Whether your space for a budget recording studio is actually in your home or in your garage or in a small commercial space, this article is primarily for fashioning a music studio that uses a minimum of equipment.

The most budget friendly way to record has become the use of a computer and software programs. I recommend Apple’s Logic 9 which comes bundled with a program devoted to the creation of music. (The program only runs on an Apple platform) Not only can it record live performances but it comes with several software instruments: piano, organ and several great sounding synths. Logic 9 also has two other rather unique items. A fully functioning sampler which easily can turn recorded sounds into a playable instrument of your own making. It also comes loaded with loops, everything from drum beats in every style imaginable to orchestral fragments to sound fx and much more. These loops will automatically adjust to your chosen tempo as well. For more information go to the Apple link and check out all of the features. The fact is you don’t need an array of synthesizers and samplers rigged with midi wires which is usually a headache in the end.

The second thing to consider is the digital to analog converter that transfers the analog sound waves in to a digital format that your computer can understand – and back out of the computer so you can hear what you’ve recorded. Most computers have a converter but they really are inferior to several “outboard” and affordable converters on the market. The best ones in my opinion are made by Apogee. They are also fully integrated with the Logic program. If you’re planning on doing just overdubs one track at a time then the “Duet” is the best bang for the buck. The next which is also made by Apogee is the “Ensemble” which has 8 channels versus only two on the “Duet”. If you’re planning on recording a band you would obviously need more than 2 channels for individual micing of instruments.

Of course you will need microphones and stands. (Check out microphones on my link below.) The best ones for vocals in the recording studio are the cardioid condenser mics. You can buy fairly good ones for under $200.00 even though the range goes up to “8000.00. (For these you’ll need phantom power which is actually include with most converters.) For instrument micing you can use dynamic mics which are not as sensitive as the condenser mics.

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Microphone techniques and building a basic home studio can be easier than they seems, especially if you have a friend that will do most of the work! If you do not happen to know a home studio expert don’t fret, there are a number of DIY home recording studio kits worth your browsing time. Music recording starter kits range from $200 to a dizzying $3000, be sure that you know how to use whatever machine you’re buying before you pay for it so that your money won’t go to waste.

A digital home recording studio is the best choice if you want to build your own sound studio, especially if you want to avoid spending a big amount of money. Although an analog studio is fine, a digital one provides more flexibility and features that will suit both amateurs and professionals.

A digital audio studio can be composed of a computer, USB microphone, sound screen and basic home recording software.

Hard drives dedicated solely on music recording are also recommended. A good studio hard drive with high speed should suffice, although it is generally advised to get an external one, just in case you would travel from one studio to another. Even though Mac OS is preferred, you can still use a PC running on Windows, just avoid installing too many softwares or refrain from installing anything unnecessary altogether. This insures the optimum performance of your recording studio computer.

Microphone Techniques

High quality home studio headphones and microphones are also worth spending a few more bucks on. If you’re a serious podcaster or an aspiring musician, don’t scrimp out on these two because you might regret it when you start getting weird quality sounds or annoying noise after just a few months of use.

There are a lot of cheap studio microphones out there that do not worth over $200. Although some cringe at the price, it’s better to get a good quality microphone, such as the Shure Beta 52A coming in at a fair $189. A Shure microphone is something to splurge on. Not only will it last for a very long time even if under dire circumstances, but the sound quality is way beyond the norm. Shures are so special that they are even being counterfeited rampantly. Lots of fake Shures are sold over eBay at dirt cheap prices. Remember if the price is under $99 and the seller is willing to still lower the price for the Shure studio microphone, chances are you’re just buying yourself a bogus.

The industry standard home studio headphone, the Sony MDR-7506, can cost you around $120. The cutting-edge design, high comfort factor and superb material quality of this professional studio headphone make it well worth its price. It also lasts for a very long time and can double as a noise canceller. This headphone is not the most high-end model, but a good number of people still prefer these studio headphones above others. Just make sure that you avoid exposing them to moisture, because the padding will deteriorate.

Ed Byrd is a Home Recording enthusiast. You can find more on Microphone Techniques and Home Recording Studios on his Home Recording Site

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One of the main reasons that these microphones are used with guitars is to give a very natural sound to the music. When you use a mic, you get the natural sound that comes with playing the guitar, which is great in live and recording settings.

Of course, there are many different brands of guitar microphones out there today. Here is a look at several of the top brands that you may want to consider if you are planning this type of a purchase in the near future.

AMT happens to be one of the top brands when it comes to microphones for instruments, including guitars. They are well known for their top quality microphones, and they have many different models that are available for guitars. This allows you to find a mic that is especially made for your playing applications on the acoustic guitar.

If you’re going with AMT for your microphone needs, they offer several great choices. Both the S3G and the S15G are some quality options that you may want to consider. They are durable and lightweight and well known for the quality sound that they can produce.

Another top brand out there known for offering instrument mics, including guitar microphones, is Shure. They offer some great microphones, and one of their best systems happens to be their special wireless guitar system, that Is designed for bass guitars, acoustic guitars, and more. They have several other quality mic systems that you can choose for your guitar too.

NADY is another top brand when it comes to microphone manufacturing, and they provide excellent microphones that are designed especially for picking up guitars. They provide mics that provide performances that are interference free, even though they are wireless. They provide a dynamic range, which makes you guitar sound excellent.

As you can see, there are a variety of excellent brand names to consider when you are purchasing guitar microphones. If you go with any of these brands, you are sure to get a quality mic that will make your guitar sound incredible.

Robbie Bishop is a musician who enjoys recording his work at home. Robbie knows how difficult it is to find the right audio microphones for your situation. Robbie is dedicated to finding people the best instrument microphones for their recording needs.

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All microphones convert sound energy into electrical energy, but there are many different ways of doing the job, using electrostatics, electromagnetism, piezo electric effects or even the change in resistance of carbon granules. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, tape recorders, hearing aids, motion picture production, live and recorded audio engineering, in radio and television broadcasting and in computers for recording voice, VoIP, and for non-acoustic purposes such as ultrasonic checking.

When it comes to microphones used in music recording or live performance the vast majority of microphones used are either capacitor or electrostatic or dynamic or electromagnetic models. Both types employ a moving diaphragm to capture the sound, but make use of a different electrical principle for converting the mechanical energy into an electrical signal. The efficiency of this conversion is very important, because the amounts of acoustic energy produced by the voices and the musical instruments are so small.

Dynamic Microphones

Dynamic microphones work via electromagnetic induction. They are robust, relatively inexpensive and resistant to moisture, and for this reason they are widely used on stage by singers. There are two basic types. The moving coil microphone and the ribbon microphone.

Dynamic microphones have the advantages of being relatively inexpensive and hard wearing, and they do not need a power supply or batteries to make them operate. A lightweight diaphragm, usually made of plastic film, is attached to a very small coil of wire suspended in the field of a permanent magnet. When a sound causes the diaphragm to vibrate, the whole assembly works as a miniature electricity generator, and a minute electric current is produced. Because the electrical output is so very small, it has to be amplified using a microphone preamp. Dynamic microphones are most effective when working with relatively loud sound sources that do not contain a lot of very high frequency details.

Capacitor Microphones

Capacitor microphones have been around for several decades, and although modern ones do incorporate a few small technical improvements, the sound character has actually changed very little. Some of the best sounding capacitor ones were designed over 20 years ago. The main part of the capacitor microphone contains a pair of conducting plates, one fixed and the other in the form of a moving diaphragm. When the spacing between the plates changes the capacitance varies, and if a fixed electrical charge is applied to the capacitor, an electrical signal is produced, which faithfully represents the diaphragm vibration.

Capacitors are more expensive than their dynamic counterparts, but they are also much more sensitive, and can capture high frequency detail much more accurately. Furthermore, the capacitor principle, unlike the dynamic principle, lends itself easily to the production of microphones with switchable pickup patterns, although the cheaper models tend to offer just a fixed Cardioid pattern.

Electret Microphones

An electret is a ferroelectric material that has been permanently electrically charged or polarized. An electret microphone is a relatively new type of capacitor microphone invented at Bell laboratories in 1962. A static charge is embedded in an electret by alignment of the static charges in the material, much the way a magnet is made by aligning the magnetic domains in a piece of iron. They are used in many applications, from high quality recording and lavalier use to built in microphones in small sound recording devices and telephones.

There are lots of microphones available in the market and naturally the question arises why we should select a wireless microphone. We will try to find out the answer below.

Wireless microphones will give you some benefits. The best advantage of a wireless microphone is that it offers you a good amount of freedom. It makes movement easier than with the wired ones. It allows you an expressive and natural movement. And as you can move freely and do not have to pay extra attention to the microphone, you can concentrate on your performance. This tool also has a professional and sophisticated image.

Before buying a wireless microphone, you must think clearly. You should know what you actually want to do with your microphone. Do you want to use it in a music show, in a home theater, or in a theater show? Will it be used in only one location or will it be taken to different places? These points will help you a lot in choosing the right one.

Always select microphones of reputed brands, even if they are expensive. These microphones are of better quality and as they have to keep up their goodwill, these brands will never let you down. They will provide you some added benefits like extra audio outputs, ground lift switches, internal power supplies, etc.

Operating a wireless microphone is easy. When you buy one you will find all the instructions about operating that in the manual. Normally they are written in a lucid language and it will not take long for you to understand all the applications. But for your convenience, we are providing the operation system below.

The first thing that you need to do after buying a wireless microphone is to find out the plug and attach it with your audio mixer. Normally these microphones have two channels. Some of them offer you the facility to operate both the channels simultaneously. But if you want, you can operate them one by one.

To start the microphone, you need to plug in the input jack in the back of the receiver and have to turn on the electric supply switch. The microphone has got a battery compartment. Normally these compartments remain covered. You need to open this compartment and have to insert a battery and have to cover it again.

You will find a switch in the microphone, indicating on and off. You just need to switch on the mike when necessary and switch it off after finishing your work.

You will also find a battery indicator in the good quality wireless microphones. It will show you the state of the battery. That means it will continuously indicate when your battery is fully charged, or when it is partially charged. It will also tell you when the battery will go out of charge.

So, these are the basics of how to select and operate wireless microphones.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Victor_Epand  How to Select and Operate Wireless Microphones

The technology of laser is quite interesting and a popular one. Laser microphones basically use the same technology while experimenting with the sound. They first of all detect the vibrations in a reflected laser beam and then convert them into audio signal. To say more, with the help of laser light, the laser microphones converts the acoustical sound waves to electrical signal, so that it can be processed and amplified for sound reproduction.

The laser beam that it has must be reflected off a glass window or any rigid surface, which will vibrate corresponding to the nearby sound. This microphone has the ability to turn any vibrating surface into a microphone just by measuring the space between itself and the surface. This is because, while doing so, the little fluctuations in the space become the electrical signal of the sound.

However, these types of microphones are designed in a typical way. The outer housing, which is cylindrical in shape, has spaced opening so that the sound waves can enter. There is also an inner housing, which too is cylindrical in shape and is positioned centrally inside the outer one. Then, to project the laser light into the space between the outer and the inner housing and a detector to receive the laser light that modulates the sound and produce electrical signals out of the waves entering the outer housing.

The laser in the laser microphones is capable of measuring the accurate distance between itself and the surface where it is bouncing off, so in this way it can measure the fluctuation of that surface with the vibration of the sound waves. However, these kinds of microphones are used in movies as spy equipments.

Besides this, there are other types of microphones too. Like, there are lavaliere microphones, contact microphones, parabolic microphones, which are generally used for musical purpose and are in demand. Among all these, the laser microphones are the latest ones but quite expensive and point to be noted is that it is not very portable.

The best feature of the laser microphones is that it provides realistic and distortion free sound that usually was a problem with the older form of mics. In fact, the use of laser beams for sound reproduction has solved many technical problems. In the earlier forms there was only one sound channel that usually received sound from one direction. But the newest forms of microphones like the laser ones have multiple sound channels, which produce sound that are much more realistic and amazing. These types of microphones are even used in movies to give special sound effect.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for music gear, speakers, and microphones. You can find the best marketplace for music gear, speakers, and microphones at these 3 sites: music gear, music equipment, speakers, and laser microphones, parabolic microphone.

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Live Vocal Microphones

A live vocal microphone needs to have a good sound quality, be rugged enough to get knocked around on stage, survive episodes of feedback and perform consistently in any environment.

Dynamic microphones are a relatively simple design of microphone and fit this description perfectly. They are relatively inexpensive and are the most widely used microphone for live vocals.

Studio Vocal Microphones

A studio microphone needs to have excellent sound quality, but doesn’t need to be rugged in the same way that a live microphone does. Condenser microphones are much more sensitive than dynamic microphones; however the relatively safe studio environment suits them perfectly.

Of course there are occasions where dynamic microphones can be used in the studio and where condenser microphones can be used on stage, however for the reasons outlined above; there are good reasons why most people use them in their more typical environments.

In conclusion

Ultimately, when choosing your vocal microphone, follow the rules above, but try out as many different varieties of each microphone as you can to find one that suits you. Think about microphones like musical instruments, each model has a slightly different characteristic, which will make some microphones suited to your vocal more than others.

Gemma King is a professional singer, songwriter and vocal coach. You can find more of her articles on her website becomeasinger.net

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How microphones work – in a nut shell.

A microphone captures sound waves with a thin and flexible piece of metal known as a diaphragm. Sound waves are introduced into the microphone, vibrating the diaphragm. The vibrations are then converted by various methods into an electrical signal that is an analog of the original sound.

There are various types of microphones, today we’ll be discussing laser, lavalier, contact, and parabolic microphones.

1. Laser Microphones

A laser microphone utilizes, well, laser technology to capture vibration and convert it into sound. The laser will be reflected off of glass or another flat and rigid surface that vibrates with the sound nearby. The laser measures the distance (very accurately) between itself and the surface it is reflecting off of, and measures the fluctuations of that surface when the sound waves from nearby vibrate said surface. This form of mic is portrayed in movies as spy equipment. But contrary to it’s portrayal, the device is very new, expensive, and not very portable.

2. Lavalier Microphones

This type of microphone is commonly used for hands-free operation, usually clipped to a person’s lapel. They usually have their own power source and can run directly into the mixer, or may be wireless, making it ideal for television.

3. Contact Microphones

In the world of microphones, contact mics are a little different than the rest. They are designed to pick up sound vibrations from solid objects, instead of vibrations carried through the air. This is mainly used to record low level sounds that you would not be able to pick up with a regular mic. These mics consist of a moving coil transducer, a contact plate and pin. The contact plate is placed on the object which you would like to record, the vibration is passed through the plate to the pin which passes it to the transducer. The experimental electronic music group Matmos used this on their album “A Chance to Cut is a Chance to Cure”, to record the neural activity of a crayfish.

4. Parabolic Microphones

Parabolic microphones use a parabolic reflector to pick up and focus sound waves for a microphone receiver. It is similar in function to a satellite dish in the way that it pick up radio waves. These mics are commonly used for law enforcement surveillance. But they are not very well suited for regular recording, as their low frequency response is very poor.

So this wraps up our Microphones 101 series of articles. I hope you all learned as much from these articles as I have from researching and writing them!

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Frequency Response

Frequency response measures how a microphone reacts to different sound frequencies. An ideal “flat” response (equal sensitivity) microphone would respond equally to all frequencies within the audible spectrum. This results in a more accurate reproduction of sound and produces the purest audio. The truth is that even microphones which are advertised as having a “flat response” can deviate somewhat at certain frequencies. Typically spec sheets will list frequency response as a range like “20Hz to 20kHz”, meaning that the microphone can reproduce sounds that fall within that range. What this does not explain is how accurately the various individual frequencies will be reproduced. Some microphones are purposely designed to respond differently to certain frequencies. For example, instrument microphones for bass drums are generally engineered to be more responsive to lower frequencies while vocal microphones would be more responsive to the frequency of a human voice.

As a general rule of thumb, condenser microphones have flatter frequency responses than dynamic. This means that a condenser would tend to be the better choice if accuracy of audio reproduction is the main goal.

Sensitivity

Microphone sensitivity measures how much electrical output (measured in “millivolts” mV) is generated for a given sound pressure input. Typically when measuring microphone sensitivity the mic is placed in a reference sound field where a sound pressure level (SPL) of 94 dB (1 Pascal) at 1000 Hz is maintained at the microphone. (Some vendors like Shure use 74 dB 0.1 Pascal). The distinction is that 94 dB SPL is the typical sound intensity of someone speaking twelve inches away while 74dB SPL would be the same speaker one inch away. A typical condenser microphone might have a value listed either like “7mV/Pa” or -43dBV in the technical specification. These two values mean the same thing – they’re just expressed differently.

If two microphones are subject to the same SPL and one generates a higher output voltage, that microphone is said to have a higher sensitivity rating. Although knowing how to read/compare microphone sensitivity (output) is important, the actual sensitivity rating usually is not a major consideration in mic selection. Typically the design of a microphone for a particular application plays a role when manufacturers determine the appropriate output level. For example, dynamic microphones are typically less sensitive than condenser mics as they’re generally used fairly close to the sound source. Listed below are the typical specifications for three different microphone transducer types:

Condenser: 5.6mV/Pa (high sensitivity)

Dynamic: 1.8mV/Pa (medium sensitivity)

Ribbon: 1.1mV/Pa (low sensitivity)

Impedance

Impedance is how much a device resists the flow of an AC current (such as audio signal) and is measured in ohms. Typically when referring to microphones, “low impedance” is considered anything under 600 ohms. “Medium impedance” would be 600 ohms to 10,000 ohms and “high impedance” would be greater than 10,000 ohms. All microphones have a specification regarding their impedance – sometimes the value is written on the mic somewhere, other times you might need to consult the technical manual or manufacturers’ website to determine the number. Generally speaking, low impedance microphones are better than high impedance, and quite often you can use impedance as a rough gauge when determining overall quality. The advantage of low impedance microphones is that they can be used with very long cable runs and negligible signal loss. Mics with hardwired cables and a 1/4″ jacks are high impedance, while mics that require a balanced audio cable and xlr connector are low impedance.

When connecting your microphone it’s important to know the corresponding ohm level of the sound mixer or amplifier. A low impedance microphone should always be connected to an input with a higher impedance value, otherwise signal loss will result. Typically “low impedance” audio mixers have inputs with impedance levels between 1000 and 2000 ohms, and are designed to work with the lower level microphone impedance levels.

Self Noise Level

Self noise is the electrical hiss that a microphone produces. Typically the self noise spec is “A weighted”, meaning that the lowest and highest frequencies are flattened in the response curve, to better simulate the signal response of the human ear. (We tend to perceive mid range sound frequencies as louder.) As a general guideline, an A Weighted self noise spec of 18dB SPL or less is excellent (very quiet), 28dB SPL is good, while anything over 35db SPL is not well suited for quality audio recordings.

Because dynamic microphones do not have active electronics (no phantom power requirements) they have very low self noise when compared to condenser microphones. Most spec sheets for dynamic microphones do not include self noise measurements.

Signal to Noise Ratio

The signal to noise ratio (S/N) is the difference in dB between a microphone’s sensitivity and self noise. A higher S/N means that the signal is cleaner (less noise) and that the microphone has more “reach”. Reach can be defined as the accurate pickup of quiet/distant sounds due to high S/N. Typically reach is not listed as a metric on a tech sheet as any microphone can pick up a distant sound if the source is loud enough. For example, even a very inexpensive mic can pick up a thunderclap from far away.

As a general rule when evaluating S/N ratios, given 94dB SPL, anything over 74dB is excellent, a S/N spec of 64dB is considered good.

Summary

Hopefully these definitions have helped to provide some understanding about typical microphone specifications. The truth is that there is no “ideal” microphone that is perfect for every situation. Manufacturers design their microphones with specific audio applications in mind – such as live performances or studio reproduction, and as a result have tailored the specifications so that the mic sounds the best that it can with a given hardware configuration. Generally speaking, more expensive microphones are engineered with better hardware, which results in better specifications and performance.

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Microphones are very useful during meetings and conferences. They are also used for video conferencing and business recording. The usage of these microphones makes working easier and it also helps to create reliable records for future references. One of the varieties of microphones called miniature microphones, combined with digital recorders, are useful in business meetings, lectures and music recordings. As a result, one can easily understand the importance of microphones not only in business, but also in entertainment.

Microphones come in varied models like ear bud microphones, ear-worn microphones, headsets, Bluetooth microphones, convertible microphones, cellular adapters and one can choose according to their needs. The invention of microphones has enabled us to do our work in a much better and faster way than we did earlier. Nowadays, telephones headsets come with built in amplifiers and are used in many call centers and offices. The usage of microphones has increased the productivity and quality there by increasing the overall business.

One of the most famous Bluetooth wireless headsets is the GN Netcom 6110. This is the first Bluetooth headset that gives seamless, hustle-free communication: freedom both at home and in the office. Generally, the microphones are very handy, flexible and can be used anywhere without any restrictions. There are various categories of microphones – wireless hand held microphones, desk top microphones, wired hand held microphones and computer microphones. Microphones are widely used in medical and business transcription.

Microphones can be used to listen to music when they are fitted with digital recorders. Thus they can be used in homes or in cars, where they serve as portable sound systems. They occupy little space when compared to the old recording systems. Microphones are fitted with handy cameras using which we can shoot snaps with the surroundings and music.

Microphones are rapidly gaining importance and the technology used is such that it is very useful not only in a particular field, but also almost in every field.

Microphones provides detailed information on Computer Microphones, Karaoke Microphones, Microphone Stands, Microphones and more. Microphones is affiliated with Discount Computer Accessories.

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