Voice Recording Techniques - Microphoning

Sound Qualities According to the Distance Between Microphone and Sound Source

In contemporary studio and stage recording work, there are four main microphoning styles directly related to the distance between the sound source and the microphone.

These are: close miking, accent miking, distant miking, and ambient miking.

Close Miking

The term close miking is used to describe placing the microphone at a distance between the closest 2 cm and the furthest one meter from the sound source. This technique is certainly the most frequently used technique in multi-track music production in contemporary studios. Close miking serves two main functions:

1. It gives the sound a tone as if it's right next to you.

2. It prevents other sounds from the environment from being recorded.

Since sound intensity decreases with the square of the distance, a sound coming from a distance of 2 meters is relatively insignificant when compared to a sound of the same intensity coming from a distance of 8 cm. Therefore, in practice, only the sound directly in front of the microphone will be recorded. External sounds will not be picked up.

While the close miking technique has advantages, the concept of proximity should not be exaggerated. The microphone should be placed as close as necessary, not as close as possible. This is because placing the microphone too close can change the timbre of the sound source. This alteration of timbre is generally effective between 2 and 15 cm. When the microphone is placed very, very close, it is possible that the entire frequency spectrum (tonal balance, timbre) of the sound source cannot be captured. This is because only a small part of the sound source's surface is being picked up by the microphone in this situation, resulting in a sound balance specific to that small area. At these extremely close distances, changing the microphone's position by just 2 or 3 cm can completely alter the recorded sound. There are three solutions to this:

1. Before recording begins, move the microphone around the surface of the instrument while listening carefully until you find the desired sound.

2. Position the microphone at a greater distance from the sound source to widen the pickup angle. This way, you will get a more balanced representation of the instrument's overall sound.

3. Equalize the sound with an EQ until you find the desired balance.

Distant Miking Technique

The term distant miking refers to positioning one or more microphones at distances of one meter or more from the sound source. This technique serves two functions:

1. It places the microphone in a position where the sound of the entire instrument or even the sounds of several instruments can be captured at once. This also preserves the overall tonal balance. To achieve a natural tonal balance, first, the size of the instrument's sound-producing surface is considered (for example, the surface of a cura is small, while the surface of a double bass is large). The microphone is positioned approximately that far away.

2. The microphone is placed at such a distance that it captures both the direct sound of the sound source and the reflections and refractions from the acoustic environment. These reflections and refractions are recorded as a whole with the sound source's own sound.

Distant miking is a technique frequently used to capture the balance between the direct sound of an instrument (or group of instruments) and the indirect sounds coming from its acoustic environment. This balance is determined by the interaction of several factors, some of which are the size of the instrument or sound source and the reflective qualities of the room.

These techniques add an open, lively, and airy quality to the recording because distant microphones capture a larger portion of the acoustic field. Thus, a larger sound pickup angle is covered with fewer microphones.

One of the disadvantages of distant miking is that the acoustic environment may not be very good. There may be bad room reflections, muffled or strange timbre due to phase differences, etc. This can result in a poor and shapeless recording.

To prevent this problem, you can do the following:

1. Temporarily use sound-absorbing or diffusing panels to absorb and break up reflections.

2. Move the microphone closer to the sound source. Then, you can add artificial depth if necessary.

Accent Miking

As we have seen before, close and distant miking techniques offer us very different sound pickup and tonal qualities. In some cases, when we want to use both techniques at once, we cannot achieve a natural recording balance. For example, classical Western music recording methods generally rely on distant miking techniques. This achieves a pleasant balance between direct and indirect (environmental, ambient) sounds. However, if there is a solo section in the performance, an additional microphone may be needed to capture that solo instrument. However, if the solo instrument is miked too closely, that instrument will sound much closer to the listener compared to the other instruments, as if it's standing far in front of them. To capture the sound of this solo instrument more naturally, a "compromise" distance between distant and close miking is chosen.

When using an accent microphone, the miking distance must be chosen very carefully. Also, when the channels are being mixed down, the signal picked up by that accent microphone must be added very skillfully to the overall mix. It's important not to overdo the dosage. Simply put, in the stereo spectrum, that accent channel should not distort the timbre or balance of the soloist relative to the other instruments. A good accent miking technique only makes its presence slightly more felt during the solo section. It should not be perceived as a separate microphone. When adding an accent microphone to the overall channels, careful and appropriate panning can also eliminate slight ghost or orphaned sounds that might be floating around. These strange sounds sometimes occur due to the soloist's dynamics (when playing loudly or softly).

Ambient Miking

If a microphone is positioned at such a distance that it primarily records the room's own depth of sound rather than the direct signal, it is called an ambient microphone. One or two microphones can be used to capture the ambient sound of a room. For example, a single omnidirectional microphone can be extended into the room, capturing natural reflections. Or, two spaced or coincident cardioid microphones (with their pickup patterns at a 90-degree angle to each other) can be positioned in the room, facing away from the sound source. Another very effective method is to position two bidirectional (figure-8) microphones coincidentally with their heads at a 90-degree angle to each other, in a Blumlein crossed "figure-eight" configuration. Any of these methods can be used to give a distant and open-air impression or can be used in conjunction with close miking, thus giving the recording a fuller atmosphere.

An ambient microphone can be used in every recording. For example:

1. In live concerts, ambient microphones are positioned in various locations within the venue. This allows the natural depth lost in close miking to be added back to the recording.

2. In live concert recordings, ambient microphones are placed in the room to capture audience reactions and applause.

3. In studio recordings, ambient microphones can be used to give the recording a fuller and airier sound. The ambient microphone can be added as an effect to add more depth to the sound. For example, if a previously recorded channel is played loudly through studio monitors and this sound is re-recorded by two ambient microphones, you may encounter a more swollen and larger sound. This new sound can be mixed with the original signal.

Although we have discussed close, distant, accent, and ambient miking individually, each can be mixed with the others as much as you want in the same recording. There is only one rule: the recording method must be appropriate for the music or project. For example, contrary to what some believe, distant miking techniques are not only for classical Western music. Interesting results are obtained when recording jazz flutes from half a meter away, as well as when recording in India's famous Taj Mahal Palace from a distance of more than a thousand meters. By thinking and experimenting, very original and interesting results can be obtained by blending these techniques.