How to make the right choice: microphone for studios

Modern musicians, despite the huge selection of all kinds of equipment, are at a loss to look through catalogs of musical equipment and instruments. Microphones belong exactly to such a variety of equipment, where without advice from experts can not understand. Indeed, you open a catalog of music microphones, where more than a hundred names of all kinds of models from an incredible number of brands. Where to start? How to correctly approach the choice of equipment that meets all the characteristics of quality and basic functionality required for specific purposes of the musician.

Studio equipment: basic requirements

To the equipment for studios musicians treat with great “claims”, as the main features of the characteristics affect directly on the quality of vocal recording in particular. Professional musicians make great demands on the quality of the equipment they buy. Let’s understand what exactly points pay special attention to experienced musicians.

Studio microphone must be resistant to the maximum loads of work. Studio sound recording is a multi-hour work, so the performance of the microphone in this case at the initial and final stages should be the same.

Microphones should record perfectly clean sound, and therefore should be characterized by a special design and special technical content that will avoid the slightest noise effects during studio work.

Microphones for sound recording in studios: advantages of the technique and its disadvantages

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There are two types of microphones: dynamic and condenser. Such equipment is most often used in studio sound recording and at live concert performances.

The design of the dynamic type resembles the speakers of modern conventional speakers. But the principle of operation is slightly different. The voltage of the coil element is removed by an external sound influence, that is, the sound of an instrument or vocals.

Microphones of the second type are equipment where one of the covers is made of a material of special elasticity. During the playing of instruments or vocals, sound vibrations change the capacitive characteristics of such a lining. This change in capacitive characteristics in turn changes the voltage, which is the main signaling utility.

Now it is worthwhile to understand what advantages and disadvantages the two types can “boast”.

Here are the main advantages of dynamic equipment:

• microphone has a special resistance to large sound loads: the equipment allows you to shoot sound of special power without any risks of damage to technical elements;
• dynamic microphones are wear-resistant and have a more robust design than condenser devices;
• model of dynamic type can boast that it is not sensitive to various external noise effects.

But among the disadvantages can be identified as follows: large losses in purity and quality of sound. Also, such equipment is not very reliable and faithfully transmits timbres, and the frequency range is very small.

Among the positive properties that offer condenser-type microphones, you can distinguish the following:

• this equipment has at its disposal a wider frequency range, which is very important for recording modern music;
• a wide range of microphone sizes;
• and finally, a special advantage that determines the main choice of equipment for studios: a clear and transparent sound.

But this type also has disadvantages. They are very dependent on auxiliary power, so connecting them anywhere outside the studio will be a particular problem and headache. Condenser microphones are equipment with a particularly fragile design, so even the most insignificant power impact will be almost the last for its “life”. Condenser microphones have a noticeable sensitivity to various changes in temperature and humidity indicators.

So, we can summarize. The disadvantages of the condenser type should not discourage the musician in the purchase of this equipment for the studio. Dynamic microphones are more widely used as a tool for stage performance. Of course, condenser microphone equipment costs much more. But when you want to achieve the highest quality sound with the purest recording, there are no other alternatives.