Mics

[jhook1423]

well there are a few people on here who seem to know what ur doing(moaner) and quite a few who dont(me) about recording. i was wonder what the difference is between all these nice mics for home recording. what is condecers(sp?) ect.? any help appreciated.

[LivingDeadBoy]

Condensor is a much more sensitive mic, which means it captures even the smallest details of a song and even the smallest volume. This mic can be used for anything starting with an overhead ending with vocals(minimum 12'' distance from lips)

Dynamic is just a membrane that transmits the signal. Less frequency range. Less noise. Cheaper. Can be used for vocals and micing amps.

I wish i could go more into detail, just i don't know that much.

[KKKKKocaine]

Dynamic mics require no electrical power to operate, and are mechanically robust, which makes them attractive for live sound useage. At it's heart is a rigid, lightweight diaphragm attached to a coil of extremely thin insulated wire. The coil is suspended within a magnetic field created by a permanent magnet, similar to a loundspeaker voice coil. As the diaphragm moves backwards and forwards in response to sound pressure, a small electrical current is generated. As the diaphragm moves in response to sonic vibrations, the output signal is thus a direct electrical representation of that sound. The voice coil, magnetic assembly and diaphragm are in a single unit, known as the microphone capsule.

The sound energy that hopes to be picked up must move both the microhone's diaphragm and the coil which is attached to it, and as the assembly has a measurable mass any inrease in the speed of its movement is countered by its own inertia. Inertia resists acceleration and a vibrating microphone diaphragm has to accelerate and decelerate many times each second as the diaphragm first moves one way and then the other. In practice this tends to place an upper frequency limit on dynamic mics of around 16kHz, though some designs manage to push this figure a little higher.

Condenser

These mics are generally considered to be the most accurate type of microphone because they are able to respond to high audio frequencies and are sensetive enough to work with quiet or more distant sound sources. Condesers do not have voice coils but they still have a diaphragm, but this is much thinner and thus lighter than in a dynamic mic and can thus respond more accurately and efficiently to high frequencies.
As the diaphragm vibrates, its distance from the stationary metal plate varies accordingly, and if a fixed electrical charge is applied between the plate and diaphragm a corresponding change in electrical voltage is produced. This change in voltage is then amplified by circuitry within the microphone, which is why condenser microphones require power to operate. Power is also needed to apply charge to the diaphragm.
Condesner microphones are generally more sensetive and have a higher frequency response than dynamics, but are usually more expensive and less robust.

Electret

An electret mic is a type of condenser mircophone in which the diaphragm contains a permanent electrical charge sealed in an insulating material rather than relying on an external power souce. A pre-amp is still required within the microphone, but in some models, this can be battery operated instead of requiring a seperate pre-amp. The battery option is useful in situations where phantom power will not be availible. However most battery operated mics can also run on phontom power when required.
Originally electret mics weren't particularily good performers because a diaphragm that could hold a magnetic charge was also much thicker and heavier that a true condenser diapghragm and as a result had poor high frequency response.
However, this was fixed by fixing the permanently-charged material to the capsule's stationary backplate rather than to the diaphragm. This gave modern electrets the name 'Back Electret'

- Half copied from memory, half copied from 'Basic Live Sound' - Paul White

[jhook1423]

wow thanks man!

[KKKKKocaine]

wow thanks man!

Any other questions, feel free to ask :)
Especially seen as those explanations are rather technical.

[jhook1423]

what would be best to mic a guitar cab??? any model suggestions for a good heavily distorted tube amps cab?

[KKKKKocaine]

what would be best to mic a guitar cab??? any model suggestions for a good heavily distorted tube amps cab?

Either of the three could be used.
For the English rock sound, it's typical to place an instrument dynamic mic right up against the grill, preferablly in the middle of one of the speakers*

For the condenser, it is probably better to place it a few feet away pointing directly at the speaker to avoid damage to diaphragm from high sound pressure.
And the same for the back electret. This is considered the American rock sound.

For a large stack and that 'live' feel, a mic can be placed some distance away and the amp cranked to full, to give that 'standing by the stage feel.
The wattage of the amp won't make much difference, on a recording you can get a 'big' sound out of a 25watt amp, you don't neccessarily need a monster stack to get a monster sound.

These aren't the only ways, but they are good ways to get the sound.

* Whilst manufacturers talk about how their speakers are all made indentical by blah blah blah kevlar bending process blah blah blah, usually the speakers in your amp *will* sound different to each other, mic up each one and evaluate which sound seems best to you.

Guitars don't need much in the way of microphone frequency upper or lower range pickup, so practicly any mic can pick them up. However, mics have frequency peak charts, at certain frequencies, they will boost the sound source.
i.e. vocal mics boost in the range of speech to make vocalists more intelligable on stage.
Kick drum mics boost in the low frequencies for the 'punch'
You will want an instrument mic as this will peak the guitars frequencies better than other mics.
As for mic reccomendations, it really depends on how much you have to spend and what other equipment you would be using.