Summary
So I have now left the creational aspect and entered the technical realm of music with microphones (or mics, for short). So I learned about mics this week.
Mic Audition Project
https://soundcloud.com/tristan-pratt-456805564/mic-project
My Favorite Mic Specs: Shure SM58
- Microphone Type: Dynamic.
- Polar Pattern: Cardioid.
- Frequency Response: 50Hz-15kHz.
- Output Impedance: 150 ohms.
- Color: Black.
- Connector: XLR.
- Weight: 0.66 lbs.
- Manufacturer Part Number: SM58-LC.
Terms
- Dynamic Mic: A simple and robust mic that works best for low soundwaves. However, it is not good for
- Condenser Mic: The other common mic that detects high frequency better than the dynamic mic.
- Omni Pattern: A polar pattern where the mic is responsive to all directions.
- Cardioid Pattern: A polar pattern where the mic that is responsive only to the front of the mic.
- Bi-Directional Pattern: A polar pattern that has a figure-8 pickup pattern.
- Transduction: The process of converting one form of energy to another.
- Voltage: An electromotive force or potential difference expressed in volts.
- Phantom Power: – or +48v of energy sent down the microphone cable to a condenser microphone from the audio recording or mixing board.
- Sensitivity: The amount of voltage generated by a given sound pressure level(SPL).
- Frequency Response: Flat frequency response and tailored frequency responses are the two main types of frequency responses. Flat is best for recording because it takes in sound without altering it. Tailored is usually used when a sound is to be enhanced in some way.
- Transient: How fast the diaphragm of a microphone is able to respond to changes in waveform
- Placement: Where you put the microphone in front of the instrument that you are recording.
- Proximity Effect: The closer it gets to the sound source, the low end gets boosted, the vocals sound fatter and more full.
- Output: Output of condenser mics is much higher than that of dynamic mics.
- Characteristics: Things that make a microphone what it is.
- Noise Rating: Has to do with noise ratios.
- Mic Chip: A part of the mic that clips a microphone to something( usually a mic stand).
- Mic Stand: The pole that stands up the microphone
- Windscreen/Pop Filter: A part of the mic that goes over a microphone and takes away sounds of wind or air blowing on it sorta.
- Direct Box: A part of the mic that balances out sound levels.
What I Learned
So what did I learn from all of this? Well, I learned that the SM58 is awesome.