How to Place a Condenser Microphone for Studio Vocals
Condenser microphones lend themselves well to all manner of studio work when it comes to vocals. They have unparalleled clarity and tonality, and loyally reproduce the frequencies of the artist's voice. Further, quality condenser microphones have what is termed a "null point", which blocks other sound sources in a room. A good example would be the singer who is also playing a guitar. If the vocal microphone is placed before the artist's mouth properly, one can prevent the vocal microphone from picking up the guitar--which should have its own microphone. With such placement, feedback and echo problems are greatly reduced.
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Things You'll Need
- Microphone with stand
- Pop filters designed for your particular microphone
Instructions
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Ask the vocalist to enter the recording room and position her two feet in front of the microphone stand.
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Adjust the height of the microphone stand so that the condenser microphone is even with the height of her lips, and then raise the microphone stand just one inch higher. The active portion of the microphone (not the "null zone", which is on the top and bottom) is positioned so that it can "hear" both slight nasal sounds as well as the sounds coming from the lips. This maximizes the accuracy with which the microphone captures the artist's voice.
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Place a "pop filter" on the microphone, which sits between the artist's mouth and the microphone's wind-screen. Since the artist is within two feet of the microphone, there is a greater chance of "popping" sounds when she forms the letter "p" while singing. This will increase the quality of the recording.
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Tips & Warnings
If the artist isn't playing a musical instrument, the distance between the artist's lips and the microphone may be increased somewhat, out to a maximum of about three feet in most cases, depending on the range and sensitivity of the microphone.
If the artist is playing an instrument which is near the torso, then the further away the artist is from the microphone, the greater the chance that the instrument will be picked up by the vocal microphone. Instruments should only be heard through their own microphones, and not through vocal microphones.
