how important is a shockmount?

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northern cali

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i just wanted to know how important a shockmount is and if one is really neccesary for recording vocals,

i know they're needed to move the mic around while recording but will it affect the sound if one isnt mounted?...


thanks...
 
They are extremely important with condenser microphones IMO, however they are not used to move the mic around while recording to my knowledge.

"...attenuates noise, shock and vibration transmitted through mic stands, booms and mounts "

They are not necessary to record vocals, nor is a mic stand, pop filter etc...
If your asking if you should get one, yes.
 
It all depends on the environment . . .

Good condenser and ribbon mics have an extended low-frequency response (compared to most dynamics). The basic purpose of the shockmount is to attenuate low-frequency thumps and bumps from being conducted through the mic stand and mic casing to the sensitive mic capsule. The capsule will already have some form of elastic mount to partially reduce this. If the room you are in has a solid (concrete) floor and is not near vibration producing equipment such as elevators and air-con units, then it might not be an issue, especially if you are using the LF cut switch on the mic for close working. If, say, you were working on a stage with a hollow wooden floor then thumps such as footsteps or piano pedalling and action noises might be conducted through the mic stand and seem very strange and exagerated in your recording. My inexpensive Chinese mics came complete with those popular elastic mounts. When I bought more expensive mics the shock mounts were classed as an optional extra and each mount cost more than a Chinese Mic! So far I have resisted buying these. A recent recording job happened to be in a yoga centre so I borrowed a pair of their sponge rubber exercise mats to place under the mic stands. I intend to buy a pair of these to carry around with my gear (useful packing when in transit, too). Understand that air-borne LF noise such as aircraft or traffic will not be significantly reduced by shock mounts - it is the noises transmitted through the mic stand that will be reduced. If your mic preamp/mixer channel has a high-pass filter button, then this will also further reduce these noises, but you have to consider whether the musical content will suffer, i.e. does the music source/instrument contain LF content. If not (e.g. flute, female vocal) then no harm will be done and you'll get a cleaner sound.
 
mentalattica said:
They are extremely important with condenser microphones IMO, however they are not used to move the mic around while recording to my knowledge.

"...attenuates noise, shock and vibration transmitted through mic stands, booms and mounts "

They are not necessary to record vocals, nor is a mic stand, pop filter etc...
If your asking if you should get one, yes.
Click to expand...



i see, cause on this radio show they televise in sac. the host often moves around the mic and holds it by the shockmount when moving it, so i firgured it was to keep the listener from hearing the thuds n sounds of his hands on the mic...

thanks on tha info...
 
I think it depends also if you're on a concrete slab or not. Haven't done it but I bet I'd be just fine without out in my basement.
 
It depends on a few things;

1 - How well the capsule is suspended in the mic. Some are ok, some not.

2 - How solid the floor is under the stand, or better yet if it's floated.

3 - Freeway, train tracks, large air conditioning units, etc. nearby?

4 - Does the singer like to keep da beat with da feet?

Personally, I would never use any condenser mic without a shockmount, but I could probably get away with it with my NTK. On the other hand, my MK-319 would rumble if a mouse ran by. A good indicator is handleing noise. If the mic has a large degree of handling noise, it really needs a shockmount, even though it won't be handled.
 
Robert D said:
3 - Freeway, train tracks, large air conditioning units, etc. nearby?

4 - Does the singer like to keep da beat with da feet?
Click to expand...


Those are two big ones.... The train/semi truck thing is a real sleeper. You don't notice it while you record and then hear this rumble on playback. Many times you can barely feel the "earthquake" a truck or train makes but they will goof up your tracks. In a pinch, a high pass filter can take a lot of that out, but it is better to not have it there to begin with.
 
That guys who moves the mic around probably needs the shockmount for that kind of behaivior, but he may also be using a large diameter condensor like a SM7 or EV RE20 ("broadcast" mics) that only looks like a condenser. Either way the shockmount would be good for that sort of thing, but most real audio recording is done with stationary mics.

Daav
 
I've found it's better safe than sorry. I mostly use shockmounts on all my mics when recording. Like has been said earlier they are used to help eliminate noise conducted through the mic stand, it helps eliminate mechanical induced rumble. Often this noise is caused by the person being recorded, i.e. foot-tapping. I'd definitely use them if drums are in the same room, a kick vibration is easily picked up and transferred into rumble. Sometimes the rumble can be filtered out during mixing, sometimes not. No sense in chancing it.
 
You guys are forgetting the MOST important aspect of a shockmount:


THEY LOOK COOl!!!
 
It is also important to note that some mics have a certain amount of internal shock absorbing, while others have none. How the mic attaches to the stand may also be a consideration.

A good example of this is the BLUE Mouse. It really needs a shock mount, or you will hear every foot tap within 10 yards of the mic.
 
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