ToonTrack Music becomes new sponsor.

I am proud to announce the news that ToonTrack Music has become a sponsor of the Home Recording Weekly blog, and ToonTrack Music is currently supplying its’ products for the up and coming song writing contest, once again, here on Home Recording Weekly.

Please keep a look out, here on Home Recording Weekly, for a full review of ToonTracks’ EZ Drummer.

For those of you that have yet to become better acquainted with ToonTrack Musics’ line of drum software products, let me lead the way. I will briefly describe what sorts of fine products they are currently providing to both the professional, and to the home recording scene and then I will explain what they are and how they can easily work for you!

ToonTrack Music makes some of the best, and easiest to use drum software on the market. This I will say weather ToonTrack Music is a sponsor or not.

I say this because of the wide range of ToonTrack products that can accommodate for any percussion styles! The quality of each of the products (both in detail and in sound) and the ease in which these products are to place into your workflow is simply incredible.

Let me start this post over, and detail for you just what ToonTracks’ products can do for you.

Imagine having a drummer sitting beside you, as you write your music. This drummer can play any style of beats that you wish him or her to play for you. This drummer can switch up every single nuance of each performance with ease, right down to creating the best fills possible for your song. This drummer came with tons of ideas all readily available to audition for you, and this drummer never tires!

TOONTRACK EZ DRUMMER INTRFACE

Well, this drummer came to your studio with a complete array of microphones, all of which are set up in an impressive drum room. Your very own drummer has a microphone mixer all set up that allows you to fine tune the percussions input in order to get the best possible sounding tracks, and all in seconds flat. Adjusting between the drums themselves and the room microphones is as easy as moving sliders!

This is what ToonTrack Music has done for us all. Their products range from a trendy “Nashville EZX” drum kit to a full on metal-pounding experience that is “Drumkit from Hell EZX”. If you have a vision ToonTrack has your percussion, right down to the most eclectic sounds that you will ever need which can be found in their Twisted Kit EZX.

So, ToonTrack has made a product for every type of percussion style, for any type of music, and all of which is completely tweakable right from the drum room. Does this sound too good to be true? It isn’t.

Each product from ToonTrack Music integrates seamlessly into any DAW set up.

ToonTracks drum software products can be played with a midi keyboard. If writing each note isn’t your forte, than perhaps you might choose to audition different midi patterns (all created from high quality samples) and then choose the one that is just right for your new number one hit. The list of midi drum patterns is simple overwhelming in number, but not overwhelming in their use! Putting a drum line into your new creations is as simple as performing a “drag and drop”. Drumming is now fast and easy for everyone!

I am pleased to offer a hearty “Welcome onboard” out to TuneTrack Music, from the Home Recording Weekly blog! Thanks for your sponsorship, and thanks for your great line of time saving, incredible sounding drum software!

Take a minute out of your crazy work day, and check out some of the videos that they have put together just for you at ToonTrack Musics website. Here you can see, and hear these amazing products in action. Go ahead and see for yourself why ToonTrack Music is the leader in great sounding, easy to use percussion software.

Tricks to fatten up the guitars in your mixes.

First of all, the golden rule with fattening up guitars in your mixes is that there are no rules.

Sometimes our mistakes turn out to be the coolest parts of our works. Keep an open mind, and try everything that you can think of. You can’t record the one or two ideas that you fail to try out.

I love trying to beef up guitar tracks. I enjoy the end result; which is getting a guitar track to stand out and sound different from all of the rest. I have many different tricks that I use, and I think that it is time that I shared several of them with you.

I’ll start with a guitar layering EQ trick that I had read about some time ago. The author of the article and the publication that it was in completely escapes me at this moment, but most likely it was a popular recording magazine. The article was about taking a guitar track, copying said track, and then pasting two (or more) duplicates into the same mix, but on separate tracks. One track, the original, remains untouched. The two duplicate tracks are where they focused their layering attention.

The idea here is to adjust the EQ settings on the first duplicated track for the bottom end (or bass), and then pan it slightly to one side. Follow suit with the next (or second) duplicate track, only bring out the highs on that track, and then pan it to opposite of what you did on the prior track. The center spot of the three tracks’ panning is reserved for the original track. This makes one guitar track come alive, but it does not “muddy up” a mix as too many guitar layers might. This gem of an idea also creates an interesting stereo panning arrangement for the tracks.

Next, let’s talk about layering the actual guitar parts. The layering of guitar parts is as old as the hills. Listening to any Lynyrd Skynyrd albums will bring your ears full attention to this old trick indeed. Basically speaking, layering notes is just finding out which note is being played, and then find that note on another octave and let her rip. This practice holds true with playing and layering chords as well. However, I often like to take it further than that. How? Read on.

I will often times find the notes of the key that the song is played in, and play the notes of that scale that make up the songs key along with the note to be layered. One example of this could be as follows… Let’s say that the songs key is in D Major. The note that is sounding/being played is a “D”, and let’s assume that it needs some thickening up. What I might do is to play an “F#” note over the “D”, and then record another layer with an “A” note being played. This can make it sound like a chord is being played all at once so be carful. You don’t want to confuse the listener by having too much going on at the same time.

Often I will use this very idea and apply it into, or along with a songs motion, or direction. If the original part is played “D, F#, then A”, I might layer with a separate track playing it backwards or playing some alteration of the three notes. This can add a cool dimension to a solo.

There is an up and coming post; here on Home Recording Weekly that will further explain, and also list some of the most often used alternate tunings for the guitar. With that, let’s just take a look at what we can do with alternate tunings in our music.

Perhaps one of the best tricks for layering guitar sounds in a mix is to tune the guitar differently with each layered track. Here are some fun ways to accomplish this.

One of my most often used “guitar track fattening agents” is to use a second or third guitar tuned to an open tuning. Open tunings are just as fun to play with as anything in a recording studio can be. Open tunings are often easy to dial in, and playing whole chords with just one finger is possible.

Perhaps the main reason that I use open tunings is to introduce a slide into my music. Using a slide on a guitar opens a whole new can of worms, sonically speaking. Adding a slide guitar solo, or a guitar riff which is made from using a slide, just sounds awesome! A couple of great open-tuned slide songs that come to mind are “I drink alone” and “Bad to the bone”, both by George Thorogood and the Destroyers. Classics, if I do say so myself!


Drop D tuning is another great way of adding some deepness to a weak guitar riff. Eddie Van Halen has invented a bridge for tuning your top E string down to a D with just a flick of a lever. His list of songs that are based off of drop D tunings is as long as his solos are, and just as fun to listen to. An acoustic guitar can really come alive with a drop D tuning dialed in, as in the main guitar part on the song “Copper Head Road”, by Steve Earle.

How about employing the trusted capo?

Custom tunings are something that you can easily make with the use of a capo. A lot of my recorded songs have been recorded with guitar parts that stand out, just by the use of a capo. The main reason for using a capo is to temporarily move the nut to anyplace on the guitars neck. You can then pick away on a C chord fingering (on the guitars neck) but be playing, er sounding, a completely different chord. Using capos to double guitar parts in songs can also add a very cool “12 string sound” to a guitar part.

The ideas are endless folks! The idea is to try as many things as you can think of. There are no rules, except that it sounds good to your own ears.

Feel free to subscribe to the Home Recording Weekly blog by typing your email into the box at the upper right hand side of this blog. As always, “Thanks for stopping by and for adding this blog to your favorites”.

Ampeg SVX bass guitar amp software review.

As I posted about IK Multimedias' Stealth Pedal Deluxe a while back, I promised that I would follow up with a post on the included IK Multimedia Ampeg SVX software. Well today is that day, and here we go.

My own recordings were lacking balls. The bottom end used to be written note by note, and people could tell. They knew within three notes that the bass guitar was a computer, no matter how well it was written.

Problem was that I couldn’t afford to buy a bass amp and the additional effects pedals that would make my recordings pop. That problem has been solved, and in a great way. I am now running my bass directly into Ampeg SVX, and it's presence is obvious as you listen to my recordings!


To begin, IK Multimedia has become the fore runner in amp modeling software. Their “target correct tone” products are as niche as niche can be. This is perfect for the tone purists out there. IK Multimedia’s products for such tone fanatics include Ampeg SVX bass amp software, Fender guitar amp software, Metal guitar amp software, and even a Jimi Hendrix guitar amp bundle/package! C’mon, what are you waiting for, get on board!


My version of Ampeg SVX shipped with an installation CD which included an instruction manual in PDF form, and the Ampeg SVX software installer. Ampeg SVX loaded in seconds, and with Pro Tools it works flawlessly. Ampeg SVX also works in Macs and/or PC’s, with support for both Leopard (MAC) and Vista. Ampeg SVX can operate in either VST mode or in RTAS mode, so if you gig or you write at home, this product should be on your “must have” list.

Ampeg SVX fits into the “powered by Amplitube” series, which means that it is compatible with a host of IK Multimedia’s products like the Stealth Pedal and the Stomp I/O Pedal Board.

Getting around the interface is a breeze.

The four separate modules are the tuner, a stomp pedal board, the amp section, and the cab and microphone module.



The Amp section is where the heart of the tone resides. Here you will find four signature Ampeg amps all modeled using the IK Multimedia DSM technology. The four classic Ampeg amps are the SVT-Classic, B-15R Portaflex “flip top”, BA-500, and the SVT-4Pro. Four classic amps and each one is amazingly dead on in both sound and in the small tonal details. What more could anyone want? How about some Ampeg stomp pedals?


There are a total of eight stomp pedals included in Ampeg SVX. Each one packs a tonal punch, and is completely tweakable right down to the smallest of details. Using the stomp pedals became as much fun as the software itself and the fun was only getting started!


The next module is the Cabinet and the microphone selection. You will have a total of six Ampeg speaker cabs to choose from, and a total of six different microphone types to pull your tone from. Add to this the ability to add room ambiance with just the move of a slider, and you may place the microphone as close to or as far away from the cab as you wish. Making “your own” envisioned music is now possible!

To wrap up my review of IK Multimedias Ampeg SVX, I can only add this to my list of IK Multimedia’s product reviews with another “Two guitar pics way, way up”! This is the top honor, as dished out by myself here at Home Recording Weekly Blog!

Using Ampeg SVX is a snap and it is as comfortable to set up and navigate as the real thing would be. Twisting knobs really does stuff, which just makes me tickle way down deep inside. Choosing the perfect microphone/cabinet combination, and added effect pedals gets me just where I need to be in order to make my recordings shine.

Ampeg SVX is a professional recreation of some of the most sought after Ampeg bass rigs in the world. Get it, because you need it.

Home recording techniques; recording the acoustic guitar.

Adding an acoustic guitar track to a song is probably one of the most often performed operations in our home recording studios. Getting an acoustic guitar to sound as you envision it is sometimes a task, but it need not ever to be a chore.

I would like to discuss some of the most often used microphone placing techniques by home recording enthusiasts (and big budget studios alike) in order to capture some great sounding acoustic guitars. Add to this some great “Direct In” signals from an acoustic guitar pick up or an on board pre-amp and this blog post deepens.

In today’s blog post are some great ideas, and please try them out in your next recording and then find your own version of these different set ups that best suit your own unique vision.

Most of the acoustic guitar tracks that we all have heard in popular recordings are somewhat misleading. They sound as if a professional guitarist stopped by the studio and laid down one great sounding track, and then called it a day. Truth is that it may very well be just one take, but it also may be many, many layered tracks. Most often many different acoustic guitar tracks are mixed down to make a single acoustic guitar track. These tracks are all from the same “take” but they may have some very different signal chains.

For an example, an acoustic guitar (in a studio setting) might just have several microphones pointed at it, several more set around it, and it just might also have a direct signal output which travels from the guitars pick up system, all running into one mixer or a DAW.

But why use so many different microphones?

The microphones pointed at the guitar can be used for picking up the boom-ness of the guitars sound hole, the necks fret and string noise, and even the air that the body pushes outward as it sounds, just to name just a few ideas. The guitar picks attack, the fingers movements, and what the guitar player might actually hear can all be recorded using some well placed microphones. The microphones placed around the guitarist (room microphones) are for recording, or adding a very slight delay in time which adds a room/live feel to the mix. This “room feel” is what makes the listener feel as if they are in front of the guitar player.

The actual sound that one might hear if they were inside of the guitar can be made audible by using acoustic guitar pick ups. This signal is oftentimes routed into a mix and used as a great starting source for adding layers of different sounds.

Putting all of these signals onto separate tracks, lets say in a mixer set up (before the recorder), will give you the most control possible for getting either a room vibe, or a close-up microphone sound, or any mix of both. You can certainly play with the levels of all the signals as you play the song back, or as you mix it down to get many different “spatial” settings.

To get the best recording possible, solo each signal and listen closely using headphones to better isolate the sound. . Microphone type and the exact placement of the microphones around the guitar is what we are dialing in here, until the sweet spot is found.

With all of the signals sounding as good as you can get them, next check your input levels. You want them as loud as you can have them with out overloading or clipping the mixers pre amps. This adds “fizzles and distortion” to the guitar tracks and it will simply ruin your recordings. Having all of the inputs as close to the same level as possible can also make play back more enjoyable and mixing down a much easier task.

Microphone set up for recording acoustic guitars.

The first choice, “go to” microphone whenever you are even discussing recording is the much acclaimed dynamic microphone that is the Shure SM57. Being a dynamic microphone it can handle loud volumes with ease. However, were talking about mic’ing an acoustic guitar here, so forget about the loud volumes. But when it comes to recording, this microphone should be in every studio around the world, so if you have one, try it!

Perhaps a better choice for this application is the trusted condenser microphone. A small condenser microphone is all about picking up the little sounds that your fingers and picks might make while playing the guitar. Try out a couple of directional microphones, like cardioid's and hyper-cardioid's as to better control bleed from the rest of the guitar. Perhaps a nice choice small condenser microphone would be the Rode NT5, but be warned as it is a little pricey. A small budget choice would be perhaps a CAD GXL 1200. These microphones can be pointed right at the sound source (the guitars neck in our case), and very close to the source, and they will give a great sounding recording.

Large diaphragm condenser microphones are just about perfect for close mic’ing of the whole guitar. When it comes to putting the listener in front of your performance I could not offer a better suggestion. These microphones are all about listening, or hearing, so what better microphone is there? A small budget home studio should be able to obtain an Audio Technia AT4040 microphone. These are great sounding, durable, and usable for all sorts of recording applications.

Be aware of phase issues, and the placement of your microphones. You don’t want thin, lifeless recordings! Observing the simple microphone placement rules will give much better sounds for your project.

A nice choice when it comes to a room microphone, or microphones, is the ribbon microphone. These used to be considered a delicate microphone, but they are now better at handling higher sound pressure levels. At any rate, they are perfect foe adding room ambiance into a guitars track. These microphones offer a flat sound that adds little to no unwanted character, or voice to the recorded information. A great choice would be the Royer R121 ribbon microphone.

I’d like to type a word or two about finding and using the right acoustic guitar pickups.

There are so many different ways of getting the acoustic string energy converted to an electrical signal that it may be hard to choose. The simplest way that it is done is to install an acoustic pickup. These can range in design from a “slip in” model to one that attaches to the inside of your guitar permanently and may require a hole be drilled in the side of your guitar to allow for the ¼ inch cable jack. Pick ups can be like electric guitar pickups right down to little microphones that attach under the bridge. They can be as easy or as hard to install as you wish to make them. Choose wisely. Installing a pickup permanently can devalue an instrument, and we all know about miss-drilling holes in our guitars.

When it comes to a small home recording studio, the most bang for the buck would be a pick up that you can insert into a sound hole in order to use, and then remove it and store it away till the next time that you might need it. If you are a recording artist that specializes in acoustic guitar, then you might want to have a specialist install a more expensive model in your prized guitar.

Acoustic pickups have certainly come a long way in my lifetime. For me it all started with the Dean Markley Pro Mag acoustic guitar pickup. This pickup is still one of the better pickups out there and it is best suited for any live acoustic gigs that you might have. These pickups are simple and classic in design and operate very much like an electric guitar pickup. They do not require any drilling or gluing in order to install. A more precise microphone system for acoustic guitars would be a pickup/pre-amp/ and EQ combination like the Fishman transducer “thinline” series.

Fishman Thinline system

Some acoustics are actually acoustic/electric guitars. This is a great option for recording, and live performances. The trouble with these types of guitars is that they are neither a great sounding acoustic only, nor a great sounding electric acoustic only, but a meeting somewhere in the middle. This is not to say they are not nice sounding, easy to play guitars though, no not at all. Most require batteries to supply power to an on board pre-amp in order to amplify the pickups signal.

Recording and mixing down the different recorded guitar signals.

Once you have used this way of recording so many different signals into a take, you will never wish to go back. With each mix you can add room feel or ambiance by turning up the room microphones. You can get a close up sound with the increase of the close microphones. And lastly, if you want a basic recording to send all around the mix, try effecting the direct in signal that came from the acoustic pickups. So many different sounding environments are now made possible by employing these techniques, that when compared to the old way, you will probably never be happy with one microphone set up ever again.

Stealth Pedal (Delux package) by IK Multimedia

Today’s post is all about the cool new Stealth pedal, and the "deluxe package" by the folks at IK Multimedia.

For those of you out there that have yet to be introduced, the new IK Multimedia Stealth pedal is a USB powered audio interface/software controller. The "Deluxe package" deal is a Stealth Pedal along with a large amount of software. To be more percise, all the software a guitarist and/or bassist will ever need.

The Stealth pedal works flawlessly with an electric guitar, bass, and even keyboards! This is one well made, and well thought out pedal folks! Since this is an introduction for some of you, let me dive in and explain what it is that the Stealth Pedal does.

The Stealth pedal has the ability to work with all “powered by IK Multimedia” guitar and bass software, while operating in VST (virtual stand alone) mode; running with the supplied X-Gear software. Plus it can send any midi controllable messages to any midi controlled software. The Stealth pedal is an expression pedal, a computer interface, as well as a midi switch. However its’ features do not end there. Not by a long shot.

Let me explain just what can go in and out of the Stealth Pedal. This will help explain just what is possible by using it, or adding one to your rig. The Stealth pedal (itself) allows for, and has, ¼ inch jack inputs for your instruments (guitars, basses, and keyboards), “1/4 inch outs” for monitor speakers, an “ins” jack for an added expression pedal (i.e. the IK Multimedia stomp pedal), a jack for a dual footswitch, a volume knob, and a 1/8th inch female jack for headphones. Very impressive indeed.

The Stealth Pedal allows us to record our instruments (guitar bass or keys) with a Mac or PC at the highest possible quality, with 24-bit A/D and D/A conversion and 44.1/48 kHz operation. Because it is a USB interface, this one piece of gear may be all you need to completely “express yourself”! Playing and recording your own performances is now possible, with your favorite IK Multimedia software pushing the sounds to the masses.

The Stealth pedal can operate as a VST software controller with the supplied IK Multimedia’s X-Gear software up and running on your computer. The Stealth pedal can become the only other piece of gear that you need to make and alter tones while in VST mode. It truly acts as an audio interface guys! Adding this awesome pedal and the included software package (that is the "Deluxe package") to your live “gig rig” will make your live audio effecting possibilities endless.

Again, this post is all about the Stealth pedal Deluxe package. Togather the included software in this deluxe package and the Stealth Pedal work like a dream. But what is in the box? Well, for starters..... The Stealth pedal deluxe package ships with the Stealth pedal, a USB cable, software installation discs, licenses, user manual, and a limited warranty.

Let me reflect upon the Stealth Pedal again… What I noticed, right out of the box was that it feels very well built. The Stealth Pedal is extremely solid in my hands and rather heavy. Just by holding it I know that it will last as long as you do. The pedal also has a non-slip rubber bottom to ensure the pedal will not move around the stage as you use it to dazzle the crowd with your pedal-stomp crazed effects. We all know how much things can move across the stage at high volumes, right?

As I took notice of the included software discs, I became completely pushed over the edge.

The Stealth pedal ships with IK Multimedia’s “X-Gear” software, IK Multimedias Amplitube two, IK Multimedias Metal, and IK Multimedias Ampeg SVX! How is that for a DELUXE PACKAGE! Very good if you ask me.

IK Multimedias "X-Gear" is a stand alone (VST) application that allows you to use any “powered by IK Multimedia” software while enjoying the Stealth pedal. The Stealth Pedal is also compatible with all popular DAW software supporting ASIO and Core Audio drivers on either a PC or a Mac.

As soon as I got started playing with the software and the Stealth pedal, I ran into trouble. The X-Gear software became more than just fun, it became an obsession!

X-Gears' user interface is very well laid out which made for some fast going on the jamming action. I was up and running in no time at all. Plus, the Stealth pedals’ expression pedal and midi switch can be associated with any parameter of any “Powered by Amplitube” software, providing all sorts of controllable parameters. Heck, since it is from IK Multimedia, all of the included software works just as flawless as one would imagine, and it all sounds fantastic.

With the included IK Multimedia software (Amplitube 2, Ampeg SVX, and Metal) there are all sorts of controls and features to tweak while activly in X-Gear, and playing with the available settings is a must! You can completely tweak all of the available sounds and tones within each amp cabinet, stomp box, effect rack, microphone choice and location, and speaker cabinet selection, and all to your exact tastes.

IK Multimedia X-Gear

Also provided with the Stealth Pedal Deluxe package is the Riff Works T4 software by Sonoma.

This software got more and more of my attention as I found myself diving in deeper and deeper into its amazing features. Riff Works is basically a play and record interface DAW software package. This makes for some fast lying down and recording of your ideas into workable tracks just as fast as you can come up with them. Save them and then you can share them with your friends and/or writing partners, all with RiffWorks T4 software.

Sonoma RiffWorks T4

But what about adding other instruments to your guitar and bass tracks while in Riff Works T4?

No problem! Riff Works T4 also allows you to put some drums into the mix as well as much, much more by simply adding a unit to the groove! It is a great way to either play the day away, practice for that upcoming show, or record your ideas as you are inspired to do so. It is also very well laid out, and easy to maneuver around.

But the included software bundle does not end with Riff Works T4 or X-Gear. No, IK Multimedia is just getting started.

Also included in the Stealth pedal deluxe package are the highly acclaimed IK Multimedia Amplitube 2 guitar and bass amp simulation software, IK Multimedia Metal guitar amp sim and effect software, and the IK Multimedia Ampeg SVX bass guitar amp simulation software! When I realized the amount of software that actualy came in the Stealth pedal deluxe package, I went straight into a software overload induced stupor.


IK Multimedia Ampeg SVX


IK Multimedia Amplitube 2

I will follow up this post with some more detailed posts that cover these two incredible pieces of software in much more detail. For now, just know that they are perhaps the best sounding tube amp simulations available today. They are remarkably close to the exact tones of some of the greatest and most famous amps of all time. Plus these awesome pieces of software come packed with every sort of effect stomp pedal and rack effect that you could ever think of, all of which are done very, very well. You will not spend your time wanting for any effects, but instead you will soon find yourself using way too many every chance you get!

So, to sum up the Stealth pedal Deluxe package, as well as the Stealth pedal itself, I would say “Right on” to the folks at IK Multimedia! They have come up with the perfect bundle of amp/cab/effect software to go hand in hand with a very well made and very well desighned pedal. If you make loud music with a computer, then you need this, period!

Hey, does this sound like you or someone you know?..... Are looking for a way to incorporate some of the most sought after-all tube amps of all time, and some of the best sounding bass and guitar effects to go along with them, and have them all be controllable with one single, well made pedal? If so, then look no further. IK Multimedia has your wishes in mind and they have just what you are looking for. The Stealth Pedal deluxe package with the included Amplitube software and the Stealth pedal!

Weather you are a recording buff (like myself), or a live session player, and you are in need of some amazing-all tube rigs to take your bass and your guitar recordings over the top, than you can end your search with the Stealth Pedal deluxe package. Which ever way that you plan on using this amazing pedal with the supplied software bundle, you will be adding a solid piece of tone to your rig.

The software bundle alone is worth the asking price, let alone the ability to control so much of the effects and the tone with such a well laid out, well thought out, and such a well made pedal. Without any time to ponder the question, I give this amazing package a well deserved “Two guitar guitar pics way up”!

IK Multimedia releases Fender software update.

IK Multimedia has released an update available on the IK MULTIMEDIA website for their Fender guitar and bass software. Included in this update are some more stomp effects pedals as well as a Fender ‘63 reverb unit for the rack effects module.

The update includes the following stomp effect pedals: a Fender tremolo stomp pedal, a Fender wah pedal, and a Fender compressor stomp pedal. Each of these pedals adds to the overwhelming variety of great sounding effects included in the IK Multimedia Amplitube Fender software package.

Let me say that these effects sound just as good as the other effect units in the Fender package, and they are just as true to their vintage counterparts. Adjustments can be made to each of these new effects, right down to the minutest detail.

To be honest it is hard for me to not employ an entire host of pedals and rack effects when dialing in a sound. The whole "less is more" is forgotten as I come across all of the new sounds that are easily created with this package, and the free update.

Explaining microphone types, part three.

O.K. So far we have discussed what the three most common microphone types are. They are the dynamic microphone, the condenser microphone, and the ribbon microphone. We also discussed just what applications these types of microphones are useful for in the recording world.

We quickly went over the most common types of microphone polar patterns that are available on microphones, and a few of the useful applications of these polar patterns. The patterns were cardioid, hyper cardioid, omni, and figure eight.

What is left to discuss about microphones is getting the best possible sound out of a particular microphone. I am currently writing about the handling of microphones as in order to reduce any unwanted artifacts. I am also getting to the points of the “EQ-ing” possibilities of certain microphones.

Lastly, I wish to end off by summing up this three part series on a general topic of interest. This topic of interest is that I want to hit upon is “Just what microphones should every budget minded home recording enthusiast have in their microphone collection”?

So, lets talk about some proper microphone handling techniques.

We all want to get the best possible recording; using whatever microphones we have available to us. Sometimes using them to their best ability means setting them up correctly and thus reducing any unwanted sounds (artifacts) in our recordings. We also may have some choices to make concerning the microphones settings that alter the incoming sound to better match our expectations.

When handling microphones, the rule of thumb is do not handle them! Eliminating any microphone movement insures a clean and constant recording of our sound source. Using microphone stands and shock absorbing suspension systems (shock mounts) is very helpful when it comes to clean and steady recordings. After we have listened to the microphones different placement locations with headphones and found the place that sounds the best, plant your microphone firmly with a stand and a shock mount, if possible.

So what about this “Proxy” or proximity effect thing that we have all heard about? What is it, and how can we prevent it from happening to our recordings? What are the “high and low pass roll off” functions, and what are they for?

The proxy effect happens in directional microphones, primarily the figure eight and the cardioid microphones. The proxy effect is what we call the build up of booming bass noise that you can sometimes hear in our music, typically on (but not restricted to) the vocals. This boom type of noise comes from a building low frequency as we move a microphone closer and closer to a sound source.

Basically, we can do a few different things to avoid this build up of low frequency noise. The most obvious is to move the directional microphone further away from the sound source. But if the microphone is in the sweet spot, then “that aint gonna happen”!

Microphone designers have built some clever features that help us with this evil proxy effect. They are EQ-ing switches, basically, called low frequency roll off switches, or pads. When activated, this feature reduces the intake of the “boominess” that we so wish to avoid. Lastly, we can adjust our EQ-ing at the mixing board or at our DAW in order to cut the low end down to an acceptable level.

Sometime vocalists can sound, well, just awful! Every “P” seems to pop, and each “S” rings out with a hissing, shimmering high end distortion. By simply adding a pop-stopping filter to our microphone most pops can be avoided. Aiming our vocals into the microphone at a slight angle can remove a lot of hissing. EQ-ing and the use of wind screens can also help to reduce these common microphone phenomena’s.

Phasing issues.

“Phasing” is what we call a microphones recording that seems very hollow and flat. When we use two microphones to record one source (guitar, vocals, ect) phasing may occur. Think about a complete sine wave. Now double it. Phasing happens when the waves cancel out each other. This results in missing high and low end, and a nasal sound. Correct microphone set up and placement can all but remove any phasing issues that you may encounter. Check with the microphones manufacturer to see how a stereo set up should be put into action.