Essential Steps to QualityRecording Using a Microphone

and Multitrack Recorder

Microphones Microphones MultitracksMultitracksA

ND

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INTRODUCTION:..................................................3

CHAPTER 1: A DYNAMIC DUO: WHY MICS AND MULTITRACKS WORK WELL TOGETHER ....................................4

Understanding the standard recording paradigm of a microphone and amultitrack recorder.

CHAPTER 2: STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING AN OPTIMAL SIGNAL ......................7

Mic choice and positioning, level setting, and signal routing.

CHAPTER 3: MULTIPLE MICS, MULTIPLE TRACKS ..........................................14

The challenges of multi-mic recording and multiple track management.

CHAPTER 4: SPECIAL APPLICATIONS AND TECHNIQUES ..........................................16

Specific recording applications utilizing classic setups.

CHAPTER 5: TRICKS AND TIPS ........................19

Some techniques the pros use to maximize their sound.

LAST NOTE: WHERE TO GO FROM HERE ..........21

APPENDIX A: SHURE MICROPHONES ..............22

APPENDIX B: TASCAM PORTASTUDIOS............23

MICROPHONES AND MULTITRACKSESSENTIAL STEPS TO QUALITY RECORDING USING A MICROPHONE AND MULTITRACK RECORDER

BY JON CHAPPELL

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Maybe you’re an instrumentalist wanting to put down

backing tracks to solo over. Or perhaps you’re a

songwriter looking to flesh out some basic

arrangements. Or you could be the member of an

ensemble who’s looking to record your group with

greater flexibility than is offered by a 2-track recorder.

Well, if so, welcome to Microphones and

Multitracks, a quick-start guide that will not only have

you making music with your SHURE microphone and

TASCAM Portastudio, but doing it in about the time it

takes you to skim through this booklet and press the

Record button on your deck. We’ll show you how to

get optimum results using some specific models of

SHURE mics and TASCAM Portastudios. Though we’ll

refer to models by SHURE and TASCAM for the

purposes of this guide, these techniques apply to all

mics and recorders of similar specs and

configurations. Some of the mic characteristics may

vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, and some

multitrack operations may be handled differently,

depending on the model, but the principles presented

here can be applied across any recording medium.

A TIMELESS PARADIGMWhether you’re recording your cousinon the couch or Robert Plant at theRecord Plant, the lessons you learnwhen using a microphone and amultitrack will carry you through yourentire recording education. Throughthe years, the mic locker may growand your mixer channels may spanmore turf, but you’llstill use the skillsyou learned fromday one — the veryfirst time you stucka mic in front of atrembling vocalist(which may evenhave been you).

Even the best engineers in theworld start a recording session byplacing a solitary mic in front of aninstrument (usually it’s a kick drum),and they listen, listen, listen. Greatrecording is not so much aboutacquiring and mastering greattechnology, it’s about great music andhaving ears good enough to bendwhatever existing technology is athand to conform to the sonic picture inyour head.

This section tells you how to hookup a microphone of any model to aPortastudio. We’ll spare you thesuspense, though, right from the start— essentially, it’s idiot-proof; you can’t

hurt yourself, the mic, or the mixer nomatter how you hook it up.

UNIVERSAL JOINTSThe great thing about microphones isthat, no matter which one you buy, youprobably won’t have to worry about itbeing incompatible with your mixer.Most microphones are designed to

plug into mostmixers, frominexpensive boardsto the top-of-the-linestudio consoles.Electricallyspeaking, anydynamic mic cango into any mic

input of any mixer. You might have touse an adapter or transformer, though,depending on the jack configuration ofthe mixer. Condenser mics require aspecial power supply (explained laterin the chapter).

If you start with any qualitydynamic mic, such as the SM57,SM58, or their Beta equivalents, andget the matching cable, you’ll noticethat the mixer end, or plug, has threepins. This is known as an XLRconnector. If your mixer has thecorresponding three-hole jack, you’rein business. (The TASCAM 414mkIIand 424mkIII both include XLRjacks.) Just plug the mic into the jack

UNDERSTANDING THE STANDARD

RECORDINGPARADIGM OF A

MICROPHONE AND AMULTITRACKRECORDER.

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4

A DYNAMIC DUO: WHY MICS AND MULTITRACKS

WORK WELL TOGETHER

CHAPTER 1

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(it can only go in one way), andyou’re all set.

If, however, you look at your mixer’sback panel and you see only a single-hole 1/4-inch jack, like thosecommonly found on guitar amps (andon the Porta02MKII Ministudio and788 Digital Portastudio — whichincludes two transformers in the box),you’ll need a special kind of adaptercalled a line transformer.

The transformer converts yourthree-pin mic cable to a 1/4-inchone, so that you can stick your micright into the 1/4-inch jack on theback panel. There’s also some

FIGURE 1: Atransformer looks like

an adapter that converts yourthree-pin XLR cable to a 1/4-inchjack, but there’s some electricalconversion going on, too.

electrical converting going on insidethe transformer itself, but it’s a verybasic conversion (see fig. 1). Andthe transformer is inexpensive.

In models known as condensermics, such as the SHURE SM81,BG4.1, and KSM32, you’ll need tohave an external power supply orpreamp to get your mic “poweredup” before going into the mixer input.An outboard phantom power supplycosts as little as $60, and once youplug your condenser into one of

5

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FIGURE 2: Dynamic microphones: Beta 52, Beta 56, SM58,SM57 and Beta 57A. Condenser microphones: KSM32,

BG 4.1 and SM81.

DYN

AM

ICM

ICRO

PH

ON

ES

CO

ND

EN

SER

MIC

RO

PH

ON

ES

SM58 SM57 Beta 57A BG 4.1 SM81

Beta 56Beta 52 KSM32

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6

these, you then take either a 1/4-inchor three-pin output and plug into themixer the same way as you would adynamic.

Some mics, like the SM81, have abattery compartment inside the micshaft that allows you to insert a AAbattery, so it can receive power fromeither the battery or an external source.The KSM32, SM81, and many othermodels can receive power only from anexternal source.

INTRODUCING THE PLAYERSFor the purposes of this guide, we’llfocus our discussion on specific SHURE

FIGURE 3: The Porta02 features two input strips for fourchannels, and four tracks; the 414mkII has four tracks, four

channels, two-band EQ, and aux sends for effects processing; the424mkIII has six channel strips, one stereo input, and four trackswith a logic-controlled transport; the 788 Digital Portastudio has

eight channels, eight tracks, built-in digital effects, and 24-bitAD/DA converters.

microphones and TASCAMPortastudios. But the principlespresented here apply to anymicrophone and multitrack recorder, sokeep this booklet handy as you navigateyour way through the recording jungle.Fig. 2 shows the SHURE microphonemodels referred to in this guide.

The TASCAM Portastudio lineincludes four units, starting with thebudget-priced Porta02mkII Ministudio,and continuing on through the 414mkIIPortastudio, the 424mkIII Portastudio,and the high-end digitally based 788Digital Portastudio. Fig. 3 shows theTascam Portastudio line.

Porta 02 414mkII

424mkIII 788 Digital Portastudio

It sounds deceptively simple, but the firstthing you must ask yourself is, “What kindof sound am I recording?” The answershould start, obviously enough, with theinstrument or vocalpart at hand, whetherthat’s an acousticguitar, a singer, or adrum kit. But youshould also considerwhat environment you want to place thesound in. Should it be up-close andintimate, or ambient and from a distance?Will the sound be loud and obvious, orsoft and subtle?

Keep in mind that any single sourcecan take on a variety of personalities,and each may very well require adifferent mic, a different mixer channelsetup, and a different approach torecording. For example, an acousticguitar can be miked with either adynamic mic, like the SM57 or Beta 57A,for a meaty rock-rhythm sound, or acondenser, such as the SM81 or KSM32, to capture the more crisp anddelicate qualities of a fingerpickingpassage. It all depends on theinstrument, the musical application, and even the player himself.

SELECTING A MIC: PATTERNSAND THEIR APPLICATIONSMics are grouped according to theirpickup patterns and transducer types.

Let’s look first at pickup patterns.A mic that listens to sound equally

from all sides is called an omnidirectionalmic. This is great for picking up the room

sound to providenatural ambience.Omni mics are alsovery good vocalensemble mics.Typically, omni mics

are used in rooms where there is no otheractivity — like a tape recorder operator —so their use for home recordists issomewhat limited.

A directional mic listens to sound onlyin a specific direction. There are manytypes of directional mic patterns, but themost common is cardioid, so namedbecause its sensitivity field is shapedsomewhat like a heart. A cardioid micpicks up sound best when the sourceprojects directly in line with — or on axisto — its pickup. A cardioid mic will de-emphasize sound coming off axis, andreject sound coming from the rear of thecapsule. A supercardioid mic has atighter, or narrower, pickup pattern,which is useful for close clusters ofinstruments performing together, wherebleed can be a problem. In thesesituations, bleed is dramatically reducedand isolation is improved with asupercardioid mic because of itsincreased off-axis rejection. Most of themics in the SHURE Beta series feature a

STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING AN OPTIMAL SIGNAL

CHAPTER 2

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MIC CHOICE ANDPOSITIONING, LEVEL

SETTING, AND SIGNALROUTING.

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supercardioid pickup pattern. Becauseof these properties, cardioids andsupercardioids also make great stagemicrophones, but their other qualities arealso useful for studio work — even whenthere’s only one instrument in the room.All of the eight mics pictured in fig. 2have either cardioid or supercardioidpickup patterns. Fig. 4 shows the pickup

patterns of an omnidirectional,cardioid, and supercardioid mic.

DYNAMIC VS.CONDENSERThe other principal differenceamong mic types is whether itstransducer (the element forconverting sound waves toelectrical ones) is a dynamicor a condenser. A dynamicmic works sort of like aspeaker in reverse: A coil ofwire is mounted on adiaphragm, which sits inside amagnetic field. When thediaphragm moves — reactingto the sound that’s hitting it —the fluctuations in themagnetic field that resultcreate a current, which runsdown the wire and into theboard.

A dynamic is the most widelyused and economical type ofmic. Found on performingstages everywhere, it’s alsoused extensively in the studio.The SM57 and SM58 are two ofthe most popular dynamicmicrophones used for vocalsand instruments. Dynamic micsare rugged and can handlehigh SPLs (sound pressurelevels), like those delivered bykick drums, snare drums, andthe speakers of cranked-upguitar amplifiers. They don’t pick

up a tremendous amount of high-enddetail, but this can be good, as theytend to reject rattles in drum hardwareand guitar-amp cabinets.

A condenser mic uses a differentmethod for producing signals than adynamic model, and requires aconstant electrical charge in thepickup element. The mic draws this

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FIGURE 4: An omnidirectional mic (top)picks up sound equally from all sides; acardioid favors sound directly in frontof its capsule and rejects sound fromthe rear; a supercardioid has a tighterresponse in front and some slightresponse in the rear.

f

f

power from an external source, suchas a battery, a phantom power supplyin a mixer, or an outboard mic preampwith built-in phantom power circuitry.Condenser mics are more sensitivethan dynamics. This is usually a goodthing in microphones (despite thequality of dynamics to reject rattles),as it yields better results in aspectssuch as high frequency detail andtransient response. Transients are theinitial attack noises of a note, and arequite short. Small diaphragms, like

those found in the SM81, have lessmass and therefore require lessenergy to move. These diaphragmsare very responsive to the small, high-energy frequencies produced by theplucked string of an acoustic guitar.For the same reason, small-diaphragmcondensers work well as overheadcymbal mics. What small-diaphragmmics are less good at is capturingwarmth, and responding to complex orpronounced low-end frequencies. Forsounds with those qualities, you’d

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VOCALSSM58SM81 (with A81GWindscreen)

Beta 87KSM32

ENSEMBLEVOCALSSM81BG4.1KSM32

GUITAR AMPBeta 56Beta 57ASM57

BASS AMPBeta 52Beta 57ABeta 56SM57

KICK DRUMBeta 52Beta 57ASM57

SNARE DRUMBeta 57ABeta 56SM57

TOMSBeta 57A

Beta 56SM57

OVERHEADSM81BG4.1KSM32

MALLETSSM81BG4.1Beta 57AKSM32

STRINGSSM81BG4.1KSM32

ACOUSTIC BASSBeta 52SM81BG4.1KSM32

BRASSBeta 56Beta 57ASM57

WOODWINDSSM81BG4.1KSM32

SAXOPHONEBeta 56Beta 57ASM57

ACOUSTICGUITARSM81BG4.1KSM32

HARMONICASM57SM5852ODX (Green Bullet)

LESLIE CABINETBeta 57ABeta 56SM57

ORCHESTRASM81BG4.1KSM32

LIVE STEREORECORDINGSM81 (pair)BG4.1 (pair)KSM32 (pair)

SAMPLINGSM81BG4.1KSM32

FIGURE 5: SHURE MIC CHART)))

seek the aid of a larger diaphragmcondenser, such as the KSM32.

Fig. 5 shows a chart of variousSHURE mic models and some of theirsuggested uses. This chart should servemerely as a guide. You’re encouraged toexperiment with all types of mics on anysound to get a result that sounds goodto your ear.

TO THE BOARD!All right, let’s say you’ve selected a micand wrangled a musician intoperforming in front of it so that you canactually record some music. What now?

The next step is toplug the mic into theappropriate channelinput, which is usuallyinput 1 for channel 1.On the 414mkII and424mkIII, you can pluginto an XLR jack. Ifyou’ve got the Porta 02or 788, break out yourtrusty line transformer.

Be certain you’repassing audio from themic to the mixerchannel and to theoutput stage. If youdon’t pass audio to theproper output stage,you won’t be able tohear your signal, recordit, or both.

To ensure that you’regetting a signal at all,look at the mixerchannel and make sureyour Input switch, at thetop of the mixerchannel, is set toMic/Line. This tells thechannel to look at themic rather than a tapetrack (which you’d do

for mixing down).After it’s clear you’ve got some kind

of signal, you now need to optimizethat signal, both from the perspectiveof the mic as well as the recorder. Allthat means is that you’re providing thebest possible signal level from the micthat the recorder needs to see. Ideally,the signal should be as loud aspossible, but not too loud, so that itwill allow for dynamic fluctuations onthe part of the performer. The optimalsignal is one that is loud enough tokeep the noise floor down (a fixed,low-level of noise present in all

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FIGURE 6: SETTING LEVELSHere are the steps to properly set the mixer’s inputlevel controls:

1. Get the mic in front of the performer and have himperform with the dynamics and feel of the actual musicyou’re going to record.

2. Go to the individual channel’s controls, which arearranged vertically, and bring up the volume fader toabout 3/4 of the way, to the “0” dB (unity gain) point. Thisis the optimum setting for a volume fader, and manymixers such as the 414MKII and 424MKIII provide ashaded area on the faceplate to show that you’re “in thezone.” Do the same with the master fader, located all theway to the right of the channel faders. If your monitorsystem is set up correctly (headphones or speakers), youshould hear audio.

3. If the overall level is too high or too low (that is, ifthe meters aren’t registering or they’re maxing out into thered zone constantly), adjust the trim control so that thesignal peaks at the meters’ 0 dB points. If the metersoccasionally go a little higher than that, into the red, that’susually okay. Most mixers allow the signal to travel a littlebit into the red before distortion occurs.

4. Go back to the mic position and adjust it to get thejust right tonal quality. For example, if you’re recording anacoustic guitar, try moving the mic so that it’s in front ofthe bridge and then the fingerboard. Listen to the resultsover headphones as you try different positions, and thengo back to the mixer channel to see if you need to makeany gain adjustments.

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FIGURE 7:ANATOMY OF A MIXER CHANNEL

LINE MIC

INPUTMIC/LINE TAPE

OFF

EQHIGH

250 5k

EFFECT 1

EFFECT 2/TAPE CUE

1

B. INPUT SELECT.Tells the mixer channel what tolisten to. The “Mic/Line” settingtells the channel to pass theinput source (mic, keyboard,guitar, etc.); “Off” means that noaudio passes; “Tape” tells themixer to listen to the recordedtape track assigned to thatchannel.

A. TRIM. This controlsthe gain level of the preamp.

For keyboards and other line-level sources, you generally

keep this control at or near theminimum (all the way left). For

mics, you’ll need to crank itfurther to the right. The trim

knob acts as a normalizer onsignals of different levels so

that the faders can be used intheir optimum positions.

C. EQ. EQ is short forequalization, or, more simply,tone control. The number ofknobs and their function will

vary, but a commonarrangement is to have four

controls: a high- and low-shelving EQ (typically voiced at

10 kHz and 100 Hz,respectively) and two midrangeknobs that work in conjunction

with each other. One selects thefrequency, and the other provesa boost or cut at that frequency.

D. EFFECTS SENDS.If you’ve got some effects units athand, like a digital reverb or digitaldelay, you can hook them up viathe effects send and return jacks,and then control the intensity of theeffect — per channel — via theindividual effects send control.Using one unit for multiplechannels is a great way tomaximize a limited number ofeffects. For example, you coulduse one effects processor — say, areverb set to a live room sound —and put a little on the vocal, a littlemore on the guitar, a lot on thesnare drum, and none on the bass.On the 424mkIII, Effect 2 doublesas the Tape Cue (playback) control.E. PAN. The pan (short for

“panorama”) control servesdouble duty: When tracking, or

recording tracks, the pans workwith the Record Function

switches (on the 414mkII and424mkIII) and direct the signal to

the busses, which in turn go totape tracks. When mixing, the pan

control places the sound in thestereo field.

F. FADER. Most of yourvolume moves will be made here,after you’ve set the trim knob to theproper level (described above in“Setting Levels”). The trims, EQ,and effects sends are all prettymuch “set and forget,” and thefaders are where 90 percent ofyour “board moves” take place.

electronic gear, especially tape-basedrecorders), but not so loud that there’snot a little headroom to accommodateperiodic bursts of a really loud sound.In practical terms, it means setting upthe mic and adjusting the mixer levelscorrectly. Fig. 6 presents the foursteps.

OTHER CHANNEL STRIPCONTROLSOnce you have your levels set, youmight want to make other adjustments tothe sound, such as EQ or effects. Fig. 7is the “anatomy of a mixer channel”

using a channel strip of the 424mkIII,which represents a fairly standard mixer-channel configuration.

ROUTING YOUR SIGNAL TO ATAPE TRACKThough you might be able to hear yoursource through an input channel, there’sno guarantee it’s going to go to theproper tape track, unless youunderstand routing and busing. Bus isthe term for a line that connects multiplepoints. For example, you can connectthree mixer channels to a common tapetrack (which you would do whenblending a sound), or connect one mixerchannel to three tracks (which you mightdo for overdubbing — to keep fromunplugging and re-plugging amicrophone).

If this seems confusing, don’t worry, itwill become clear in time, and this is ascomplicated as it gets. TASCAM hasmade the routing and busing issue awhole lot clearer on the 424mkIII byincluding a function called Direct on itsbus switches. By selecting Direct, achannel is automatically routed to itscorrespondingly numbered tape track.For example, placing track 3’s busswitch to Direct means it will listen onlyto channel 3. Very handy.

TIP: Channel refers to the verticalstrips on the mixer section that you feedinstruments into. A track is the actualstripe of tape where information getsrecorded. The Porta 02, Porta 414, andPorta 424mkIII each have four tracks.The 788 has eight tracks. In thePortastudio line — or any mixer-recordercombination — the number of channelsdoesn’t necessarily correspond to thenumber of tracks a unit has.

AUDITION YOUR SOURCEOnce you understand routing — andyou’re certain that when you cue the

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FIGURE 8: A front and aerial view of a dynamic mic aimed at aguitar amp speaker. This off-axisapproach is a classic, and wasused by Eddie Van Halen, amongothers.

CLOSE MIC POSITION

AERIAL VIEW

SPEAKER

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SPEAKER FRONT VIEW

CLOSE MIC POSITION

AERIAL VIEW

performer, the music will go to theright place — go back to making thefine, subtle adjustments in micpositioning that will yield the bestresults. A good trick to try is varyingthe on/off axis position, or attitude, ofa mic toward its source. Sometimesthe best results are when the mic isslightly off from the direct point of thesignal. When recording a trumpet,this works well by aiming at the lip ofthe bell and not its center. And theclassic way to mic a guitar cabinet isto put an SM57 one to three inchesfrom the grille, at the edge of thecenter of the dust cap, at a 60-degree angle (see fig. 8).

In addition to tilting the axis, tryvarying the distance of the mic to thesource. This is sometimes called“presence,” because the closer a sourceis to the mic, the more present it seemsto the listener. (Presence also hasmeaning with regard to EQ: the uppermid-high frequencies, roughly 2–4 kHz.)

Position the mic and monitor theresults through headphones, or, if you’re

in another room, over speakers. If therecorder is in another room, or at leastfar away, it’s really handy to have anassistant make subtle positioningchanges. Don’t make the talent(performer) do it; you want him to focuson delivering a consistent performance.Before you actually start recording andput the musician into “performer mode,”it helps to line up the input to the correcttrack where the music will ultimatelyreside so that you don’t have to bouncelater on.

RECORD AND PLAY BACKYOUR WORKIt’s time to hit that Record button! Theone way to make sure you’ve set upthings correctly is to actually recordsomething and play it back. If all yourrouting is correct, and you’ve adjustedthe monitor levels (speakers orheadphones), the only thing you have todo is rewind the tape, flip the Inputswitch from Mic/Line to Tape, press Play,and adjust the Tape Cue control to acomfortable playback level.

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Recording one track is relatively simple,especially after you master themechanics of mic setup, level setting,signal routing, and playback monitoring.Where things really get interesting iswhen you decide to record, play back,and mix multiple tracks.

Once you’ve set up one channel, theprocedure is the same for all otherchannels. In fact,you don’t even needto change channelsto record to differenttracks if you don’twant to. Throughbussing, you canuse the same source on the samechannel to feed, successively, tracks 2,3, and 4 (or, if you’re on a 788, tracks 2through 8). There are severalapproaches to recording multipletracks. Let’s tackle some of the mostcommon ones.

LAYERING AND BLENDINGBlending is where you take two micsand simultaneously record a singlesource, but from different positions.One of the most common scenariosfor this approach is an electric guitar.One mic, typically a dynamic, like anSM57, is placed close to the guitaramp’s grille cloth (one to three inchesaway), while another mic, usually acondenser mic, like a KSM32, is

placed several feet back. The twomics feed two different channels,each with independent EQ and levels,but are bussed to a single track.

If you had two different sources — forexample, two guitarists playing similarriffs with one in the low register and theother playing an octave higher — thiswould be considered layering. In both

cases, two sourcesare used tocomprise the soundfor one track. What’sinteresting aboutlayering andblending is that

because the channels are ganged toone track, changing the level on onechannel or the other doesn’t so muchchange the volume as it does the tonalcharacter. There are endlessexperimental possibilities using thisapproach. You can create your ownunique tonal colors this way. But it canalso become quite addicting!

OVERDUBBINGOverdubbing is the process where amusician listens back to a previouslyrecorded track and plays another partperfectly in sync with it (or as best hecan!). There are several considerationswhen overdubbing. First and foremost:protect your previously recordedtracks. TASCAM facilitates this

THE CHALLENGES OFMULTI-MIC

RECORDING ANDMULTIPLE TRACKMANAGEMENT.

MULTIPLE MICS, MULTIPLE TRACKS

CHAPTER 3

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procedure by adding a Safe setting onits Record Function switches. Use it.

After taking the necessary track-protecting precautions, try to achieve aworking balance of the tape cue leveland the live instrument level. This isn’t aseasy as it sounds, because, while youcan turn up the tape track (via the Cuecontrols), you must try to keep therecord levels of the live track consistent.It’s tempting to turn down the live trackin your headphones to get it to blendwith the backing tracks, but don’t do it!You’ll throw off the delicate balance ofsignal-to-noise that you so carefullysought in setting your initial levels. Also,there are several places in the signalpath to adjust levels, and you have to besure you’re affecting only the monitoring(listening) portion and not the recordingone (the one that goes to tape).

Maybe you want to record yourselfsinging harmony. Or playing threedifferent acoustic guitar parts. For thisprocedure, you’ll use the same sourceand simply overdub by recording ontosuccessive tracks.

ENSEMBLE RECORDINGThis is sort of the flip side ofoverdubbing. Ensemble recordingmeans you record the way natureintended — all together and at the sametime. You record to multiple tracks usingbussing, but you do it simultaneously.While this makes things easier from amusician’s standpoint, it sometimesposes challenges from the recordist’sperspective.

One problem is where to put all thesepeople. If you have them all next to eachother in the same room, but on threedifferent mics going to three differentchannels, which go to three differenttracks, you risk bleed. This is when onemic picks up the sound from another,unintended source. The result is that you

can’t turn up mic 1 without also turningup the bleed from the singer on mic 2.And it may very well be that that’s theprecise reason you’re turning up mic 1— to get the timid singer there to matchlungs with the basso profundo on mic 2.You could separate the singers, but thenthey lose the ability to act as a unit —where they listen to each other for cues,tuning, etc. In that case, you mightconsider a different mic — one with atighter pickup pattern. If you like yourSM58, you might consider switching to aBeta 58A, which has many of the samequalities, but a tighter, supercardioidpickup pattern. For stereo recording,consider going with a pair of identical-model mics, such as two BG4.1’s. Placethem in an XY pattern (where thecapsules crisscross each other at abouta 135-degree angle) and position themin front of the source.

TRACK BOUNCINGOnce you have your ensemble recordedto different tracks, you might want tobounce the tracks all to one open track.Bouncing is taking several pre-recordedtracks and mixing them down to one (ortwo, if you’re running in stereo). Bouncingallows you to reclaim those individualtracks — by erasing and re-recordingover them. The one caveat is that onceyou bounce and start recording over theoriginal tracks, you’re stuck with yourbounced track mix. So make sure toaudition it over several systems beforeyou start to re-record. You must alwaysleave an open track, so plan carefully.

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The stereo miking x-y pattern.

It’s one thing to stumble through therecording process and discover all thethings to do and not to do all byyourself. But why not take a couple ofshort-cuts and benefit from the collectivewisdom of people that have been there,done that, and lived to tell the tale?There are many classic approaches tomiking and recording all sorts ofstandardarrangements ofinstruments. Itdoesn’t mean youhave to follow themto the letter, butknowing what thetraditional approachis certainly makesfor a good jumping-off point.

Let’s examinesome specific recording applicationsutilizing classic setups.

RECORDING GUITARSAcoustic guitars. If you’re trying to laydown a thumping rock rhythm onacoustic guitar, try using a dynamic, likethe Beta 57A. It has a little more high-end sizzle than an SM57, but it featuresa great midrange “honk” that higher-quality condensers don’t seem to favor.For a classic two-mic setup, take asmall-diaphragm condenser, like anSM81, and point it toward the 12th fret,

about 12 inches away. Then take alarger-diaphragm condenser, like theKSM32, and place that about six inchesfrom the bridge. Run the mics toseparate channels and blend to taste.

Electric guitars. Like vocals and theiracoustic counterparts, electric guitarscan be greatly enhanced by recording

them in an ambientspace, like abathroom, garage,or long hallway. Onetrick is to close-micthe cabinet with adynamic mic, andthen take acondenser andplace it several feetback, or even wayback at the end of a

hall for a cathedral-like ambience. In thiscase, the ambient mic takes on a muchsmaller role than, say, the two-micmethod for an acoustic. Blend theambient mic subtly. Fig. 9 shows howthe two mics should be placed, relativeto the guitar amp.

MIKING A DRUM KITMic choice and setup. There is no onecorrect way to mic a drum kit. Somepeople like to set up two mics in front ofthe drummer in a nice, live room, aboutsix feet high and ten feet back, and just

NOW IT’S TIME TOTAKE A LOOK ATSOME SPECIFIC

RECORDINGAPPLICATIONS

UTILIZING CLASSICMIKING SETUPS FORINSTRUMENTS SUCH

AS GUITARS ANDDRUMS.

SPECIAL APPLICATIONS AND TECHNIQUES

CHAPTER 4

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let the drummer wail. Others mic everydrum, send them all to separatechannels, and then hunker down for amarathon mixing session. But moststrike a balance somewhere in themiddle. That usually involves separatedynamic mics for the kick and snare, acondenser mic for the hihat, and twolarge-diaphragm condensers for theoverhead mics, which pick up the tomsand the cymbals. Alternatively, you canuse a pair of closed-mic dynamics onthe toms, if you like. Fig. 10 shows howthe “well appointed” drum kit looks, withthe mic configuration discussed above.

Panning assignments. On a drum kitmiked with the above setup, set the pancontrols this way for a stereo spread onmixdown (not for tracking): kick 12:00,snare 12:00, toms high to low in an11:00–1:00 spread, hihat 2:00, and

FIGURE 9: In atwo-mic setup, one micis close up on the grillecloth and the other is used tocapture the distant sound of theamp as well as the room sound.

overheads 10:00 and 2:00. (see Fig. 10a).

USING EFFECTS SENDSEFFECTIVELYFor a true stereo sound, you must recorda source with two mics and send eachsignal to a separate track. But that burnstracks in a hurry, so a great way tocreate a faux-stereo effect on single-track-recorded instruments is to put justthe effects in stereo. Use a stereo effectsunit, but feed it one input from either achannel (one instrument) or the entiremix. Then return two outputs — the leftand right from the effects processor —and patch them back into the mainstereo bus. That way the reverb, delay,or chorus will shimmer with a subtlestereo effect, even if your instrumentsare all panned up the center. This is alsoa great way to ensure monocompatibility.

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17

KICK SNARE HI-HAT ROOM OVERHEADS(via preamp w/ stereo out)

T O M S

FIGURE 10: A classic miking approach for a drum kit is twocondensers for the overheads, one on the hihat, two dynamicson the toms, and one mic each for the snare and kick. A large-

diaphragm condenser for a room mic is optional.

FIGURE 10a: Notethe pan assignmentson the rotary knobs

just above thefaders. The 414mkIIwill take eight inputs

even though it onlyhas six faders.

Inputs 7 and 8 areon a single stereo

jack and arecontrolled by a

rotary level knob.

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18

KSM32

SM81

BETA 56 BG 4.1

SM57

BETA 52

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CHAPTER 5

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You’ve done all the homework andfollowed the rules, right? So now it’s timefor some fun. Here is some weirdscience, recording-wise, that actuallyworks.

PUSH THE METERS — YOU’REUSING TAPE!In this digital world, distortion whenrecording is verboten. But not so inanalog-land.Pushing the tapemeans that youdistort justenough tocompress thetape, but not enough to make yourpreamps clip in an ugly way. There’s anarrow window in there where thathappens, but if you find it, you’ll besitting pretty in the sweet zone.

MIC THE STRINGS OF YOURELECTRIC GUITARIf you want to get some acoustic snapfrom your electric — but don’t have asplit pickup configuration with a piezoand magnetic — here’s how you canachieve the same effect. Isolate theguitarist from the amp in a quiet roomand have him monitor over headphones.Close mic the strings of the electricguitar with a small-diaphragmcondenser, like the SM81 or BG4.1, at adistance of only a few inches. You have

to be sure there’s no other noise, likestudio monitors or even loud breathing,because you’ll have to run the mic prettyhot. Run the miked signal to its owntrack and then mix it judiciously with theprincipal electric sound. You’d besurprised how this effect — anemic onits own — adds a whole new dimensionto a guitar sound.

10 TRACKSWITH 4TRACKSAND ONLY 1BOUNCEBouncing tracks

is great, but the rule of thumb is that youreally don’t want to have more than onegeneration for any part, especially oncassette-based machines. But byperforming a live track along with theones you’re bouncing, you can get tentracks onto a 4-track in just seven steps,and with no track subjected to morethan one generation. See fig. 11 for theroad map.

GHOST ’VERBHere’s a neat trick that’s subtle enoughto turn the heads of the attentive, butwon’t distract from the musical impact ofthe principal signal. Start by recording,on any instrument, a melodic line ontoone track. Then double the line, viaoverdubbing, by listening to the original

SOME TECHNIQUES THEPROS USE TO MAXIMIZE

THEIR SOUND.

19

TRICKS AND TIPS

and playing along onto a second track.But don’t play it exactly like the original.Take a few liberties with the tempo, thearticulation (slide into a note instead ofhitting it dead on), and maybe even thechoice of a pitch or two (but do thissparingly). And instead of close mikingyourself, play or sing way back from themic, using a condenser like the SM81.You might even have a second micpointed at a reflecting wall to captureonly the ambient sound (a KSM32 is

good for that purpose). You can evenrun the track through a delay or reverbafter that, so that it really soundsghostly. Then, ever so carefully, mix thatsound in with the original track. Theresult is a “wrong-note reverb” wherethe “effect” (it’s really another trackdisguised as an effect) is misbehavingand deviating from the original line — aseeming impossibility…unless yourrecorder is haunted. Great foratmospheric effects.

20

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FIGURE 11: Seven steps to bouncing ten signals to four tracks,assuming you perform live with the bounce each time.

3 Tracks + Live =4 Tracks Total

2 Tracks + Live =7 Tracks Total

2 Tracks + Live =9 Tracks Total

2 Tracks + Live =10 Tracks Total

WHERE TO GO FROM HEREIf you’ve gotten this far, and practiced some of the

exercises presented here — and lived to tell about it —

you’re doing great! The next step should be to purchase

and master some outboard effects units, like

compressors, reverbs, delays, choruses, etc. That’s what

you’ll need to complete your technical arsenal while you

save up and upgrade your existing, core equipment. You

can always use more mics, too, acquiring models

designed for specialized tasks.

More important than acquiring and mastering gear,

however, is trying to get exposed to as many recording

situations as you can. Volunteer to help out friends and

acquaintances who have little recording experience, but

are looking to put together a demo tape. You never know

when you’ll get another opportunity to mic a Brazilian

percussion ensemble, a gamelan orchestra, or even a

large chorus of singers. Record as much as you can,

develop your ear for microphone qualities, and master the

features of your recorder so that you can focus without

distraction on your whole reason for being there:

developing your ear for music.

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SM57: Outstanding performance and diversity of application make theSM57 the “workhorse” of stages and studios worldwide.

SM58: Ostensibly the first choice of performers around the globe, the SM58vocal microphone is a genuine world standard and a true audiolegend.

Beta 52: Optimized for use with kick drums, this supercardioid, dynamicmicrophone features an integral locking stand mount for fast, easysetup.

Beta 56: Specifically engineered for drums and instruments, the Beta 56dynamic microphone’s compact, pivoting design makes it the idealchoice.

Beta 57A: Excellent for acoustic and electric instruments as well as for vocals,the extremely versatile Beta 57A dynamic microphone providesoptimal warmth and presence.

BG4.1: The BG4.1 condenser microphone is a top choice for instrumentrecording and sampling, as well as for live acoustic instruments.

SM81: One of the world’s great studio condenser cardioid microphones, theSM81 provides precise, detailed sound reproduction, is excellent forstudio recording, and is rugged enough for live sound reinforcement.

KSM32: SHURE’s KSM32 has a classic, elegant appearance and even moreimpressive performance provided by its extended frequencyresponse, low self-noise, high output level, and increased dynamicrange. The KSM32 has the flexibility to handle a variety ofdemanding sound sources, including vocals, acoustic and windinstruments, ensembles, and overhead miking for drums andpercussion. In addition, it has the warmth and sensitivity necessaryfor superb sound reproduction in professional studio production andlive sound recording.

For more information, product literature and educational booklets,call 1-800-25-SHURE or visit www.shure.com.

SHURE MICROPHONES

788 DIGITAL PORTASTUDIOPERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS

Frequency Response ....................................................................................................................................20 Hz–20 kHz ± 1 dBDynamic Range ..................................................................................................................................................Better than 82 dBChannel Separation ............................................................................................................................................Better than 80 dBTotal Harmonic Distortion ................................................................................................................................<.01% (1 kHz tone)

INPUT/OUTPUT SPECIFICATIONSInputs A-D........................................................................................................................................................................1/4” TRSAux Input ..............................................................................(2) 1/4” Phone Connectors [Nominal Level –10 dBV @ 15 kOhms]Stereo Output....................................................................................(2) RCA Connectors [Nominal Level –10 dBV @820 Ohms]Monitor Output ..................................................................................(2) RCA Connectors [Nominal Level -10dBV @820 Ohms]Aux Output ............................................................................(2) 1/4” Phone Connectors [Nominal Level –10 dBV @820 Ohms]Headphone Output ................................................................................................................1/4” TRS, 60mW per side, 30 OhmsRemote Port ......................................................................................................................1/4” Phone, Accepts TASCAM RC-30PMIDI Ports..................................................................................................................................................................(2) 5 Pin DinSCSI Port ................................................................................................................................................................SCSI-2, 50 pin

CASSETTE 4 TRACKPorta 02 414mkII 424mkIII

Simultaneous ..................2 Record; 4 Play................................................4 Record; 4 Play..............................4 Record; 4 PlayRecord/Play Tracks

Mixer Channels ..................4 Tape Returns..........................................4 Mono Channels........................6 Mono Channels2 Band EQ 3 Band EQ

(2) Aux Sends Sweep Mid EQ2 Stereo Inputs (2) Aux sends

1 Stereo Input

Overall ......................................50 Hz–12.5 ........................................40 Hz–16 kHz ±3 dB ......................40 Hz–16 kHz ±3 dB Frequency Response kHz ±3 dB (without dbx) (3 3/4 ips)

Overall Signal ................................>43 dB ..............................................................>85 dB ............................................>90 dBto Noise Ratio 1 kHz, 3% THD IHF-A weighted,

A weighted, dbx on dbx on

Wow/Flutter (WRMS)....................<0.18% ................................................<0.12% WRMS ..............................<0.05% WRMS

Tape Speed(s) ........................4.76 cm/sec ......................................................9.5 cm/sec ................4.76 cm/sec (1 7/8 ips)(1 7/8 ips) (3 3/4 ips) 9.5 cm/sec (3 3/4 ips)

Pitch Adjustment ......................................................................................................±12% ..............................................±12%

Inputs ..........................(2) 1/4” Mic/Line In..............................................................Ch 1-2 ............................................Ch 1-4XLR Mic Pre XLR Mic Pre

1/4” Mic/Line In 1/4” Mic/Line InCh 3-4 Ch 5-6

1/4” Mic/Line In 1/4” Mic/Line InCh 5-8 Ch 7-8

1/4” Line In 1/4” Line InHi Z Sub Input

Guitar Line Level In RCA unbalancedSub Input

RCA unbalanced

Outputs ..................................Line Output............................................Monitor Outputs..........................Monitor OutputsRCA unbalanced RCA unbalanced RCA unbalanced

Headphone Output Line Output Line Output1/4” TRS RCA unbalanced RCA unbalanced

Aux Send Outs (2) Aux Send Outs (2)1/4” Line 1/4” Line

Headphone Output Individual Track Outs1/4” TRS RCA unbalanced

Headphone Output1/4” TRS

Power Consumption ............................7W ..................................................................11W ................................................21W

Dimensions ......................300x80x205 mm ............................................367x100x247 mm ..........................419x115x357 mm(14.5 x 4 x 9.75 in)

Weight ................................................1.5Kg..................................................2.1Kg (4.5 lbs) ..............................................4.9Kg

Fast Winding Time ........120 sec. for C-60..............................................110 sec. for C-60 ............................120 sec. for C-60

Optional Accessories ..................................................................RC-30P Punch-In Pedal..................RC-30P Punch-In Pedal

Tel:1-800-25-SHURE • Web: www.shure.com

AL1451/January 2001

Produced by two of the most-respectednames in professional audio,Microphones and Multitracks is a quick-start guide that will not only have youmaking music with your SHUREmicrophone and TASCAM Portastudio,but have you doing it in the time it takesyou to read this guidebook and press theRecord button on your deck.Here’s some of what you’ll learn:

• Proper mic selection• Recording system setup• How to set levels• Miking techniques• Multiple track recording techniques• How to capture the best signal• Classic recording setups• Professional tricks and tips

Tel: 323-726-0303 • Web:www.tascam.com

Microphones Microphones MultitracksA

ND