i have a sterling st 55 and it has 3 switches on the mic...i found they r called high pass filter and attenuation pad switches. plus a switch tht has 0db and otherside says -10db...not sure which switch is the high pass nd which one is the attenuation or what they do...but does any1 know what side each switch shud be pointin too....like what the symbol or whatever that the switch is facing shud look like
mic help
- Thread starter kunalkho
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Track Rat
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Richard Monroe
Well-known member
OK, Kunalkho. They've busted your balls enough. The 0db-(-10db) switch is called a pad. The concept was started in the 1940's, when the hot output of the first condenser mics overloaded preamps which had tons of gain for dynamic ribbon mics. Originally, the "pad" was a real felt cover for the mic, to prevent clipping, especially on loud sources. Today the "pad" is still called that, but now it's electronic. You can find pads built into mics and preamps. In some cases, like with an AKG C414, they are staged, with multiple settings, such as -10db -20db -30db. Basically, put this switch on 0 db. That means the pad is turned off. If you are recording something up close and personal, like close mic'ing drums, and no matter how low you set your preamp's gain. you are getting clipping (signal chain overload, sounds like somebody squeezing a ball of Saran Wrap), then turn on the pad. The better you are at mic selection/placement and gain staging, the less you will use this thing. In most pro studios, pad switches tend to collect cobwebs.
The other switch is a low cut, also known as a high-pass filter. This decreases output of low frequencies below a pre-set point. Where that point is set, and how much it decreases bass output, varies according to the design of the mic. Some are gentle, sort of a soft shoe, and others are abrupt, more of a steel-toed boot. This is sometimes useful to decrease mic bleed, say on a snare drum, where you want the mic to pick up less kick or bass guitar. It is also used to decrease low frequency "rumble" which can come from floors that resonate like a drum head, and dickhead toe-tappers. You'll find more uses for this than the pad, but remember, things that we think of as midrange or higher frequency producers, like acoustic guitars, also produce low frequencies, both primary waves and overtones. While it can seem convenient to scrub off some of the low frequency "boom" of an acoustic guitar (Gibson Jumbos and Martins are famous for this), you can't put back what you never recorded. Often it's better to accept the low frequencies when tracking, and then attenuate (cut) them selectively with EQ in post-production (later). Both of these are problem solving tools. If you don't have a problem, don't use them at all. Hope that helps.-Richie
The other switch is a low cut, also known as a high-pass filter. This decreases output of low frequencies below a pre-set point. Where that point is set, and how much it decreases bass output, varies according to the design of the mic. Some are gentle, sort of a soft shoe, and others are abrupt, more of a steel-toed boot. This is sometimes useful to decrease mic bleed, say on a snare drum, where you want the mic to pick up less kick or bass guitar. It is also used to decrease low frequency "rumble" which can come from floors that resonate like a drum head, and dickhead toe-tappers. You'll find more uses for this than the pad, but remember, things that we think of as midrange or higher frequency producers, like acoustic guitars, also produce low frequencies, both primary waves and overtones. While it can seem convenient to scrub off some of the low frequency "boom" of an acoustic guitar (Gibson Jumbos and Martins are famous for this), you can't put back what you never recorded. Often it's better to accept the low frequencies when tracking, and then attenuate (cut) them selectively with EQ in post-production (later). Both of these are problem solving tools. If you don't have a problem, don't use them at all. Hope that helps.-Richie
Last edited:
chrisghost
New member
Great tips Richard. Just had my first cup of coffee of the day and allready learned something useful. Cheers!