In Summary

Reaching for the EQ is almost muscle memory when it comes to shaping signals. That said there is a whole world of sounds out there that can be had simply by knowing how a mic will sound and what it can bring. Here we talk about using the mic as the ultimate sculptor of sound in place of EQ.

Going Deeper

Getting great sounds is surely one of the most rewarding parts of audio engineering. Be it making a stellar recording, or elevating an existing one with a skillful mix, our currency is great sound. When it comes to getting the sonics right, discussions often gravitate towards which EQ to use and how to use it, when many already know that the most complete sounds are the ones that come straight out the back of the mic.

Most know that mic type and position influence the sound captured, but could it be that we’re reaching for the EQ more than spending a little quality time on the studio floor? This is totally understandable, with time being the main factor. That said, the better we know our trusty mics, the quicker the right result can come anyway.

Are we missing out on the art of choosing the right mic and putting it in the right place? Here we reconnect with the different characters in any mic collection, and talk about why EQ isn’t the only way to bag sounds that will serve the music. If you like the sound of instant results without agonising over EQ, read on…

Define Or Refine?

There are a few baseline qualities that recorded sounds usually need to be themselves in the mix. Yes, this is highly subjective, and different depending on the situation. That aside, the use of mics can either diminish or ramp up a sound’s inherent qualities to define them. For example, it’s true to say that most human voices don’t contain tonnes of bass or too much sizzle at the top, so the capture can reflect this. Taking some other instruments (in very broad terms) strings’ mid range should be present without being harsh. Basses should have enough happening through the lows and mids to convey the music without bloating the mix. Drums can enjoy wideband splendour. These might be some of the qualities that define some well known sounds.

With a little knowledge of which mics might agree with a given source, and how to point them, they can be used to help define sounds. This can leave EQ to handle what it does so well: refining sounds where needed.

Mic Selection For EQ

Condensers For Accuracy

Famed for their broad response, one of the advantages of using a condenser mic is knowing that from the lowest lows, to the highest highs, this tool is able to collect it all. This makes it a good choice for very wideband sources such as pianos or drumkit overheads, with some mics of this design boasting some of the flattest capture out there. Yes there are some pretty flat dynamic mics out there for those who know where to look, but these are much fewer and further between.

Not all condensers were created equally though, so look out for built-in brightness in some designs that can derail a neutral ear on the source. Conversely, a mic with some engineered-in fairy dust can work wonders on acoustic or snare.

Some of the most inherently flat mics are omnidirectional small diaphragm condenser (SDC) designs. These are certainly not light in the bass and will extend down a lot further than even the very best cardioid designs. At the other end, the best large diaphragm condensers (LDCs) can usually hear as high as their SDC cousins.

Dynamics For Character

Where the condenser was designed to grab sounds as faithfully as possible, many moving coil dynamic mics were created with a particular application in mind. This heritage can steer them towards the things they do best, such as guitars, voice, or drums. Some even allow for on-board adjustment of tonality such as the presence and bass filters on Sennheiser’s E906 and MD421 models respectively.

A great many more have fixed tailored responses that can agree with guitars and snare drums, such as with the Shure SM57’s presence peak. Going even further, some designs are deliberately voiced to deliver some of the dusty road-worn sounds from times gone by such as Placid Audio’s Copperphone or Shure’s legendary 520DX “Bullet” harmonica mic.

If nothing else, with a few exceptions, moving coil mics start to roll off through the top by design, slightly blunting anything with extended highs. Whatever you’re recording, picking the right dynamic mic to pin a sound down can beat any EQ moves all day long.

Ribbons For Darkness

Another dynamic flavour famed for its smooth top end, the ribbon is an interesting choice where a noticeably darker sound is needed. I say interesting because compared to moving coil mics which are generally slower and slightly restricted at the top, ribbons can be very dark but are much quicker. This is perhaps what can make them such a great choice for strings, where ribbon’s transient punch can help etch strings into the mix in a different way, while taming scratchiness too.

Perhaps for the same reasons, they are also a top choice on overhead mics going to the DAW. Their natural filtering of the top end is the perfect treatment to hit the DAW’s uncompromised highs (one of the factors referred to by some as digital ‘coldness’). All things being equal, less top can accentuate more of the mids in overheads that also carry things like the snare drum.

Mixes need light and shade, and whatever the source, using some ribbon warmth can bring a delicious darkness that EQ can struggle to replicate.

Mic Position for EQ

Controlling Warmth

Most reading this will be aware of the proximity effect; this is where directional mics return a stronger low end the closer the mic is placed. The reasons for this are very interesting, but the bottom line is that things get bassier closer up with mics that you can point.

This has obvious uses such as filling out weedy guitar sounds, snare drums, kicks, and toms, for example. Almost too much can induce classic crooning effects for voices, and if you’re recording kids (or adults who sound like they’re on helium), a bit of tip-up might be just what is needed.

Beginning with the humble cardioid, proximity effect is stronger still with hypercardioids and positively huge with figure of eight mics. If you’re really brave, an angled ribbon mic with a large pop shield can return some enormous bass drum sounds - use extreme caution (preferably with that weird old thing that you never use!).

For situations where mics need to be used very close without proximity effect, an omni dynamic such as the Audio Technica AT8004 can work well.

A lesser known way to thin-out close directional mics is to work off axis. This reduces the front/back difference at LF to slay the proximity effect.

At the other end of the scale, using directional mics at long distances (such as such for orchestral pickup) will see the bottom start to thin out unnaturally. This is one reason why omnis can be the tool of choice for distant work. A great alternative is to use a wide or open cardioid design for level or time based stereo from a distance that doesn’t sound thin.

Controlling Mids/Highs

Those working with guitars will know quite a few ways to control tone using both mic positon and blending. As a starting point guitar speakers are brightest in the middle, so a mic on the dust cap can catch the toppiest sounds - anyone who has tried to replicate that with EQ might tell you the same thing: don’t bother with EQ and instead just record the top in the first place! If the guitarist insists on bringing their own PA, aka, a stack (just kidding), find the best sounding speaker in the cab- they often have different tonalities. Certainly the ones at the top will have been kicked less by crew!

Using two coincident mics at different axes is a more advanced way to control tonality. Below Mike Exeter shows how it is done…

On voice, we’ve all heard really fizzy speech or vocals that can give rise to sibilance. Turning any large diaphragm mic off axis can turn down the sizzle on strident voices that’s quicker and much more organic than EQ-ing or de-essing.

When Only EQ Will Do…

OK, despite the huge range of sounds available at the mic, equalisers exist for a reason. Originally developed to iron-out shortcomings in recordings, even the most skillfully hewn recording is going to need a little help from time to time. This brings us back to the question of Define versus Refine. We cannot create sounds from scratch with EQ any more than we can elevate them without it.

Final Thoughts

As a community, we have the luxury of drawing on others’ approaches as well as our own experience; the internet has invited us into countless top flight facilities to see how others do it, but equally, it can provide a platform to those with little access to the tools or experience to teach. This may have perpetuated the use of easy options. Do we always still earn the funds, buy, and learn a handful of mics well, or just click Download to get STELLAR-Q-3000 for $25?

Few of us have as much time as we’d like to experiment with mic choice or position as prelude to lighter EQ treatments. When we know that something is probably going to work, it’s natural to go down that route when time is tight. Leaving clients to go cold while you A-B between options is hardly ideal, so it’s good to know that EQ can save the day when needed.

Why sit on the fence when it comes to creating sounds in record? It could be argued that going back to our roots and defining sounds with the mic and refining them with EQ just works. How many of your favourite records’ sounds were made by people who preferred an easier life never to leave the chair?

Knowing the mics and getting sounds that sing straight off the line can be quicker and more satisfying than then endless EQ tweakage. Where the mic is the collector of precious sounds, surely leaning less on EQ and reconnecting with the art of using microphones is the real secret to sounds that sing.