Warm Audio WA-47 Manual De Instrucciones página 9

TIPS AND INSTRUCTIONS
MICROPHONE PLACEMENT & SPACING
When it comes to distancing a microphone from its sound source, one may think of this process,
among other things, as choosing a desired ratio of original sound source to reflections and acoustic
space. The closer to the source, the less space and ambience will be captured. In some cases, this
is fully desirable; and ambience will be added in later via the magic of digital delay and reverb. In
other cases, natural acoustics are critical. A great illustration of this is the recording of a gunshot or
cannon fire: at very close range, the sound is surprisingly thin; however, at a distance, the sound
becomes more full and explosive. This is a great reference to keep in mind; because to some degree, this
phenomenon holds true with anything where natural acoustics is an important part of the sound, most
notably with percussion. Beware that all processes do have boundaries and microphones do have a
maximum SPL level they can be subjected to without distortion. Both microphones and preamps have
a signal to noise ratio that tends to get poor in cases where more gain is required to make up for a
distant signal. It's generally good advice to place a microphone about 12 inches from a source, and to
fine-tune it from there until you have exactly what you are looking for.
A BRIEF WORD ON ROOM TREATMENT
Room acoustics can be just as important as the microphone you choose. Even the best
microphone won't sound great if you are picking up unwanted reflections that can smear or comb-filter
the sound you are recording. Just because a microphone is set to cardioid pattern will not always
mean that it is not picking up unwanted room reflections or outside noises such as street traffic,
footsteps, or air condition vents. Though a walk-in vocal booth is hardly necessary for most situations;
a good quality 'vocal shield' type of product can make an enormous difference, often making the
difference between a demo quality and a professional quality recording. Likewise, when recording
combo amps and other instruments, using gobos or other acoustic isolation products can be hugely
beneficial. Getting proper isolation and just the right amount but not too much room ambience
is one thing that really cannot be effectively corrected later in the process. It is of the utmost importance
to put in the extra time to set things up well in the beginning.
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