How do you choose when you have a plethora of microphones?

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banjo71

New member
I know most studios have a lot of microphones to choose from. How do you choose which mic to use for vocals and acoustic instruments when you are choosing between really good mics? A friend of mine owns a studio and has the following mics:

- Peluso P12 tube mic
- Pearlman TM1 tube mic
- Neumann KM194 pr
- AKG 451 pr
- Blue/AKG C12 Hybrid
- Peluso p 28 tube mic
- Peluso Ribbon mic pr


Gee, I think I'd be happy with one of these! But obviously there's a reason why he purchased more than one mic, other than having multiple people recording at the same time.

So I guess my question is like, when is enough enough, and what do the engineers/studio owners look for in miking vocals as opposed to acoustic instruments? I mean you can't waste the artists' time choosing a mic, you must know something about these mikes before you use them. What is it that they look for and how do they know to look for it in a certain mic?
 
You need to know how you want the track to sound, what flavor you want. Know how the mics sound, maybe choose a few that have similar "flavors" and try them out on the sound source if you aren't sure. It all comes with time and experience.
 
Each mic has certain characteristics - which may make a given mic sound better with a higher female voice vs. a lower male voice - or a vocalist who sings with a soft voice vs. a metal screamer, etc. Some mics may work better on accoustic instruments other mics may work better on guitar cabs, or for mic'ing drums, etc.

Mics have specs - and in many cases, reading the specs or reading about mics on the internet can help understand when an LD condenser mic vs. a SD condensor may be most appropriate or a dynamic mic vs. a ribbon mic, etc. - however, the reality is, you have to try out the mics you do have with numerous sources and trust your ears to determine which mics serve which purpose the best in your environment.
 
banjo71 said:
A friend of mine owns a studio and has the following mics:

- Peluso P12 tube mic
- Pearlman TM1 tube mic
- Neumann KM194 pr
- AKG 451 pr
- Blue/AKG C12 Hybrid
- Peluso p 28 tube mic
- Peluso Ribbon mic pr



So I guess my question is like, when is enough enough............?
Click to expand...

While those are some nice mics that your friend has....that's just a drop in the bucket for a typical commercial studio.

You have to separate home from pro for starters.
In the home environment, where you are just recording your own tracks.....you could probably *get by* with 2-3 decent mics, and if drum kits are involved maybe a couple more.
You don't need a different mic for every different situation, and for the most part you will find that a lot of mics fall into certain "group flavors"...with just minor sonic differences. Sometimes those minor differences are hard to get any other way, so you need that particular mic. Other times, you can pick any one of several mics and end up with pretty much the same overall result.

If you are recording bands, and you need to track multiple sources at onces....then that speaks for itself....you need many more mics to cover all those sources.

In the pro world....it's about providing almost unlimited selection to the clients....but in most cases, you might end up only using a handful of mics for a session.

You have to first have a lot of mics...then you need to become very familiar with them and how they respond in various situations, and then you will be able to really pick the perfect mics with their special sonics for given situations.
So if you're at home and have 3 mics....then make the most of them. If you find you're not happy with them......get more mics. :D

I have probably over 3 dozen mics....which by moresound standards is just a tease... ;)
I was mainly looking to stock up for those occasional group recording sessions....but for the most part, I'm just recording my own stuff, so over the years, I've narrowed my actual mic choices/usage down to maybe 6-7 mics that I use over and over...and maybe another 3 that will come out occasionally. I also have some duplicate mics, so they're just backup/spares.

I say....one really good tube mic aimed for doing vocals....along with a pair of FET condensers, also aimed for vocals.
Now, when I say "for vocals" that doesn't mean for nothing else....it's just that when a mic is considered good enough for vocals, that usually puts it up at the top quality levels...though sometimes the "right" vocal mic can be a $100 SM58.
Then I would say add a pair or two pairs of really strong dynamics and also a pair of decent ribbons.
That will give you a half dozen flavors to pick from, and you will be able to cover most situations.
 
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