Canadian Musician September / October 2019 | Page 51

loud or high-pitched esses, a condenser may not be the
most flattering microphone to use. Cheaper condenser
microphones can sometimes sound harsh, while high-
end condensers will have an airy top end and the ability
to reproduce very low frequencies.
2. Dynamic Microphones: A dynamic is the classic live
performance vocal mic. Rugged and often neutral-sound-
ing, dynamic mics have a tighter pickup pattern and will
give a boost to the low end the closer they get to the
sound source. One of the most famous dynamic micro-
phones for recording vocals is the Shure SM7, which Michael
Jackson used on Thriller. If you are a home recordist with
an untreated room, the SM7 is an ideal vocal microphone.
It does require a lot of preamp gain, so further hardware
might be needed for optimal use.
3. Ribbon Microphones: An un-common microphone
for a lead vocalist but a very vibey choice. Ribbon mics
tend to sound dark and often require lots of addition-
al high mids via an equalizer to work in a mix. I tend to
use ribbon mics for background vocals to give contrast
with the lead. Ribbon microphones are inherently a
figure-eight pickup pattern and much like condensers,
they work much better in a vocal booth or treated room.
Environments & Their Implications
The room you are recording in will have an effect not
only on the sound of the vocals, but also their per-
formance. A lot of pop vocals tend to be recorded in
dead-sounding rooms so that all of the detail and in-
timacy can be conveyed in playback. In a reverberant
room – even a small room with no treatment – the re-
flections tend to blur the perceived sound more and will
often make it feel as though the vocals are sitting back
in a track. If you don’t have a treated room to work in
and you’re after a focused vocal sound, try hanging
towels from microphone stands around the vocalist.
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