Microphone Techniques

Effective microphone techniques resulted in some of the most iconic music ever committed to tape. Consider Phil Spector’s signature “Wall of Sound,” which relied heavily on appropriate microphone techniques, or Led Zeppelin’s iconic recording of John Bonham’s drums on “When the Levee Breaks,” recorded with a stereo microphone on the second floor stairway at Headley Grange Studio. Whether your sessions feature a single vocalist or rapper, metal trio, or large big-band jazz ensemble, the ability to get good sounds is essential to producing competitive results.

Microphone Techniques is designed to give you the solid background and skill set necessary for successfully planning and implementing recording sessions ranging from single-mic overdubs to full rhythm sections. Throughout the course, you’ll learn about the various elements of the recording chain, detailed technical characteristics of different microphone types, selecting appropriate microphone models based upon an instrument’s sound and the desired outcome, proper handling and setup, close and distant microphone placements for a wide variety of musical instruments, effectively utilizing the recording environment, and managing the demands of complex recording sessions with multiple participants.

Each week, you’ll complete exercises and assignments that help build your skills step-by-step. You’ll get better acquainted with the microphones available to you, experiment with both close and distant mic techniques, and by the end of the course, work your way up to a full-band recording.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• develop a general strategy for a recording session based upon a desired production style
• select a microphone that effectively matches the characteristics of an instrument
• position a microphone in a way that accommodates an instrument’s complex sound radiation patterns
• devise multiple mic configurations in order to attain more accurate or compelling recordings
• work with close as well as distant mic configurations
• utilize stereo mics to convey the spatial qualities of instruments and ensembles
• execute a moderately complex recording session with multiple simultaneous performers

Please note: students will need access to recording hardware with eight inputs, as well as sufficient microphones and accompanying gear in order to do the final ensemble recording; students without this capability will be assigned an alternate project. See the detailed course requirements for minimum hardware configurations.

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