Microphones: catching waves

It’s usually the first – and many would say, the most important – link in the signal chain. Choose the right mic for the job and you’re already halfway to getting a great recording. Huw Price investigates the microphone in all its guises.

There was a time when sound engineering began and ended with microphones. In these days of digital processing, it’s easy to overlook the fact that, next to the artists themselves, the microphone is the most important link in the acoustic signal chain. It’s tempting to believe that modern signal processing can turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse, but sadly, the ‘garbage-in-garbage-out’ principle generally applies. The sound of a particular microphone and the way it’s used has more influence on the overall character of an acoustic recording than any preamplifier, equalizer or compressor.

This feature first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 15
Filed under General Features

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