New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Sound creation and delivery influence a person's auditory perception. To make enjoyable music, you must seamlessly manipulate sound using the right recording equipment, case in point: microphones. It's surprising to know that microphones are more than amplifying your sound.
What Is A Microphone?
A microphone, mike, or simply mic, is a sound transducer-converts mechanical wave energy (sound waves) into electrical energy (audio signals).
Various types of microphones can be used for different sound utilization. Before getting one, it's important to know how these mics differ as your recording experience will vary from using one type from another.
Generally, the main characteristics that differentiate microphones are:
When choosing the perfect microphone for your purpose, consider these tips to test your mic's quality:
Know The Mic's Specifications And Applications
Before diving into any microphone testing, you should fully know your mic's details, specifications, applications, and instructions. In this way, you can set the right expectations.
Detailed knowledge about the microphone will guide the user on how to properly use them for the best results. No matter how suitable the mic is for your purpose, you won't harvest the best sounds by incorrectly setting up the mic.
Moreover, the manufacturer's listed mic descriptions and specifications help determine if it's a high or low-quality microphone. For instance, you can already assess a mic's quality based on its packaging, feel, and how the manufacturer described the product on the labels.
Set Up An Audio Interface
Going deeper into the technicalities, professional audio creators utilize many types of sound equipment to deliver the best content. One of these sound tools involves using an audio interface with your microphone.
Microphones commonly have low output levels, so it'll need another tool that'll amplify the output to line level, which is what an audio interface is all about. By connecting your mic to an audio interface, you'll enhance your mic's quality and performance.
The audio interface upgrades your sound recording experience when connecting essential studio gear like microphones. It also allows you to assess if your XLR mic connectivity is good.
If you're in the professional audio production industry, having a mic and audio interface is a splendid recording combination.
Carry Out Vocalizations
Performing a mic test is necessary and advantageous for your recording experience. A microphone test is a classic method of testing mics, allowing the user to identify and troubleshoot problems in the mic itself, or other components such as amplification system, speaker system, or the cables.
However, what most people don't know is that blowing or tapping the mic is an incorrect way of testing. To check the quality and reliability of your mic, the best way is doing a "one, two, three" mic test, because of the following reasons:
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"One" has round vowels that enable the testing of lower vocal frequencies.
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"Two" is a plosive sound that analyzes pop resistance and bass frequencies.
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"Three," lastly, has narrow, pinched vowels that measure the higher vocal frequencies.
Furthermore, you can use fricative words like "zebra," "sitter," and "think," or sibilant words such as "books" and "wish" as these will examine frequencies above the vocal tract range.
Doing the right vocalizations in a microphone test is an excellent approach to test your mic's quality. Keep in mind that these testing words aren't senseless because they aim to excite specific frequencies and analyze if any issues shouldn't exist.
Have A Reference Microphone
To further measure the capabilities of your mic, it's recommended to use a reference microphone. Particularly, compare it with a known reference such as a measurement mic with a linear response.
A great example is a 4006A Omnidirectional Microphone as it can be positioned close to your test mic without having any sound field influences, even during your home recording sessions. They also possess phase response and total linear frequency advantageous for calibration between listening to different mics.
Aside from vocalizations, you can spice up your mic testing with a reference mic then utilize the piano, percussion, guitar, or wind instrument. These are more complex sound sources that test both on-axis and off-axis response of the mic.
Perform The Off-Axis Coloration Test
As mentioned, looking into the on- and off-axis qualities aids in assessing the mic's quality. A common mistake by sound users when checking a mic is only delivering the sound waves directly and not outside the mic's axis.
Therefore, conduct an off-axis coloration test on the mic from different directions and angles. For mics with larger diaphragms, you might experience increased attenuation but shouldn't exhibit a "curtain effect," or having more or less strongly colored sound.
If your mic has unsymmetrical and weaker off-axis coloration, they're not ideal for demanding recordings and have limited applicability.
Bottom Line
Microphones aren't created equally as some might offer stronger features or have a more affordable price. When finding a new microphone for your sound adventures, don't solely rely on the brand's claims and description, but test the unit yourself through these methods discussed.
