The basics

Hi iam Prathmesh-Matodkar from Mumbai

India.This lesson is for week 1 Introduction to
Music Production at coursera.org.I will be
teaching the Microphne Baiscs in my future
slides
Hope you enjoy and learn also feel free to
give your inputs and suugestion iam also a
student like you

Thank you for your time, hope to have not

disappointed you
Feel free to share your thoughts

microphones location in relation to the sound

source

the acoustic environment in which we choose to

record the sound source
Also it is important whether you are capturing a
vocal or a percussion or you are capturing sound
from an amplifier
Your placement and the type to mike will change
according to the source you are recording

There are three main types of microphones:

1) Dynamic/Moving Coil
2) Ribbon
3) Condenser/Capacitor

Example: Shure SM 57
Also we commonly use SM58 mostly for live concerts

They operate on a magnetic

principle : movement of a
copper coil around a
magnet causes a changing
flow of electrons that
represent the sound wave
Its complete mechanism is
shown in the next slide

durable and can withstand a lot of volume

before they distort (within their own circuitry).

they dont require phantom power to operate.

colours the sound in range between 5-10khz,
this adds clarity, presence and
understandability to many vocal and
instrument sounds.

doesnt feedback as easily as other mics

mostly live situations, but they are also used

a lot in the studio.

close mic applications (1-12 inches)

snare drums, guitar amplifiers, kick drum,

vocals and any instrument that can play loud.

These microphones often miss

the many subtle nuances of
sounds because it takes a lot
of sound pressure to move the
coil.

Example: Beyer M 160

a metallic ribbon is
suspended between
two poles of a magnet.
Sound waves vibrate
the metallic ribbon
which causes a varying
flow of electrons to the
different poles of the
magnet

These microphones capture a warmer and

smoother sound than dynamic/moving coil
microphones.

Dont feedback much in live situations.

Dont require phantom power to operate.

Typically used in the studio because they

are fragile

Used in close mic applications (1-12 inches)

Often used for acoustic guitars. Also work

well for vocals.

colours the sound by adding a high frequency

edge

fragile

will only pick up sounds that are very close.

Example: Audio Technica AT

4033

How do condenser microphones

work?
A charged electrical current is
applied to a metal-coated piece
of plastic. the coating vibrates
sympathetically in response to a
sound wave because it is very
thin.
The metal-coated piece of plastic
is positioned close to a piece of
metallic alloy.
The changes in the space
between the surfaces create a
changing discharge of electrical
current.
It makes an electrical version of
acoustic energy from the sound
source.

they respond to fast attacks and transients

more precisely than other mics and add
little tonal colouration

they can be used to record sounds from a

greater distance and capture a broader
range of frequencies

big advantage: these mics record a sound

while capturing natural ambience of a room.

recording studios

can be used to record almost any soundexcept

very loud ones (ex. Kick drum)

extremely effective with quiet sounds

the perfect choice for capturing room ambience.

almost always used for vocals , acoustic guitars

and drum ovreheads.

fairly fragile

feedback too easily in a live environment

(although some have low frequency roll off
switches to help alleviate feedback
frequencies)

require phantom power to operate

A polar pattern is the pickup pattern of the

microphone.

There are three main types of patterns:

1) Cardiod
2) Bi-directional
3) Omnidirectional

Most microphones respond to frequencies

within and beyond the human range of
hearing.

Our ears have the ability to hear frequencies

from 20-20 000 hertz .

All microphone manufacturers provide

specifications for the frequency range of
their products.

The frequency response curve of a

microphone shows how the microphone
responds to different frequencies across the
audible spectrum.

A mic with a flat response adds little

colouration to the sound. Many mics drop
off sharply in the frequencies below 300 hz.
Yet boast frequencies in the area of 4000
hz.

Although a microphone can be plugged directly into a

mixing board, better results are often achieved by using a
pre-amplifier.

Example: Universal Audio 2-610

Effective sound miking requires lots of

experimentation.

Most home studios should have at least one

good moving coil and one good condenser
mic.