Mic Questions:

[Randell Marks]

1). What would be the application for a figure 8 pattern MIC?
2). How would you rate a Studio Projects C3 or CAD E200 against an AGK 3000? Would it be a move up from the C3000?
3). What is M/S? Mono/Stereo?

Thanks,

Randell

 

[Track Rat]

Well, M/S in the context of mic'ing technique, stands for middle/side mic'ing and that's where a figure 8 mic would come in. It's a cardiod mic, usually a condensor aimed at something, say and acoustic guitar. that is sent to it's on track. Then you also have a figure 8 mic set up just behind the cardiod mic with it aimed with its pattern to the left and right instead of directly at the guitar. The signal from this mic is split to two tracks with the polarity of one of the channels flipped and the two panned left and right. So now you have the cardiod track panned to the center (middle) and the figure 8 mic (side)split and panned left and right with inverted polarity on one side. This gives you a realistic stereo image that's mono compatible. If the signal is collapsed to mono, the middle channels phase cancel each other and disappear.

 

[littledog]

2). How would you rate a Studio Projects C3 or CAD E200 against an AGK 3000? Would it be a move up from the C3000?

Track Rat covered most of #1 and #3, although I would add that a figure eight is also very useful if rejection from the side is more important than rejection ffrom the rear.

But in answer to #2, I must first state that I have never used either a C3 or an E200 - but I have used a C30000, and I imagine almost any mic (except a C1000 or an original grill Oktava 219) would be a step up.

 

[Richard Monroe]

I use C3 extensively, and I have worked with a C3000B. I consider the C3 to be the superior mic in every way, for a wide variety of applications. Mostly though I ue C3 for a vocal mice and an ambient (room) mic.-Richie