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Getting it Down
Recording Applications and Techniques
Better ways to record that'll give you the
awesome sounds you hear on your favorite CDs
There are many classic approaches to miking and
recording all sorts of standard arrangements of instruments. You
don't have to exactly follow them - or follow them at all - but
knowing the traditional approach is a great place to start.
Let's examine the classic setups for a few
specific recording applications.
Recording Guitars
Acoustic Guitars - -
If you're trying to lay down a thumping rock rhythm on acoustic
guitar, try using a dynamic mic instead of the traditional condenser
mic. Condensers pick up a little more high end sizzle but dynamics
feature a great midrange "honk". For a classic two-mic setup, take a
small-diaphragm condenser mic and point it toward the 12th fret,
about 12 inches away. Then take a larger-diaphragm condenser and
place that about six inches from the bridge. Run the mics to
separate channels and blend until it sounds right to you.
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Electric Guitars - Like vocals and their acoustic
counterparts, electric guitars can be greatly enhanced by
recording them in an ambient space, like a bathroom, garage, or
long hallway. One trick is to close-mic the speaker cabinet with
a dynamic mic, and then take a condenser mic and place it
several feet back, or even way back at the end of a hall for a
cathedral-like ambience. In this case, the ambient mic takes on
a much smaller role than, say, the two-mic method for an
acoustic. Blend the ambient mic subtly together with the direct
mike for a fuller sound.
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Miking a Drum Kit
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There is no one correct way to mic a drum kit.
Some people like to set up two mics in front of the kit in a
nice, live room, about six feet high and ten feet back, and just
let the drummer wail. Others mic every drum, send them all to
separate channels, and then hunker down for a marathon mixing
session. But most strike a balance somewhere in the middle. That
usually involves separate dynamic mics for the kick and snare, a
condenser mic for the hi-hat, and two large-diaphragm condensers
for the overhead mics, to pick up the toms and the cymbals.
Alternatively, you can use a pair of dynamic mics on the toms,
if you like. |
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Using 'Effects Sends' Effectively
For a true stereo sound, you must record a source
with two mics and send each signal to a separate track. But that
burns tracks in a hurry, so a great way to create a fake-stereo
effect on single track-recorded instruments is to put just the
effects in stereo. Use a stereo effects unit, but feed it one input
from either a channel (one instrument) or the entire mix. Then
return two outputs - the left and right from the effects processor -
and patch them back into the main stereo bus. That way the reverb,
delay, or chorus will shimmer with a subtle stereo effect, even if
your instruments are all panned up the center. This is also a great
way to ensure mono compatibility.
Remember - microphone technique is largely a
matter of personal taste. Whatever method sounds right for the
particular, instrument, musician, or song is right. There's no
single ideal way to place a mic. There is no "best" mic to use for
any given situation. Experiment with different mics and positions
until you get to what you think is good. Hey, it's your sound.
Want to know more? Check out our
Knowledge channel
for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), downloadable literature, and
plenty of tips on getting the best recording results.
This article was excerpted from the Shure booklet,
Microphones and Multitracks, available for download by visiting our
Educational
Materials section.
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