It is hard to describe what makes a good microphone until
you are able to record with one or compare some different ones
side-by-side. Many words are used to
describe microphones like color, transparency, frequency response, pattern, dynamic
range, proximity effect, etc. There are
additional considerations that enter into the sound and tone of the microphone,
like the sound source, noise floor (both ambient and circuitry), preamp,
compressor, effects, and room acoustics.
I won’t get into any theories on recording or defining the above terms,
but I will say this: Color and transparency are opposing ideas. A transparent microphone and signal chain
will deliver a signal that sounds as close to the way it sounds as if you are
standing in the room with the sound source.
Color just means that something is changed or added to the way it sounds
– sometimes coloring is great, sometimes it is bad, but this also depends on
the sound you are going for and the context of the sound.
To make things more complex, people have a preference in
what they expect from a sound. For
instance, if you take the sound of a kick drum on a drum set, some people want
to hear a boom, while others want to hear a thump or thud, and still others
want to hear a click or pop; some want to not hear any snare rattle or pedal
noise, while others want that in the mix.
Though much of this has to do with the type of kick drum, tuning, and hardware, a lot of it can be defined by
what type of microphone you use and where you place it.
Over the years, I have been able to try several mics out –
both classic and modern, cheap and expensive – and even though I realize that
this is mostly a personal preference, I thought I would share a few thoughts:
For a long time now, I have been using a CAD E-100 (original
American made model) for my vocals.
Frequency wise, I think it sounds very similar to an AKG C-414 when I
have compared them side by side, speaking or singing bore sight to the
microphone (Dynamically, the C-414 is
slightly smoother, but not by much. If
you add a compressor to the signal chain, or compress the recorded data, then
you smooth out much of the dynamic range anyway and the differences are not
very noticeable.
I recently bought a pair of vintage Russian microphones and
they sound fantastic! I think that they
might be the best microphones that I have heard and am really impressed with
how clear and transparent they sound. So
far, I have recorded some acoustic instruments, a Marshall
For drums, I have various different mics around the kit – many
are Audio Technica mics (with a pair of PRO 37's on the overhead and an AE 2500 on the kick drum), and a Shure SM57 on the snare. I also have some vintage Altec's, Electrovoice, and Shure mics that allow for other tone colors.
I have always wanted a dummy head microphone. Binaural recordings fascinate me.
You can find examples of binaural recordings here: (just be sure to listen to this on headphones)
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