TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

Meet The Engineers

PART ONE – Tracking In Stereo

CHAPTER 1 - HOW MICROPHONES WORK

How and Why Microphones Work

Different Types

Dynamic

Ribbon

A Short History of Ribbon Microphones

Condenser

The Electret Condenser

Condenser Mic Fallacies

Condenser Operational Hints

Phantom Power

Microphone Specifications

Sensitivity

Overload Characteristics

Frequency Response

Noise

Polar Patterns

Omni

Figure of 8

Cardioid

Hypercardioid

Proximity Effect

Specialty Microphones

Shotgun Microphones

Lavaliere

PZM

Wireless

Stereo Mics

Parabolic

Microphone Accessories

Pop Filters

Wind Screens

Shock Mounts

CHAPTER 2 - COMMON MICROPHONES

Classic Microphones

RCA 44

RCA 77DX

Neumann U47

Neumann U47FET

Neumann U67

Neumann M49/50

Neumann KM84

Neumann KM54

Neumann U87

AKG D12/112

Elam 251

AKG C-12/ELA M 250/251

AKG 451

AKG 414

Sony C37a

Schoeps 221B

Schoeps CMC5U

STC/Coles 4038

Shure SM57

Sennheiser 421

Sennheiser 441

Beyer M160

Beyer M88

Electro Voice RE-20

New Versions Of Old Microphones

AEA R84

Bock Audio Designs 251

Korby Audio Technologies KAT Convertable

Mojave Audio MA-200

Pearlman TM1

Peluso Microphone Lab CEMC 6

Telefunken USA U47v

Wunder Audio CM49

The New Classics

Audio Technica 4050

Heil PR-40

Royer R-121

Shure Beta 52

Shure SM81

Yamaha SKRM-100 Subkick

Inexpensive Microphones

Quality Control’s The Thing

You Can Never Be Sure Of The Sound

The Weakness

Some Good Choices

Meet Microphone Designer David Bock

CHAPTER 3 - BASIC RECORDING EQUIPMENT

The Microphone Preamplifier

Why a separate Mic Amp

Vintage Mic Pres

Neve 1071/1083

API 312/512

Telefunken V72/76

Modern Mic Pres

Great River

Manley Labs

Vintech

Daking

Universal Audio

Hardy

Millennia Media

GML

Mic Amp Setup

Direct Injection

Theory

Types

Differences

Setup

Compressor/Limiters

Primary Controls

Setup

Vintage Compressors

Telektronix LA-2A

United Audio LA-3A

UREI LA-4

UREI 1176

CHAPTER 4 - DAW RECORDING

Getting Sound Into The Computer

    ADCs AND DACs

    Latency

    Firewire Versus USB

Headroom And Gain Staging

    Headroom

    Interview with Gannon Kashiwa - Digidesign’s Profession Products Market Manager

CHAPTER 5 - BASIC STEREO TECHNIQUES

Types

Coincident Pair

X/Y

M-S

Blumlein Array

The Stereo Microphone

Spaced Pair

Decca Tree

Near Coincident

ORTF

Baffled Omni or Dummy Head

CHAPTER 6 - BASIC MULTICHANNEL TRACKING

Choosing The Right Mic

The Secret Of Getting Good Sounds

The Secret Of Mic Placement

Placement Considerations

The 3 to 1 Principle

Checking Phase

Checking Polarity

Checking Phase By Listening

Checking Phase With A Scope

Checking Phase With A Phase Meter

CHAPTER 7 – PREPARING THE DRUM KIT FOR RECORDING

The Keys To A Great Sounding Drum Kit

    The Snare

Tuning Tips

Interview With “The Drum Doctor” Ross Garfield

CHAPTER 8 – INDIVIDUAL INSTRUMENT MIKING TECHNIQUES

Accordion

Audience

Bagpipes

Banjo

Bass

Acoustic String Bass

Electric Bass

Bassoon

Bongos

Bouzouki

Brass

    Trombone

    Tuba

    French Horn

Choir or Ensemble (vocal, saxophone, or other)

Clarinet

Claves

Conga

Cowbell

Didjeridu

Djembe

Dobro

The Drum Kit

Single Mic Technique

Two Mic Technique

Three Mic Technique

Four Mic Technique

Traditional Multi-miking

Kick

Kick Tunnel

Subkick

Snare

Brushes

High-Hat

Toms

Overheads

Room

60’s Beatles Sound

70’s Drum Sound

The Reggae Drum Sound

Dulcimer

Fiddle

Flute

French Horn

Guitar

Acoustic

Guitar Tricks

Nylon String

Electric Guitar

Glockenspiel (also known as Glock or Orchestral Bells)

Gong

Hand Claps

Harmonica

Harp

Indian Instruments (Table, Sitar, Tambura)

Koto

Leslie Speaker

Mandolin

Marimba

Mouth Harp (also called Jews Harp or Jaw Harp)

Piano

    Upright Piano

Piccolo

Recorder

Saxophone

Shaker

Steel Drums (also known as Steel Pans or Pan Drums)

Stick (Chapman Stick)

String Section

Synthesizer (or any kind of electric keyboard)

Tambourine

Timbale

Timpani (also known as Kettle Drum)

Triangle

Trombone

Trumpet

Tuba

Vibes

Voice Over

Vocals

Eliminating Pops and Breaths

The Hanging Microphone

Background Vocals

Voice-Overs

Whistling

CHAPTER 9 - THE RECORDING SESSION

Preparing For The Session by Al Schmitt

Headphones and The Cue Mix

Tips For Great Headphones

Tips For Loud Headphones

Personal Headphone Mixes

The Click Track

Getting The Most From A Vocalist

Recording Basic Tracks

Where To Place The Players In The Room

How Long Should It Take?

Recording Without Headphones

Leakage

Attributes Of A Great Assistant Engineer by Al Schmitt

PART TWO – Tracking In Surround

CHAPTER 10 - SURROUND MICROPHONE TECHNIQUES

OCT Surround

IRT Cross

Hamasaki Square

Double M-S

Drum Surround Mulit-Miking

Multi-Mic 1

Multi-Mic 2

Multi-Mic 3

The Halo

CHAPTER 11 - SURROUND MICROPHONES

The Holophone

Schoeps KFM-360

Soundfield MK V

B Format

Soundfield 451 Decoder

STL/Brauner Atmos 5.1

CHAPTER 12 - FINAL RECORDING CHECKLISTS

General Checklist

Checklist For Drums

Microphone Selection Checklist

If The Sound Is Distorted Checklist

Checklist For Overdubs

Vocal Recording Checklist

If All Else Fails

PART THREE – The Interviews

CHAPTER 11 - THE INTERVIEWS

Chuck Ainlay

Steve Albini

Michael Beinhorn

Michael Bishop

Bruce Botnick

Ed Cherney

Wyn Davis

Frank Filipetti

Jerry Hey

Eddie Kramer

Mark Linett

Mack

Al Schmitt

Glossary

Index