Condenser microphones-<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n condenser microphones offer outstanding clarity and transparency with a crisp, airy sound witch focuses the most on top end of frequency (20Hz- 20KHz). To know if condenser mics are the correct option I must consider; what sourse I’m recording, how loud is the source, the acoustics of the recording space, and what flavour of sound I want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Condenser microphones are very sensitive and this can expose unwanted sounds like room refections, plosives, sibilance, handling noise, background noise. I will do my best to counteract these issues by using a pop shield to reduce harsh plosives, I will also consider microphone placement to make sure that the stand isn’t nocked or picking up unwanted sound from the floor or around the room, and i will consider the acoustics of a room. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is an example of microphone placement that will help to prevent nocking on the stand or the microphone its self. Upside down placement is a commonly used tactic because, it keeps the stand out of the way with makes it easier to read lyrics while singing, it also promotes better singing since it gives you a better angle to sing into the mic and makes the singer raise there head a bit more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What are they best at?-<\/p>\n\n\n\n They’re most commonly used when recording vocals, due to previously mentioned quality’s. Since I will be recording vocals in the foley room in college, I will be able to use the mic to its fullest because it’s acoustically treated. there also very effective at recording ambience and room noise, witch can be good or very annoying depending on ones goal, and small diaphragm condensers especially are brilliant at recording instruments. Due to there small diaphragms they respond quickly to signals and fast transients like strumming and percussion. There light weight makes it easier to focus them on more concentrated places without the risk of breaking the incredibly sensitive diaphragm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Power- <\/p>\n\n\n\n Condenser microphones require phantom power, this is a 48 volt charge often labeled as +48v or P48. Phantom power was designed to replace the big bulky power supplies we see on tube microphones today. The DC electrical current is sent through a balanced XLR cable and delivers energy to the active electronics. \\<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sensitivity and SPL handeling-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Condenser microphones are much more sensitive than dynamic microphones and can easily pick up room tones, breath, clothes rustling, etc. so being highly sensitive is its greatest strength and weakness, this is why I’m using the foley room to record with the TLM 103. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not all condensers handle loud sound the same, a lot of newer models have a pad switch (-10dB\/ -20dB) so when recording really loud sources like drums or amps the mic won’t become overloaded and distort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fragility- <\/p>\n\n\n\n due to there extremely thin diaphragm, large diaphragm microphones especially need to be used with a lot of care. they can be damaged by humidity, dust, or physical shocks. this is why its important not to leave them out and store them properly after use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Polar patterns-<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The polar pattern of a microphone describes how sensitive it is to sounds arriving from different angles and directions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n cardioid microphones are designed to be most sensitive at the front and the least at the back, this makes it efficient at isolating unwanted sound like when on stage with an audience but also makes this pattern more susceptible to feedback. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Supercardioid focuses a lot more on the main voice feed and has an even greater rejection of surrounding sound and ambience. The supercardioid unlike the cardioid picks up some signal from the back meaning monitor speakers must be placed carefully to avoid collecting feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Omnidirectional microphones can pickup sound from any direction because they have equal sensitivity at every angle. the downside of this is that it couldn’t be angled away from any undesired sources which creates a feedback risk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bidirectional or figure of eight picks up sound equaly at the front and the rear but not from the sides, examples of microphones with this pattern are large diaphragm or ribbon microphones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Stereo Recording-<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n stereo recording is used when trying to immerse the listener by creating with, immersion and creating a “larger-than-life” sound. This technique is typically used for instruments that play a role of filling in the sonic landscape rather than ones that sit front and centre. Its rarely used for lead vocals or bass which usually record in mono for the clarity and punch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n this is an example of a way I could stereo record. To its core, stereo recording only means recording 2 signals, representing the left and right perspective. Differences in these recordings is what adds depth and immerses the listener. These differences are most commonly amplitude or phase. (Gonzalez, 2013)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another very important topic to consider is the placement of the microphones. \u201cThe closer you get, the more direct sound you pick up; further away increases ambience.\u201d (sos magazine 1996) this means you have to consider where you want the main source of your recording to sit in the final mix. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sound on Sound magazine recommends recording in a “Coincident pair” pattern. this consists off angling 2 cardioid mics (often 90\u00b0<\/strong>) with there capsules nearly touching. This captures stereo via level differences not timing differences. The pros off this are that they have excellent mono compatibility (no phase issues) and they have a more controlled sound in general. however there is the setback off having a narrow stereo image witch takes away from the modern, professional sound that audiences expect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Coincident pair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n stereo recording techniques may be useful for recording acoustic guitar or layered ambience in my songs to add width and immersion, with will support the emotional and atmospheric themes in my songs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dynamic Microphones-<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Moving coil microphones (aka dynamic microphones) are basically built like a loud speaker, a coil is glued to the back of a membrane and there is a strong magnet surrounding this coil. When sound waves hit the microphone the membrane vibrates and the coil moves with it. The relative movement of the coil within its magnetic gap creates a small signal voltage in this coil. This is the process of what turns sound into an eltetical field in dynamic microphones.(Stempel, 2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dynamic microphones are most commonly used on stage because they’re quite sturdy and don’t require any external power (phantom power) like condenser microphones. They are used less so in the studio because producers favour the qualities of ribbon and condenser microphones and there is less requirement for a sturdy microphone and they offer superior sound reproduction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Moving coil microphones are the most common type of dynamic microphones and since it’s quite a long term most professionals just refer to them as dynamic microphones and perceive ribbon mics in a different category, even though they are technically a type of dynamic mic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Studio use-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dynamic microphones still have uses in the studio. When recording in a smaller room that may be less acoustically treated or recording with multiple instruments many favour dynamic moving coil microphones because they’re more forgiving and there polar pattern blocks excess sound better. Because of these reasons, some engineers will use dynamic microphones when recording acoustic guitar to reduce loud fret noises.(MusicRadar, 2020)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ribbon microphones are a type of dynamic microphone that work by placing an ultra thin, corrugated aluminium ribbon between two permanent magnets, witch disturbs the magnetic field and induces a small voltage creating a “velocity signal”.(MusicRadar, 2020)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ribbon microphone use a figure of eight (or bidirectional) polar pattern meaning they pick up sound from the front or back and reject sound from the sides which it does very effectively. This feature can be useful when recording acoustic guitar because if positioned correctly you can record the guitar and block out vocals. it’s also helpful when recording in a room with low ceilings to avoid picking up reflections.(inglis, n.d.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ribbon mics are perceived as sounding warm when recording within 2 or 3 feet of the source. This is called the proximity effect and its more pronounced within ribbon mics. This effect also means that engineers can use ribbon mics on harsher high end sources like guitar amps or vocals to add warmth.(inglis, n.d.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The microphone is only one part of the signal chain, and it’s only as strong as its weakest point, there are also, audio interfaces, preamps, cables, and DAWs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pre Amp: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n High quality preamps do more than just make the signal louder, they can give added headroom and lower noise or distortion, this results in a cleaner foundation for the rest of the signal chain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The word preamp can mean two things: a) the preamplifier circuit within any device b) a dedicated external device containing such a circuit. The purpose of a pre amp is to amplify lower level signals to line level. You need a preamp for just about any sound source. Most audio interfaces come with a built in preamp good enough to get you started, and they range in quality depending on the quality of the interface. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cables:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This aspect is often overlooked, in favour of investing in more “exiting hardware”, like mics or compressors. However there very important, as a bad cable can introduce unwanted noise, which can build when layering tracks. For value sake it’s also important to have durable cables, that won’t easily wear down or break under daily use. That’s all you need in a good cable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Audio Interface:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n An audio interface coverts an analog signal (like a microphone) into digital signals through a process called analogue-to-digital conversion. It’s also capable of transforming data from a computer into digital signals to produce sound on headphones or speakers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A good audio interface is one that can capture and reproduce audio most accurately. Its important to consider how many outputs and inputs you need, for example, if you want to record a full band with a drum kit you will require a lot more inputs than a singer with the occasional guitar or piano. its important to look into frequency responses, high dynamic range, low total harmonic distortion, low self-noise, low latency, possible sample rates, and other features. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Conclusion:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, commencer microphones are the best option for me to record my vocals on because they capture, detail, emotion, and high frequency clarity. Since my songs focus on emotional story telling and intimacy, recording in an acoustically treated room with a high quality condenser mic and a quality signal chain will help me achieve the expressive and professional sound I want. However I will still use dynamic microphones to record higher SPL sources or reducing unwanted room noise. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The purpose of this page is to explore different hardware to use when recording my original songs. I will look into the strengths and weaknesses of different equipment that I may use within the recording process. I should finish this page with a clear image of what different equipment is bringing to my sound. Microphones […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":935,"featured_media":0,"parent":1879,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-945","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalspace.bradfordcollege.ac.uk\/12984714\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalspace.bradfordcollege.ac.uk\/12984714\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalspace.bradfordcollege.ac.uk\/12984714\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalspace.bradfordcollege.ac.uk\/12984714\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/935"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalspace.bradfordcollege.ac.uk\/12984714\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=945"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/digitalspace.bradfordcollege.ac.uk\/12984714\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/945\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2017,"href":"https:\/\/digitalspace.bradfordcollege.ac.uk\/12984714\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/945\/revisions\/2017"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalspace.bradfordcollege.ac.uk\/12984714\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalspace.bradfordcollege.ac.uk\/12984714\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/digitalspace.bradfordcollege.ac.uk\/12984714\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1074\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-15-at-00.17.50.png\")
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSignal Chain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n