TECH Talks 2.0 with Michael
Written by Michael Yoshimi
June 2nd, 2021
It’s been almost a year and half since our lives changed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. While we’re slowly coming out of it, our profession has been forever changed. Like many other professions, the adoption of technology as a means of performing our jobs has accelerated whether we like it or not, and we all were involuntarily pushed into finding the best ways to express our music through digital means. While some of us may want to not touch a computer as a means to perform, teach, or engage an audience, we’ve all developed valuable A/V skills that will remain essential as we return to some semblance of normalcy.
In my first “Tech Talks'' blog, I discussed some of the USB microphone options that could offer an affordable/efficient means of getting decent recording quality not only for online lessons but also for practice purposes and creating performance content for your YouTube channel. Some of you may want to expand upon your new found technological prowess and delve deeper into producing your own video and audio at an even higher quality. I recorded many of my own students for their competitions and prescreenings with the equipment that I’ve accumulated over the years. How they sound and how prepared they are is still the most important aspect of having a successful performance video; however, having audio and video quality that allows them to best showcase what they truly sound like gives them the best chance of being successful. As teachers we have all seen videos with less than ideal audio/video quality. This can be distracting, and can truly take away from effectively evaluating someone’s playing. Decent audio/video equipment can help you put your best foot forward.
If you are looking to upgrade your A/V setup there are a few categories to consider: video, microphones, audio interfaces, speakers/headphones. I’m sure many of you have already gone through the process of syncing your audio recorded with a USB microphone/computer with the video from your smartphone. Some of the newest smartphones and tablets have cameras that hold their own against some of the more expensive video options out there. Let’s first discuss what you could do to upgrade your audio signal chain, starting with microphones.
Microphones:
There are two major types of microphone styles recommended for instrumental recording purposes:
Dynamic - moving coil and ribbon
Condenser - small and large diaphragm
To summarize, dynamic microphones are often used more for extremely loud sound sources, such as drums in rock/pop music. Condenser microphones are more sensitive, and are capable of capturing a more complex, wide range of frequencies. For this reason, condenser microphones are usually the microphone of choice by classical music audio engineers across the world. One of the types of dynamic microphone, the ribbon microphone, has similar qualities to the condenser mic in terms of its dynamics and frequencies. However, the ribbon may not be as widely flexible in usage as the condenser mics because they are more fragile.
Within the condenser category there are two types: small diaphragm (SDC) and large diaphragm (LDC). SDCs are narrow cylinders, while the LDCs are much bigger and bulkier, depending on the design. The diaphragm is the thin piece of material that picks up the vibrations from the sound waves, which is then converted into a digital signal. The SDCs will have a much smaller and thinner diaphragm than the LDCs. Think the size of a dime versus the size of one of those old half-dollar coins. Most orchestral audio engineers use SDCs on the strings and woodwinds because of the quicker transient response in SDCs. The size and mass of the small diaphragm means that it will be even more sensitive, thus the quicker transient response. Therefore, to most accurately and realistically pick up the wide spectrum of frequencies inherent in these musical instruments, you’ll often see SDCs in concert halls around the world. For example: most of the mics that you might see hanging in the Berlin Philharmonic’s digital concert hall are SDCs.
In choosing microphones for your practice purposes and other recording purposes, there are many factors to consider. Generally it is important to note that classical music recordings are meant to capture the most accurate representation of the sound being created. Not much will be done to the sound in post production, unlike in pop music where they manipulate and manufacture sounds based on what the producer/mixing engineer wants to hear. In order to find the microphone that potentially is the most accurate sounding, you want to look at the graph of the microphone’s frequency response. Every microphone manufacturer produces a graph mapping out the characteristics of the microphone’s response level from 0hz-20khz (scroll down for examples of these graphs). This will give you an idea of the characteristics of the microphone. What we generally try to look for in recording classical music is a microphone that has a flat frequency response across a wide spectrum of frequencies. This means that the sound that goes into the microphone will be relatively unchanged from what is being produced. That being said, finding a microphone with a flat frequency response is just a start, and because of the subjectivity of the human ear, certain microphones that have very similar frequency response curves may not necessarily sound good to you. This is where the engineering and quality in the microphone itself comes into play, and finding the right microphone to fit your needs and your budget can seem like a confusing task.
Another aspect of microphones that I will mention briefly is the polar pattern. This refers to how the microphone picks up sound in the space it’s in. The basic polar patterns are: omni, cardioid, and figure eight. There are gradations to this, but these are the three most common that are utilized in stereo microphone setups. The symbols you might see on the microphones to represent these patterns look like this:
The first, third, and fifth symbols are the omni, cardioid, and figure 8 pattern respectively. This particular microphone allows for 5 different possible patterns, giving the engineer a lot of flexibility and possibilities. To simplify things a little, the condenser microphones I will mention use the cardioid pattern, which is the most traditional of the stereo recording techniques.
Here are some options of SDCs that you may consider. Keep in mind that you’ll most likely want to record in “stereo” to get the best representation of your sound in the space you’re in. Therefore, you’ll need to purchase two microphones. One microphone would give you a mono signal, so you’ll need two to get a stereo signal.
Oktava MK012 - a Russian made microphone, that is relatively affordable for the pair. They’re especially useful if you’d like to have the flexibility to record in different polar patterns. Oktava gives you the option to buy interchangeable capsules that allow you to switch from cardioid to omni, etc. A quick look at the general frequency response of the cardioid capsule (blue line) shows a mostly flat response from 50Hz-5kHz and a slight bump from 5-10kHz. This bump boosts the higher overtones/frequencies, which may lead to a brighter sound quality. This microphone is great for strings, and is a decent option for clarinet because of the affordability and potential flexibility. $399 for a stereo pair with cardioid capsules. Other polar pattern capsules can be purchased as well.
Audio-Technica 4041 - Cardioid only SDC from the Japanese company that also manufactures headphones and other commercial audio equipment. The frequency response graph of this microphone is quite similar to the Oktava MK-012 with an overall very flat response to 5kHz, and a bump from 5-15kHz. The dotted line on this graph shows the effect of the high-pass filter option that can be switched on. Just because the frequency response graphs look similar, it does not necessarily mean that the AT4041 and MK-012 will sound the same The electronics inside the microphone are unique to each company and are what gives the mic its specific sound. $499 for a stereo pair, cardioid only.
Shure SM81 - Similar to the AT4041, this is a cardioid only SDC with a high-pass filter option. The top line of the graph below is the frequency response without the high-pass filter. As you can see, this microphone is even flatter than the Oktava and Audio-Technica. It stays pretty much flat until rolling off close to 20kHz. From a purely frequency response standpoint, it would appear that this microphone would give you the most accurate representation of what is coming out of your instrument. But of course when purchasing a microphone personal preferences come into play, and it’s important to trust your ears. But from a standpoint of being an extremely flat microphone, the SM81 is one of the most neutral. $698 for a stereo pair, cardioid only.
Neumann KM184 - From the legendary German audio company, the KM184 is another cardioid-only SDC that is often used by recording engineers in concert halls around the world. As you can see from the frequency response graph, this microphone is relatively flat from 200Hz-4.5kHz, with a slight bump in the higher frequencies. Like the Oktava MK-012 and AT4041, the upper frequency bump will give a brilliance and clarity that may help some sound even better. It also might accentuate the highs too much for others, which highlights the subjective nature of each microphone. Notice that the bass frequencies start rolling off after 200Hz, which means that this microphone might not be the best for recording bass clarinet. You’ll lose some of the depth in the sound. When the NY Philharmonic does recorded preliminary auditions, they recommend using this microphone for the recording, however it is not the most affordable for those on a budget. $1500 for a stereo pair, cardioid only.
Schoeps CMC6 MK4 - This SDC is similar to the MK-012 in that it has the option of interchangeable capsules that allow you to change the polar pattern. Schoeps is much more expensive, but you definitely will get what you pay for. You might recognize these microphones on the stage of any big orchestra in the world, especially in the Berlin Philharmonic’s Digital Concert Hall. From the frequency response graph, this is one of the flattest microphones out there, with barely a bump between 6-9kHz. The omni capsule’s frequency response is even flatter! If you have the opportunity to use or own these microphones, you are very lucky. These also may not be the best microphone for bass clarinet, given the bass frequency rolloff. $3250 for a stereo pair, cardioid capsules. Other polar pattern capsules available.
If you are interested in researching more about microphones and purchasing some equipment, there are a few good resources and companies that are really good at helping you find the right gear. Here are a few:
http://recordinghacks.com/microphones
This list is by no means comprehensive or meant to push you into buying expensive equipment. Practicing and using your ears comes first and foremost! Recording yourself on your smartphone will greatly help you in your daily practice sessions, if you don’t already do so. However, if you are interested in expanding upon your technology skills you may have picked up during the pandemic, we hope to point you in the right direction, and give you some insights from a clarinetist’s perspective. There are many more things to discuss regarding other types of microphones, audio interfaces, speakers/headphones, video, and microphone techniques, so stay tuned!!