Answering A Question

I recently had someone ask me a question about what microphones we used on different projects and how we selected them. We have a decent collection of microphones available to use in ChurchHouse Studios. The mic being selected really depends on the type of recording you’re doing and the instrument being recorded. When I first started building our mic closet I found one way to make sure you have a decent variety of mics is to look at two recording tasks. One is to have the correct mics to record a full drum kit. This would entail being able to direct mic the entire kit as well as well as have ‘room’ mics to get an overall sound in stereo and have overhead mics to get a good cymbal sound. That will give you a wide variety of mics. The second is to have a couple of higher end mics to record vocals and acoustic instruments. The definition of ‘higher end’ will, of course, vary depending on your budget. You can certainly get a mic that will fit your ‘high end’ needs for under $2,000. But you can also go a lot higher than that with mics ranging up to $15,000. The question you have to ask is for the type of recording you are doing and the equipment you have, will there be a noticeable difference if you blow your entire budget on one very expensive mic? I would say, multiple good mics is the better choice. With these mics you will be able to cover most instruments and recording situations.

You need to realize that the sound you finally end up with is a combination of the microphone, cabling, pre-amp, compressor, mixing board and anything else that lies between the instrument and the recording medium. Use your budget wisely when putting this pathway together. Also, sometimes the best mic for the instrument you’re recording is not the most expensive mic. The Shure SM57 is still a studio ‘go to’ mic for drums and amplifiers. And it retails for around $100. So one of the keys to building your mic closet is doing research. When I started putting the studio together I read a lot of recording magazines with product comparisons and articles written by well known engineers and producers. For mics I’d browse through magazines and look for articles on mic comparisons ‘building your mic closet’ or the best mics for specific tasks that were available at a reasonable price. This has been made quicker and easier with internet and social media access. I’m not sure, however, that the information has improved. To get an article in one of the major recording magazines you had to be an expert with a pretty impressive resume. Anybody can put up an article or video on line. As they say, everyone has an opinion. And you’ll find a lot of contradictory opinions. Take your time and be careful when doing research. I’d advise sticking to the bigger sources – well known magazines on line or in print (I still buy actual magazines).

So I’ve tried to answer the question without giving any specific microphone names. You can look at our studio equipment page and it will list some of the mics we have (have to check how up to date the list is). Some of the mics we have may no longer be available which is another reason I have not given a specific listing. The answer, as usual, is to take your time and do your research. Look carefully at the mic’s specs. I’ve included a video below that gives some basic information on different types of mics, how they work and and what they are used for. Please feel free to send any follow up questions this post may generate.