M-Audio Microphone manual Acoustic Guitar

experiment with angling the mic down at the performer￿s mouth in order to avoid projecting the energy of the breath directly into the microphone.Also, make certain that the vocalist￿s headphones are the closed-cup variety, as open-cup designs tend to leak sound that the microphone will capture.

As previously mentioned, a pop filter is highly recommended in order to soften plosives and to protect the condenser diaphragm from saliva. Pop filters can also help in controlling a singer￿s proximity to the mic. (If a vocalist has a tendency to get too close to the mic, place the pop filter as far away from the mic as you want the vocalist to be, then have them sing directly into the filter.)

Pop filters do not help in controlling sibilance, commonly found in the hissing portion of the letter

￿s. You can try moving the mic lower and/or farther away to reduce sibilance, as well as encourage the performer to turn their head slightly during those passages to avoid projecting the sibilance directly into the mic. If these approaches are not effective, you may need to process the vocal with a de-esser￿a special form of compressor that targets sibilant frequencies.

Most engineers do use some compression when tracking vocals. A little compression goes a long way, and too much can squash a vocal. A few dB of compression is typically all that is necessary in order to prevent peaking while getting the maximum signal to the recorder. EQ adjustments should only be aimed at getting an optimal signal, rather than trying to perfect final tonality (something that should be reserved for the mix).

Be aware that a hard surface directly in front of the vocalist can create a strong sonic reflection that colors the vocal sound. If this is not desired, move the vocalist further back from that surface in order for the reflection to fall off more before reaching the mic.

Our ears are very highly tuned to the human voice, so even casual listeners are much more critical of recorded vocals than of any other instrument. Once you think you have a good miked sound for vocals, it￿s always a good idea to compare it directly with the sound of the vocalist just singing in the room in order to get a reality check.

A figure-8 pattern can accommodate two	Positioning for multiple singers around a cardioid
vocalists facing each other in a duet

Acoustic Guitar

There are a variety of popular mic placements for acoustic guitar. The one that might seem the most logical￿miking the sound hole￿is actually the least desirable in most situations.The result is very ￿boomy,￿ especially when combined with the proximity effect of a large diaphragm.With the exception of the audience perspective technique, place the mic(s) nine to 12 inches away from the focal area and experiment from there. In close-miking scenarios, encourage the guitarist to remain stationary in order to minimize fluctuations in the sound. Hard mounts are preferable to ensure exact placement, unless a soft

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Different microphone positions bring out 4 different qualities of an acoustic guitar

Choosing & Using Microphones 26