[...]... pickup on the axis (in the front) of the microphone, but reduced pickup off-axis (to the side and to the back) This provides a somewhat heart-shaped pattern, hence the name “cardioid.” (See Figure 7) 14 The Recording Engineer’s Handbook Figure 7 Cardioid Polar Pattern HYPERCARDIOID MICROPHONES By changing the number and size of the ports (openings) on the case, it is possible to increase the directionality... make it directional, little holes are punched in the 6 The Recording Engineer’s Handbook backplate The object of the holes is to delay the arrival of sound at the rear of the diaphragm to coincide with the same sound at the front, which then cancels the sound out The size and position of the holes determine the frequencies that will be cancelled Most large diaphragm condensers are multi-pattern microphones... of the classics, David knows why and how they work, and why they are made the way they are xiv The Recording Engineer’s Handbook PART ONE Tracking in Stereo CHAPTER 1 Microphones How and Why Microphones Work Microphones appear in an almost endless variety of shapes, sizes, and design types, but no matter what their physical attributes, their purpose is the same—to convert acoustic vibrations (in the. .. said, The Recording Engineer’s Handbook is not meant to be a replacement for many books that have long been the staple of microphone background Indeed, it’s meant to be read in conjunction with other books that delve deeper into the basic technical info However, I have provided a brief overview of the basics for those new to the subject As you will see, there are many ways to get the same basic result There’s... Three The Interviews is comprised of interviews with some of the finest (and in some cases legendary) tracking engineers in the world Of especially great interest is the interview with Ross Garfield, The Drum Doctor,” who gives some tips and techniques for making the drum kit sound its best in the studio Meet the Engineers Here’s a list of the engineers who contributed to this book, along with some of their... magnet When sound waves make the diaphragm vibrate, the connected coils also vibrate in the magnetic field, causing current to flow Since the current is produced by the motion of the diaphragm and the amount of current is determined by the speed of that motion, this kind of microphone is known as velocity sensitive (see Figure 1) Figure 1 Dynamic Mic Block Diagram The ability of the microphone to respond... Michael’s highly regarded recordings have become reference points for the well done Bruce Botnick—Few engineers have the perspective on recording that Bruce Botnick has After starting his career in the thick of the L.A rock scene recording hits for The Doors, the Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, The Turtles, and Marvin Gay, Bruce became one of the most in-demand movie soundtrack recordists and mixers, with... true The difference in the size of the diaphragm translates into a difference in signal to noise ratio The bigger diaphragm gives you more signal for a certain electrical noise level and therefore can be quieter than the small diaphragm Condenser mics have consistent response from mic to mic They’re not as close as you might think Despite what the specs might say, there can be vast differences in the. .. while condensers, thanks to their built-in preamplifier, are the loudest Where this might be a concern is in how your signal chain is responding when recording loud signals For instance, a condenser mic on a loud source might easily overload the console or outboard microphone preamp because of its inherent high output 10 The Recording Engineer’s Handbook On the other hand, the low output of a ribbon... (Directional Response) The directional response of a microphone is the way in which the microphone responds to sounds coming from different directions around the microphone The directional response is determined more by the casing surrounding the microphone than by the type of transducer it uses The directional response of a microphone is recorded on a polar diagram This polar diagram shows the level of signal . history the techniques and methods of the recording masters, but answers the crying need of the recording marketplace of “How do I mike the snare?” or “How do I get a big guitar sound?” While there. have the perspective on recording that Bruce Botnick has. After starting his career in the thick of the L.A. rock scene recording hits for The Doors, the Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfi eld, The. palette. You pick the colors that you want to use.—Eddie Kramer CHAPTER 1 Microphones 2 The Recording Engineer’s Handbook The Dynamic Microphone The dynamic microphone is the workhorse of the microphone