Microphone

This is a directional microphone and when I point it away from my face You might expect it to be quieter than this But the thing is when you hear me, you’re not just hearing me in one place You’re hearing me and you’re hearing the sound as it bounces around the room and that might surprise you Because even this shoddy Designed to reject as much of the environment as possible still picks up a lot of sound off-axis Where it might feel more like 60/40 rather than 80/20 I like to think of any microphone as if it has two signals and not one There’s the room sound which never really changes and a direct signal where you do have some control and what you should Understand from this is that maybe more important than this mic or this one or this one is the room You’re in and which way are you facing?

The speed of sound is constant.

The most slept on waveform in audio.

You have a choice when it comes to engaging a filter.

This is your friendly reminder that your microphone comes with reverb.

Your condenser microphone needs power.

Level isn’t the most important element in your mix.

You had a great session.

When was the last time you used something like this?

Upward compression, downward compression, expansion.

This switch right here is something a lot of seasoned engineers understand instinctively, but don’t really articulate.

There are a few reasons that pro audio connections often run over balanced cables like this or this.

This isn’t a stereo connector.

Recording every instrument comes with its own set of challenges, but this one, it can be a real beast.

When you first started recording, you probably just stuck a microphone in front of your face and began to sing.

There’s a reason we teach mid-side recording, and it isn’t because it sounds good, although that’s one of the reasons we like to use it.

This is a dynamic microphone.

Stand by, this is going to be take three and rolling.

(beep) - What’s happening here might not be exactly what you think.

There are vocalists out there that will never ever give you a good performance in headphones, but even seasoned vocalists sometimes have a hard time matching the vibe and the performance of a relaxed studio environment with the monitors on.

A really common misconception about mixing is that your job is to make everything even.

I am so stoked to talk to you about microphones, but before I do, we need to have a serious chat.

Stop doing this to your microphone.

Tuesday’s Music Theory Gym and its Stevie Wonder adds where we find a convergence of ascending and descending movement.

Sometimes stereo is like an added byproduct of what you get when you use multiple microphones.

They say monsters aren’t real, but I’m not so sure.

This is a story about perfection.

You can try, but you can’t really separate frequency from level.

You probably won’t hear the difference between these microphones.

Somewhere out there, somebody’s telling you that it’s dangerous to use natural phase EQ because it imparts a phase shift on your recordings.

Stop singing. There’s nothing in your vocal chain that will substitute for a good performance. I can fix your pitch, I can fix your timing, but if the vocal doesn’t…

Here are 10 things that are more important than your vocal chain.

Every day, thousands of potentially great songs are abandoned and left to wither away, unappreciated and unloved.

Don’t look for a job in audio if you don’t understand this.

Let me show you something.

On paper, this mic is better than this one in pretty much every way.

Raise your hand if you have trouble hearing compression.

(footsteps) Allow me to show you the second best way to get rid of phone buzz that might be leaking into your microphone.

As a sound source gets closer to any directional microphone, it doesn’t just get louder.

Within the lexicon of recording and mixing, the concepts of phase and polarity are similar enough.

Here’s a follow-up to the phase inversion trick I shared with you the other day to get you untethered from your headphones It works on a similar principle, but it’s a little different in this scenario.

Let’s talk about mastering, because it’s not just about making stuff loud.

If you’re confused about microphones, think of it like ordering off a prefix menu.

I want to accomplish two things with this video.

When you’re working in the box, you enjoy a luxury, which is that all of your plugins and settings snap to attention as soon as you open your session.

Today at Beat Kitchen, we’re going to turn up the heat on our conversation of compression.

The EQ in your DAW may have an edge over even some of the most coveted recording discs, but only if you know how to take advantage of it.

The act of transduction involves taking energy in one form and converting it into another.

Today we’re going to look at microphone polar patterns.

Today was ear training gym.

Let’s talk three to one rule, because first of all, not a rule, more of a back of the napkin guideline.

When you first begin to learn about rhythm, you’re taught to think like a metronome.

If you’re using Ableton Live’s hidden options.txt file to access extended features, functions, workflows, hacks, which experimental feature is your favorite?

You may already know you can fashion a windscreen by wrapping a hose around a coat hanger.

Does a compressor operate on level or frequency?

We see both experienced and beginner producers at Bee Kitchen.

What makes music tick?

Who needs synthesis, right?

Before you mix in earbuds, I want you to try this.

I made a mistake in a video.

Pretty much any experienced producer will understand the value of editing.

The practical application of a multiband compressor comes into focus when you consider not just how it differs from a regular compressor, but how it differs from a traditional equalizer.

What the actual funk is a sine wave?

So one breakthrough that I had when I was learning how to do all of this, I think it’s very easy to forget about velocity when you’re putting stuff into a piano roll.

When you dither, you’re intentionally adding noise to your track.

You might be surprised to learn that the big studio sound you like isn’t just a byproduct of a big studio.

You know that frequency response chart that came with your nice set of speakers?

Your audio interface is a device that does a few different things.

Real piano. Sample piano. Oh boy. Gone are the days when piano in a can sounded like this. There are lots of great options these days and if you’re expecting…

The act of transduction just means taking energy in one form and converting it into another.

Did you notice I’ve posted every day for the last 150 days?

One thing that tends to confuse new engineers is the difference between phase and polarity.

Learn to record your own vocals or somebody else’s because regardless of whether or not you’re making vocal-based music I can’t think of a better way to get you out of the box getting signals from place to place Navigating takes comping not to mention all those tools you need and if you can’t or won’t sing find yourself a vocalist Or we’ll find one for you vocal kitchen It runs six weeks two instructors from mouth to mic to mix will take you through warming up getting a great performance And delivering a solid vocal mix everyone deserves the chance to learn to work with vocals and vocalists share that with someone who belongs in a big kitchen

Can you have your cake and eat it too?

With or without an audio degree, you wouldn’t be the first musician to come to me, never having been told what key tracking is and what it’s for.

You should maybe look towards a really, really quiet mic and a really clean, quiet preamp because you know that like a lot of this, you know, all of your verses or whatever are going to be like really, really cranked in order to bring it up.

Michael Jackson’s Rock with You.

There’s sort of a secret reason engineers use pop filters.

We had a lot of fun in Music Theory Gym today.

I try not to think of this microphone as if it is pointed at me.

In music, voice leading is the judo in which we can achieve meaningful harmonic twists and powerful turns while exerting the absolute least amount of energy.

Achieve professional studio sound through recording diversity, not expensive gear. Learn why varying microphones, instruments, and recording positions creates better productions than relying on one setup.

Complete guide to recording grand pianos: from the 'missionary position' to ORTF arrays, boundary mics, and advanced multi-mic techniques for capturing the perfect piano sound.

Complete guide to recording upright pianos: microphone placement techniques, removing panels for better access, dealing with player noise, and miking from behind the instrument.

Essential beginner's guide to music production equipment: from headphones and MIDI controllers to audio interfaces and microphones. Start making music without breaking the bank.

Complicated doesn’t mean better.

This is a public service announcement from the people who like to sell you microphone stands.

A lot of vocalists love performing with compression.

With the holidays upon us, you may not see us as much over the next few days, but don’t worry, we’re gonna be back in the new year with new content, new instructors, and in case I don’t see you, I wanna leave you with this thought.

Compressors aren’t actually super complicated, but they are a little complicated.

There is no best microphone.

Creative vocal recording techniques for Jill Cunniff's 'Eye Candy': blending vintage and modern mics, piano cavity recording, and unique processing for otherworldly vocal textures.

What’s your first upgrade or purchase once you’ve set up the bare bones minimum for your studio?