Condenser Mike Positioning for Vocals

[Barclay]

Hey I discovered this forum a few days ago and have been soaking up all the great information. Thanks to everyone for their committment to this great board!

I have a question that I feel kinda stupid for asking, but I just can't seem to figure it out.

I'm new to using condenser mikes, and this week I rented an APEX 450 mike with a tube pre-amp.

http://www.apexelectronics.com/apex450.htm#acc

What I can figure out is how I should position the mike in relation to the singer. In other words, does the mike have a "front" and a "back"? I see these mikes hung, pointing down, and placed pointing upwards and sometimes pointing directly towards the singer's mouth.

Maybe it doesn't matter, but because the internal diaphram seems to have a front and back, it seems like it should.

Any insight?

[Track Rat]

I have no experience with this particular mic but I'll offer a few things I think are important. First, use a pop filter. Either the hoop type or at least the foam wind sock. I much prefer the hoop type. Also if the vocalist is going to be close, I angle the mic down a few degrees so to further help in avoiding wind blasts and sybalance.

[eternalmuzik]

With a tube condeser it should be upright for best sound recordings,....hung upside down is basically the same thing too,..... but dont put it sideways or any other weird positioning,....and i agree with Track Rat about the Pop Filter,.. if you dont have one, GET ONE they really help my recordings, they're cheap $20 bucks at musiciansfriend.com, and like Track rat said, put the mic a little further down to reduce any 'pops' the pop filter dont pick up.
..::Bye::..

[Barclay]

Thanks Track Rat and eternalmuzik for the tips -- really helpful.

I bought my first pair of studio monitors today -- my first big audio purchase. I also rented a Zoom MRS-1044 to screw around with .

Cheers!

BB

[Fangar]

Originally posted by Barclay
Thanks Track Rat and eternalmuzik for the tips -- really helpful.

I bought my first pair of studio monitors today -- my first big audio purchase. I also rented a Zoom MRS-1044 to screw around with .

Cheers!

BB

What kind of monitors did ya get?

Fangar

[kristian]

I haven't used a pop filter in a while. You can try things like pointing the mic at non nasal sounding parts of the face from the side, or at the mouth from the side. Have the singer sing forward. Those are some non pop filter ways of recording.

[Barclay]

They're YSM1p - made by a Canadian company called Yorkville, who is known for making decent (i.e., not great) gear at good prices. The fact that they are made in Canada also makes the price right for Canucks like me.

[mikeh]

With mic placement there is no right place - it all depends on the "sweet spot" for any application.

However, with vocalists (using a condensor mic) I tend to mount the mic maybe 12" in front of the singer with the bottom of the mic about level with the brdge of the nose. I than angle the mic slightly down (toward the mouth).

The key is the make sure the vocalist doesn't sing "up to the mic' - but simply sings straight ahead. This placement normally eliminates the need for a pop filter, but still captures the performance accurately.

[Barclay]

Thanks for the tips -- all very helpful.

My tube condensor has two switches on the front that I can't quite figure out. They both have two settings. The left one I think I figured out is designed to take -10db off the mike, but the other one I'm not sure.

One setting shows a straight line and the other shows a line with a dip at the end. Do you think this is a low-frequency roll-off or something?

The other day I used the same mike and another AT811 to record my acoustic guitar in stereo. I put the big condensor over my left shoulder, pointing down at where the neck meets the body, and the AT811 at the bridge. I was very happy with the fullness of the track using this method.