Hello all. We're back for part 2 of my series on setting up a home studio. This time we are going to talk about microphones and studio monitors. The choices you make in these two areas can really make a difference on how you're recordings and mixes will sound outside of your studio. Let's jump right in. shall we.
What type of microphone you choose is crucial in a studio environment. Vocals, guitars, drums.... they all need certain types of mics to get that "sound" if you will. Some famous mics from history include the Telefunken u47 tube mic. The Neumann u67 tube mic, which was the successor to the u47 and the RCA 44-bx ribbon mic. All of these mics can trace their uses back to some of the most iconic recordings of all time. Artists like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and The Beatles have used these mics in their recordings.
But that's enough on microphones most of us home studio hobbyists will never own. Most of us will have $100 to $300 mics in our mic locker for various purposes. My first and still only mic is a CAD GXL2200 (until 1/4/2019 that is) It is a multipurpose condenser mic that I have used on a variety of sources. Acoustic guitar, vocals, djembe, guitar amps and various hand percussion. I have an Audio Technica at2035 condenser mic arriving on the a fore mentioned day. What is a condenser mic you ask? A condenser mic has a much greater frequency response and transient response than their dynamic counterparts. This gives them the ability to reproduce the "speed" of an instrument or voice. They also have a louder output, but are more sensitive to loud noises. Condenser mics also require a power source; 48 volt phantom power is available on all modern day interfaces to supply this power requirement.
This brings us to dynamic mics. Compared to condenser mics, dynamic mics can withstand a ton of abuse and still come out smiling. This makes them perfect for live music situations. You can drop one, or spin it with the cable like Roger Daltry used to and it will still sound like you just bought it. Any club with a house PA probably has a plethora of sm57's and sm58's on hand for all kinds of sources. The Shure sm57 is a studio work horse as well. Any good studio will have at least two of these on hand. One for guitar amps and the other for snare drums.
Last but not least is the mighty ribbon microphone. A ribbon mic is a special type of dynamic microphone. They feature a strong piece of metal (usually aluminum) suspended in a magnetic field.The ribbon acts a both diaphragm and transducer element, providing the same kind of sensitivity and transient response you would expect from a condenser but with a whole different character. This translates into a mic that is highly detailed without being overly sensitive. They also have the ability to keep bleed down to a minimum unlike condensers
Any one of the styles of mics is great for a home studio. What you want and what you get will depend largely on your budget. Which most of the purchases for this hobby will be. Microphones can easily be one of the largest expenses in any studio.
Now we will talk about Studio monitors. This is easily one of the most important purchases you will make. Why do you need special speakers for a home studio? Studio monitors need to have a flat frequency response as well as phase response. A flat frequency response will exhibit minimal emphasis or de-emphasis of particular frequencies. Accurate phase response will provide no distortion in a stereo sound field. This is essential to get a good mix from your recordings. You must remember though, no speaker will have a perfect flat frequency response. All speakers "color" certain frequencies in one way or another. Studio monitors are just more well designed than the average home stereo speaker to minimize this "color".
Beyond stereo sound-stage requirements, a linear phase response helps impulse response remain true to source without encountering "smearing". An unqualified reference to a monitor often refers to a near-field (compact or close-field) design. This is a speaker small enough to sit on a stand or desk in proximity to the listener, so that most of the sound that the listener hears is coming directly from the speaker, rather than reflecting off of walls and ceilings (and thus picking up coloration and reverberation from the room). Monitor speakers may include more than one type of driver (e.g., a tweter and a woofer) or, for monitoring low-frequency sounds, such as bass drum, single-driver subwoofer cabinets may be used.
Also, studio monitors are made in a more physically robust manner than home hi-fi loudspeakers; whereas home hi-fi loudspeakers often only have to reproduce compressed commercial recordings, studio monitors have to cope with the high volumes and sudden sound bursts that may happen in the studio when playing back unmastered mixes.
I have 2 pairs of studio monitors. Mackie MR5 mk3's are my primary monitors for recording for monitoring purposes. They also serve as a secondary mix reference set. My main mixing monitors are the PreSonus Eris E5 studio monitor. These are great because they have a very flat frequency response as well as other features for setting up your room response.
Most studio monitors come with power built into them. They are known as "powered" studio monitors.This powered design offers some advantages. This avoids having to have a separate amplifier to power your monitors that can drive up the cost.The interface between amp and speaker can be optimized as well. This may possibly result in greater control and precision. Plus advances in amplifier design have reduced the size and weight or the electronics significantly.
Thanks for checking out Pt. 2 on how to set up a home studio. In the next article we will take a look at acoustic treatment. What it does and why you need it. See you then.