RØDE Microphones
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Frequently Asked Questions

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Is there one great mic that will work for everything?

The short answer is no, that's why we make different types of microphone!

 

With that said, providing you pick a microphone that doesn't have a really obvious tonal character, you can usually match its characteristics to a recording to a useful degree by how you position it. For example, cardioid mics all exhibit a bass boost when used close up due to something called the proximity effect, so if your mic sounds too bright (lacking bass) with a particular recording, try getting it closer to the source as this will warm up the sound.

 

Cardioid mics also have their best high end response on axis so you can reduce the amount of high end by twisting the mic around slightly so that the signal is directed slightly into the side of the mic rather than directly into the front. Placing a thin, vertical physical obstruction right in front of the mic, such as a plastic pen, also tames the high end slightly and can even help reduce sibilance where that is a problem.

 

Where the signal needs to achieve a brighter effect, you can use a broad EQ boost at 10 to 12kHz to add what engineers call 'gloss' or 'sheen' to the sound, but be careful with EQ, if you add too much it will sound harsh or shrill.

 

The real answer is that different microphones have different tonal characteristics, so the best way to achieve that perfect sound is to try out the recording with a range of different microphones and then pick the one that suits best. If you are running a home studio to produce your own music, then you can pick whatever mic works best with for you, but in a professional facility, it helps to have a range of different microphones available.

 

 

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artist
Cully Symington
Beginning drumming lessons at eight years old and gigging locally at sixteen, Cully Symington was touring nationally with local indie folk troubadour Matt The Electrician by only eighteen. He has performed and/or recorded with RØDE favourites The Gutter Twins and Twilight Singers and fellow endorsees My Jerusalem. Now the full time drummer for indie rock band Okkervil River, Cully choses to rock RØDE both live and in the studio.
Ric Viers

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