Condenser Mic mounting

CANINE704

New member
I just purchased a Marshall MXL 2003 condenser mic, this is my first condenser,I havent recieved it yet but my questions are these: I dont have a clue how to mount it some times I've seen em upside down,and vice versa, what is the best way?...Im only recording vocals nothing else, any photos would really help alot. My second question is :is there anything I should be aware of when dealing with a condenser mic (I've got phantom power) Thanks
 
I dont have a clue how to mount it some times I've seen em upside down,and vice versa, what is the best way?

It doesn't really matter which way you mount it as long as when you sing in to it you sing into the capsule. So upside or right way up doesn't matter. Also as mentioned in another thread here there is a front and back. Usually the front is the side with the logo and this will have the strongest (loudest)volume. This is the side you want to sing into.

My second question is :is there anything I should be aware of when dealing with a condenser mic (I've got phantom power)

Condensers are very sensitive compared to dynamics so you don't have to turn the gain up on your preamp as much. With that in mind make sure you don't have any distortion or overloading on your channel.

Tukkis
 
becareful when u clean it! the coil is really fagile...
and impact... generally i don't like the condenser because of the extra attention but it does sound nice especially with female vocals...
 
I think the reason you will see a lot of condensers mounted on a boom stand and hanging upside down is because they are usually susceptible to handling noise. By hanging them upside down there is less chance of them being bumped by the singer.

Blessings, Terry
 
They're sensitive - you probably want shock mounts. The Sound Room has generics if you don't have mounts made for your mic. I'm reasonably happy with mine, though they're set up for larger diaphragms.

Good luck.
 
Wow, those are $50!

Most of the companies offer custom mounts for their products for less than that.

I agree that shock mounts are important though.

Blessings, Terry
 
They used to hang mics upside down to keep the heat from the tube from affecting the diaphragm, and I would still hang a tube mic that way. With a FET condenser, it doesn't make a rat's ass bit of difference. It probably doesn't matter much with current tube mics either, as mylar, built for space applications, is less sensitive to heat than gold foil. Yeah, shock mounts are a good thing. Check the diameter of the mic and get an appropriate shock mount. Rode makes some passable generics that will fit most mics, including your MXL. I think they're closer to $30. I do have those Sabrasom mounts from the Sound Room for my MC012's, though, and they are quite versatile.-Richie
 
upside down, looks better. I found it is also cheaper to bolt the mic flanges to the ceiling and use gooseneck extensions instead of stands for overheads and vocals.
 
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