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Things to look for when buying a studio microphone
Author: Mantius Cazaubon
Article:
Studio microphones need to accomplish one thing and one thing
only: to record the best possible voice or musical instrument
sounds. In order to do that, they use advanced technological
methods to filter out unwanted ambient sound, which are present
even in a controlled studio environment. Studio microphones have
to capture the smallest voice subtleties and even the lowest
musical notes. Most studio microphones use the electret model,
in which a thin metal diaphragm receives sound waves and
converts them into electrical current, which can then be
interpreted by various recording devices. The filters used in
the manufacturing of professional studio microphones are well
calibrated, so that any disturbances are stopped before they
reach the recording surface.
No room for compromise
Music recording studios, radio studios and TV station studios -
they all use professional microphones. A UHF broadcast level
microphone is expensive, often with price tags of several
hundred dollars, so it is unlikely you will purchase such
devices unless you intend to use them in one of the
above-mentioned locations. Professional studio microphones need
to have two major characteristics at a level far superior to
regular microphones: flatness and linearity. Both these
attributes mean that the recorded sound is clearer, more
accurate, without noticeable distortion. Music studio
microphones are often multidirectional, capturing sound from a
well controlled ambient. The reason behind this is that the
enclosed recording room allows no outside sounds to enter, so
the only available ones are the ones produced by the singer or
vocalist. A TV studio microphone, on the other hand, has to be
focused on a single major source of sound: the speaker holding
the microphone.
How to select your studio microphone
The variety of offers on the market is huge. And the truth is
that it's hard to pick a winner in any category. So how can you
select your studio microphone? The first step is to determine
exactly what the microphone is supposed to do: are you going to
record voices, instruments, mixed music? Then you should look
for a similar studio and check out their equipment. It's almost
like spying on the competition to see what they are using and if
they believe it's working for them. After you narrowed down the
microphone list to a couple of different models, you can go by
other decisive items, such as price, warranty or accessories. In
the end, the aim is to get the most appropriate microphone for
your studio without paying a fortune for it.
About the author:
Mantius Cazaubon is a successful author and publisher of
http://www.the-microphone-guide.com/a resource for information and tips on buying studio and throat microphones online.
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