. Often referred to as ‘warm’ or ‘smooth’. Ribbon microphones are often used to create richness in recordings. They have a wide range of applications from rock music to orchestral recordings. From rich piano to smooth and warm vocals, they are truly works of art in and of themselves.
_________________________________________________________________
Ribbon Microphones
How They Work:
- Use a thin metal ribbon suspended in a magnetic field to capture sound.
- Traditionally passive, though active models exist.
Strengths:
- Smooth, natural sound with a vintage warmth.
- Captures sound in a figure-8 polar pattern.
- Excellent for handling high-frequency harshness.
Use Cases:
- Vocals: Smooth, vintage-style vocal recordings.
- Electric Guitar Amps: Adds warmth and tames harshness (Royer R-121).
- Orchestral Recording: Brass, strings, and woodwinds for a natural sound.
- Drum Overheads: Adds a balanced, mellow character to cymbals.
_________________________________________________________________
-
9.2 Polar Patterns
A Polar Pattern is a representation of a microphones directional pick up. Not only do microphones come in Dynamin, Condenser, or Ribbon. They also come in Cardioid, Super Cardioid, Hyper Cardioid, Figure 8, and Omni directional. There are a few other polar patterns but we won't get into those today as they aren't as applicable to studio recording.
A Polar Plot is a graph that represents a 360 degree view of a microphone's ability to capture sound with 0 degrees being at the front of the diaphragm or front of the microphone itself.
_________________________________________________________________
Cardioid is front facing. It rejects all sound from the rear and is ideal for vocals. It's a common polar pattern in both Dynamic and Condenser microphones. Cardioid is useful when there is moderate background noise and you need to isolate the sound you are focused on capturing.
_________________________________________________________________
Super Cardioid is similar to cardioid, but it has a slightly more narrow pick up radius at the front of the microphone, and becomes more sensitive at the rear of the microphone. Super cardioid is often found where a more focused isolation is needed in noisy environments. Super Cardioid is found in both Dynamic and condenser microphones alike.
Here is a 3D representation of Cardioid vs Super Cardioid
_________________________________________________________________
Hyper Cardioid ls an even more focused version of the Super Cardioid pattern. It’s found in specialty Dynamic mics and in certain condensers. When directivity is very important to the recording, Hyper Cardioid would be the go to. It’s off-axis rejection of almost 90 degrees makes it ideal for live performance where high ambient noise is prevalent.
_________________________________________________________________
Figure 8 picks up equally from the front and the rear of the microphone and rejects any noise coming from the side of the microphone. This is great for stereo recordings or interviews with 2 people on either side of a table. This is the standard pick up pattern for Ribbon microphones and can be a common option for Condenser microphones, but is very very rare to see in a dynamic microphone.
_________________________________________________________________
Omni Directional microphones can pick up everything around them front, back, left, right, the full 360 degrees around it. Omni mics are generally used for Room mics, to capture a more open sound that involves the acoustics of the environment around you. They are also handy for group recordings when individuals are placed in a circle around the mic to all sign or chant together. They are more often found in Condenser mics but can also be found in dynamic microphones as well.
_________________________________________________________________
As you can see, Not only do microphones come in Dynamic, condenser, and Ribbon. They also come in Cardioid, Super Cardioid, Hyer Cardioid, Figure 8, and Omni Directional. This makes for a vast variety of combinations of sounds and styles of microphones. Thus highlighting even more how much of an art recording audio truly is.
Polar summary
- Picks up sound mostly from the front.
- Ideal for vocals and rejecting background noise.
-
Common in both dynamic and condenser mics.
- Similar to cardioid but with a tighter pickup at the front and slight sensitivity at the rear.
- Great for isolating a sound source in noisy environments.
-
Found in both types.
- Even narrower front pickup with more rear sensitivity than supercardioid.
- Used when extreme isolation is needed.
-
Common in certain condensers and specialty dynamics.
- Equal pickup from the front and back, rejecting the sides.
- Often seen in ribbon microphones and some condensers (rare in dynamics).
-
Great for stereo recordings or interviews.
- Picks up sound equally from all directions.
- Good for capturing room sound or group recordings.
- Available in both dynamic and condenser mics.
-
9.3 Avoiding Common Recording Mistakes
Clipping
First and foremost, let's talk about clipping. What is Clipping? In the audio world we have physical limits, whether it's on a mixing console or inside the computer. Clipping is when we reach the peak of what our machine is capable of. In the DAW, this tends to be anything over 0-dBFS, or 0-dB.
A more indepth look into the dB Here.
When looking at the below meters we can see that anything above 0-dB begins to turn red. This is indicating that our audio is Clipping.
Clipping is often a bad thing. 9-10 times it creates an undesired effect, though some producers in the later years have used clipping to create a specific sound in an artistic way. This is besides the point. Until you fully understand what's going on, it's best to completely avoid clipping. At the same time it's also important to avoid being too quiet as well. The sweet spot will be around -12dB to -6dB when it comes to recording audio in the DAW.
Below is an image of what happens when we clip a sine wave. We can see that when the signal becomes louder than 0dB it starts to ‘chop off’ the top of the wave form. This can cause audible distortion that is very often undesirable and overall just sounds bad.
_________________________________________________________________
Pop Filters
Pop filters are designed to prevent ‘plosives’ from distorting your recording. What is a plosive? The letter ‘P’, the word ‘Pop’, or ‘Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers’ which contains 8 plosives. Essentially words that use P, T, K, D, G, or B. Any word that forces air out of your mouth more so than other words. Ball, Boy, Tight, Kite, Doubt, Pack, Gross. These are all plosive word. It's the act of an explosive release of air when talking.
Pop filters mitigate this by defusing the air before it gets to the mic!
Some pop filters are mesh, others are metal. Some microphones even come with them built in. But, you can never be too safe, so it's always a good thing to have an external pop filter just to make sure.
While the above images have pop filters that attach to the mic stand, other forms of pop filters can cover the microphone capsule itself which is often the type of pop filter you see on hand held microphones on stages during live performances.
_________________________________________________________________
Shock mounts / Decoupling
Oftentimes when looking at studio microphones we see these spider web things holding them up. What the heck is that? This is called a ‘Shock Mount’ and it is designed to ‘decouple’ the microphone from the stand. As if it were suspended in the air.
A shock mount prevents sounds from traveling up the microphone stand and vibrating the microphone causing unwanted sounds to interfere with your recording. For example, When you’re in the recording booth and you're tapping your foot to keep the beat, if your microphone isn't on a shock mount, your foot tapping could very easily vibrate the mic stand resulting in your tapping being transferred to the mic itself. This is definitely undesirable.
Some different variations of shock mounts.
_________________________________________________________________
Room Noise
Sound travels at 1130 feet per second! Sound also bounces off of hard surfaces like a chaotic bouncy ball flying in every direction until it runs out of velocity and dies off due to the laws of physics. Microphones are designed to capture sound, regardless of if that sound is your voice straight from your mouth, or the reflection of your voice bouncing off the walls around you.
Acoustic treatment is your best friend when it comes to a solid clean recording. While not everyone has the luxury of being able to 1. Afford acoustic treatment or 2. Hang things on their walls because of apartment rules or x,y,z. One of your worst enemies will be room acoustics. Especially if you’re using a condenser mic.
We’ll get into pretty hefty acoustical physics later on, but for right now, all you need to know is the Where you record is almost More important than what mic you record with. Recording vocals with a $99 mic in an echoey room will sound bad. Recording vocals with a$2,500 mic in the same echoey room will actually sound even worse!
A better mic doesn't guarantee a better recording if your room sucks!
If you have an echoey room, try moving to a closet filled with clothes if you can't afford acoustic panels. Or, you can cover yourself with a blanket, sit between some towels, or even build a fort out of pillows and blankets. Anything to soften the surfaces around you will help. Sound bounces right off hard surfaces and softening your environment will help mitigate that.
_________________________________________________________________
In summary
Microphone Types
-
Dynamic Mics: Durable, no phantom power needed, handles loud sounds, great for live performances, loud instruments, and podcasting (e.g., Shure SM58, SM7B).
-
Condenser Mics: Sensitive, requires phantom power, ideal for studio vocals and detailed recordings in controlled environments (e.g., Neumann TLM 103).
- Ribbon Mics: Warm, vintage sound; reduce high-frequency harshness, often used for vocals, guitar amps, and orchestral recordings (e.g., Royer R-121).
Polar Patterns
-
Cardioid: Front-focused, rejects rear noise, common for vocals.
-
Supercardioid/Hypercardioid: Narrower front pickup, rejects more background noise, ideal for isolation in noisy environments.
-
Figure-8: Equal front/back pickup, rejects sides, great for stereo recording and interviews.
- Omnidirectional: Picks up sound from all directions, good for room ambiance and group recordings.
Avoiding Recording Mistakes
-
Clipping: Avoid exceeding 0dB to prevent distortion; aim for levels around -12dB to -6dB.
-
Pop Filters: Use to reduce plosives (e.g., "P," "B" sounds).
-
Shock Mounts: Prevent vibrations from interfering with recordings.
- Room Noise: Soft surfaces and acoustic treatment improve sound quality; avoid echoey rooms.