Week 5 - AA1

This week’s exercise was to record 5 different 10-second pieces using several microphones and comparing different techniques through observing the result of each recording. For this session, Alfred Essemyr and I went to the studio and recorded the stuff we needed.
I played a constant E minor – A minor chord for a number of times and recorded each of them in a different track in Protools as shown in the picture.

Rendering all the tracks to one single wave file, I edited the final result using ACID pro.
The first sample is using Shure SM58 with a 0 degree on its axis:




The Second, is SM58 as well, but 180 degree off axis and it results in a great amount of reverb on the sound because the microphone is actually getting the sound from the reflection of the wall in front of it; apart from the direction of the sound source, it’s distance has been tripled compared to the first sample.



Third example uses a Realistic PZM microphone 90 degrees off axis:


I used a Neumann U-87 condenser microphone in its 8-shaped mode on axis for the forth sample:

Fifth sample uses the same microphone but in its cardioid shape.




References:
- Shure SM58 Microphone: http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/Products/WiredMicrophones/us_pro_SM58-CN_content

- Realistic PZM Microphone:
http://www.mtsu.edu/~a_e_s/microphone/pzm.htm

- Neumann U-87 Condenser Microphone:
http://www.neumann.com/?lang=en&id=current_microphones&cid=u87_description