How To Make Great Recordings

The way you position your microphone can make or break a recording. Get it right, and you’ll capture an amazing sound; get it wrong, and you might find yourself redoing the entire session. In this post, we’ll explore best practices for microphone placement, focusing on vocals, guitars, and drums in a home studio setting.

You’ll discover plenty of tips and techniques along the way, but that’s just the start. I’ll also share key concepts that will help you maximize the potential of your gear and space. Think of this post as more than a collection of tips—it’s a toolkit for building great sound.

But before diving into mic placement specifics, let’s start with the basics of microphones themselves. Knowing how they work and their unique qualities will make you a pro at quick, on-the-spot decisions.

How Microphones Work

At the heart of every microphone is a transducer, a device that converts sound waves into electrical signals. Different types of transducers result in microphones with distinct characteristics. Let’s focus on four popular mic types—without getting too bogged down in the science.

Dynamic Microphones

Dynamic mics are durable workhorses that handle loud, transient sounds with ease. They’re relatively unaffected by room acoustics, making them perfect for untreated spaces. Their natural midrange emphasis suits drums, live vocals, and guitar amps.

Ribbon Microphones

Ribbon mics offer exceptional accuracy and warmth but require careful handling due to their sensitivity. Older models can be damaged by phantom power, so always double-check before use. Their neutral sound makes them ideal for bright sources like brass instruments, drums, and edgy vocals.

Condenser Microphones

Condenser mics require external power (phantom power) and excel at capturing detail, particularly in the highs and midrange. Large-diaphragm condensers are a favorite for vocals, thanks to their silky tone, while small-diaphragm versions shine on strings and overheads due to their fast transient response.

Back-Electret Condensers

Often associated with USB microphones, back-electret condensers have gained prominence in recent years. While they share the brightness and sensitivity of regular condensers, they sometimes lack the same warmth. Still, they’re widely used in podcasting and home recording setups.

Understanding Polar Patterns

A microphone’s polar pattern determines how it captures sound from different directions. Familiarity with these patterns will help you achieve optimal placement.

• Omnidirectional: Captures sound equally from all directions, offering a flat frequency response.

• Cardioid: Focuses on sound from the front while reducing pickup from the rear. Variants like supercardioid and hypercardioid provide even tighter focus.

• Figure-8: Picks up sound from the front and back, rejecting the sides. Useful for isolating sources in close proximity.

Key Placement Considerations

Technical knowledge is essential, but so is adapting to the unique qualities of each recording session.

• Player-Instrument Dynamic: Match the mic and placement to the player’s tone and the instrument’s character. For example, a bright vocalist might benefit from a warmer mic or slightly adjusted placement.

• Song Requirements: Align mic choices with the song’s demands. A warm, thumpy kick drum requires different treatment than a punchy, clicky one.

• The Room: Room acoustics can make or break your recording. Test the space with claps, hisses, or vocal sweeps to identify echoes and resonances. Experiment with placement to find the best spot for recording.

Essential Microphone Concepts

• On-Axis vs. Off-Axis: Pointing the mic directly at a source (on-axis) yields a bright, focused sound, while angling it slightly off-axis reduces harshness.

• Proximity Effect: The closer a cardioid mic is to the source, the more low-end it captures. Use this effect to add warmth or reduce boominess.

• Phase Relationships: When using multiple mics, phase alignment is crucial to avoid thin or hollow sounds. Experiment with distances and flip polarities to ensure coherence.

Practical Placement Tips

Let’s move on to some specific techniques for common instruments:

How to Mic Vocals (Singing)

When recording vocals, room acoustics play a critical role unless you're using a dynamic mic like the Shure SM7B, which minimizes room reflections effectively. Ensure you’ve assessed and optimized the room before starting.

Choosing the Mic and Placement

For most modern pop-style recordings, a large-diaphragm condenser microphone is the go-to choice. Here's how to approach placement:

• On-axis positioning (directly facing the singer): Produces a focused, crisp sound but may highlight harsh sibilants.

• Off-axis positioning (angled slightly away): Reduces harshness and sibilance but can sound less bright. To find the sweet spot, have the singer produce a hissing sound directly into the mic, then gradually angle it outward until the sibilance softens without losing clarity. Follow this by testing with actual sibilant words.

Distance Matters

Position the mic between three fingers and one foot away from the singer.

• Closer proximity: Boosts bass response (proximity effect), adding warmth but risking distortion with powerful vocals.

• Farther away: Captures a thinner sound with more room ambiance, which may or may not suit the song’s style.

Pop Filters

A pop filter is essential unless your vocalist has perfect mic technique. It prevents plosive sounds like “p” and “b” from overwhelming the recording, saving you the hassle of fixing these issues in post-production.

Dynamic Mics for Vocals

If you’re using a Shure SM7B or similar dynamic mic, proximity to the capsule is key. This mic is designed to handle close-range recordings due to its internal windscreen, making it excellent for spoken word or vocals in untreated rooms. While it minimizes room reflections, it won’t eliminate mechanical noises or HVAC sounds, so be mindful of these.

How to Mic Vocals (Spoken)

Room acoustics play a significant role in recording spoken vocals unless you’re using a dynamic microphone like the Shure SM7B. This mic is a top choice for podcasting and narration because it minimizes room reflections, delivering a clean, focused sound.

Controlling Room Influence

When I say this mic "takes the room out," I’m referring specifically to how it reduces unwanted room reflections—not external noises like HVAC systems or machine hum, which still require attention.

Positioning Tips for the Shure SM7B

• Close to the capsule: This mic is designed for proximity, thanks to its built-in windscreen. You can get right up to the microphone without worrying about distortion or plosives.

• Pop filter: Even though the SM7B has internal protection, an additional pop filter is a good idea for minimizing plosives, especially if the speaker isn’t experienced in mic technique.

• Distance and angle: Keep the speaker about three to four fingers away and encourage them to speak slightly off-axis. This positioning reduces sibilance and maintains a natural tone.

Bass Cabinets

For bass guitars, focus on capturing both low-end depth and articulation:

1. Dynamic Mic on the Cab:

   • Use a dynamic mic like an Electro-Voice RE20 or AKG D112, placed close to the speaker cone.

   • Position it on-axis for more definition or off-axis for a rounded tone.

2. Blended DI and Mic:

   • Combine a direct input (DI) signal with a mic on the cabinet.

   • The DI captures clean, low-end fundamentals, while the mic adds character and the amp's tonal color.

3. Room Mic (Optional):

   • For more ambiance, place a condenser or ribbon mic a few feet away from the cab.

   • This adds depth and spatial context to the bass sound, particularly useful for live, roomy tracks.

Electric Guitar Cabinets

Capturing electric guitar tones involves using dynamic and ribbon microphones. Here are common setups and their characteristics:

Ribbon Microphone on a Guitar Cab

A ribbon mic, such as a Royer R-121, is placed about 6–12 inches from the speaker.

Ribbon mics provide a warm, smooth tone with detailed lows and natural highs, ideal for a balanced, classic sound.

Dynamic Microphone (On-Axis)

Place a dynamic mic, like a Shure SM57, close to the speaker cone, directly facing the center. This placement delivers a focused, bright sound with clear articulation.

Dynamic Microphone (Off-Axis)

• Angle the dynamic mic slightly away from the center of the cone.

• This reduces harshness and emphasizes the warmer frequencies, resulting in a softer tone.

• On-Axis placement creates a more direct, brighter tone, while Off-Axis smoothens the highs for a less aggressive sound.

DRUMS

Kick Drum

Proper kick drum mic placement involves capturing both the attack and body of the sound. Here’s how to achieve this:

1. Kick In:

   • Place a dynamic microphone, like an Audix D6 or Shure Beta 52A, inside the drum near the beater head.

   • Position it slightly off-center to avoid harshness and control proximity effect.

   • This setup emphasizes the click and punch of the kick drum attack.

2. Kick Out:

   • Use a large-diaphragm condenser mic outside the drum shell, around 6–12 inches from the resonant head, slightly off to the side.

   • Adjust the distance and angle to balance tone and minimize phase issues.

   • This mic captures the low-end fullness and resonance of the kick drum.

For added depth in professional studios, some engineers utilize sub-kicks or create kick tunnels for reinforced low frequencies, though this may not be practical in smaller setups.

Snare Drum

The snare benefits from a dual-mic setup for maximum tonal versatility:

1. Top Mic:

   • Place a dynamic mic, such as a Shure SM57, above the snare, angled toward its center.

   • This mic emphasizes the body, crack, and punch. Adjust the angle for tonal variation:

     • Aiming at the center enhances body and punch.

     • Aiming toward the rim increases ring and overtones.

2. Bottom Mic:

   • Place another SM57 under the snare to capture the sizzle of the snare wires.

   • Flip the phase of the bottom mic during mixing if phase cancellation occurs, and choose the setting that delivers the fullest sound.

Toms

To mic toms effectively:

• Use a Sennheiser MD 421 or a similar dynamic microphone.

• Position the mic close to the drum head, angled slightly toward the center to reduce bleed from other drums.

• Adjust height and angle to achieve a balance between resonance and attack.

Hi-Hats

For the hi-hats:

• Position a small-diaphragm condenser mic like a Neumann KM184 or AKG C451 above the hats, angled away from the cymbals to reduce bleed from other kit elements.

• Align it parallel to the snare mic to maintain phase alignment.

Overheads

Overhead mics capture the overall kit sound and stereo image. Here are three techniques:

1. Spaced Pair (A-B):

   • Place two matched large-diaphragm condensers, such as AKG C414s, above the kit, favoring each side.

   • This setup emphasizes cymbals but may create an unnaturally wide stereo field.

2. ORTF:

   • Position two small-diaphragm condensers, angled 110° apart, about 17 cm from each other, above the kit.

   • This technique provides a balanced stereo image with natural depth.

3. X/Y (Coincident Pair):

   • Place two cardioid mics at 90°, with capsules nearly touching, above the drum kit.

   • This method delivers tight stereo imaging and good mono compatibility, focusing on the snare's position in the mix.