Capacitor Microphones for Sensitivity

No sound recording engineer, novice or professional, owns just one microphone, due to the fact that in every situation, a particular type of microphone would be optimum. In an earlier article, the advantages of the dynamic microphone were discussed. Its construction merited use in louder volume, close proximity situations with brilliant results. For more delicate situations, with sound producers of lower volumes and involving tones possessing all parts of the sound spectrum, capacitor microphones are the choice of professionals because of their ability to successfully capture all the nuances of such delicate, often acoustic instruments such as guitars, violins, and the human voice.

Capacitor (also called condenser) microphones use electrostatic energy to capture sound from a given producing object. The electrical charge produced by the freely fluctuating diaphragm and the backplate provides the sound signal transference to amplifier rather than current magnetically produced as in a dynamic microphone. Because no metal coil is involved, the diaphragm has the ability to be much lighter and exponentially more responsive to more delicate, quieter sounds. This lightness and responsiveness lends to a better reproduction of the originally produced sound than that of its clunkier counterpart (the dynamic microphone). In order to be so responsive, capacitor microphones are very high impedance and require power to provide the electrostatic charge as well as amplifying the sound captured. This power can be generated by a microphone preamp or a mixing board, allowing the diaphragm to move freely and effortlessly with a constant charge applied. This eliminates the need to increase the gain that could adversely affect the sound captured by adding noise as well. Something to keep in mind when choosing the right capacitor microphone is the size of the diaphragm. Capacitor microphones come in large and small diaphragmatic options. The larger diaphragm microphones have seen increased popularity because of the added resonance the larger diaphragm produces especially when capturing the nuances of the human voice. This warmth of resonance can make voices livelier and fuller, adding depth and distinction to vocal tracks.

While dynamic microphones have the ability to withstand use and abuse, the delicate construction of its capacitor cousin requires a lighter hand. The lighter more delicate diaphragm positioning allows for the higher frequency response necessary and might motivate the owner to purchase a case for his or her often more expensive and definitely more responsive capacitor microphones; their tough dynamic brethren will be happy to share the gym bag with the cords, pedals, and such. Local music stores like Austin’s Strait Music Company stock many choices of dynamic and capacitor microphones to satisfy every musician’s needs and budget.

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of recording and pro audio gear to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Sturdy and Reliable: The Dynamic Microphone

In music recording or in live performance, the clarity of the sound heard by the audience and performers will only be as good as the quality of the sound capturing and amplification devices utilized. Whether it is the “boom-boom” of the kick drum or the sweet melodies of a beautiful soprano voice, the correct microphone for each situation is essential in achieving the perfect mix in both live and studio applications. What good is the best music if no one can hear it accurately?

There are essentially two different types of microphones used in live performance and studio recording. A microphone converts the mechanical energy created by the sound from an audio source (voice, drum, guitar, tuba, etc) and converts this energy into an electrical signal. Dynamic microphones convert the sound to signal using an electromagnetic principle, while the other, capacitor microphones, use an electrostatic principal to convert the sound. In this article, the discussion will be limited to the construction, advantages and disadvantages of dynamic microphones.

Dynamic microphones see the most prevalent use because they are durable and relatively inexpensive. They employ a lightweight, often plastic diaphragm that is attached to a small wire coil and suspended within a magnetic field. The sound energy issued by the performing instrument or voice causes the diaphragm and coil to vibrate, generating an electrical current so diminutive that it must then be amplified by a microphone preamp in order to be usable by the sound engineer or mixing board personnel. The advantages of dynamic microphones comes from their tough construction allowing them to be roughly (moderately now!) handled, inexpensive to make, and able to perform straight out of the box without batteries, just plug and play. Their tough construction is also at the core of their disadvantages as well. Because the sound produced by the performing instrument must cause both the diaphragm and the wire coil to vibrate, a large amount of the sound energy is lost in the production of this movement. The fine details and high frequencies of instruments that employ a wide sound spectrum of harmonics and dynamics can be lost in this transference of energy. Another disadvantage can be seen in the minute amount of electrical current produced through this electromagnetic method. Because the current is so small, the necessary large amounts of amplification applied adds excess noise to the signal, making dynamic microphones not so useful in instances where the microphone is not in close proximity to the sound or when less robust sounds are produced (acoustic instruments, vocals).

Dynamic microphones are the microphone of choice when capturing the sound from large volume producers such as guitar or bass cabinets and drums. Less amplification is needed to magnify the current produced from these instruments, and the dynamic microphone’s tough construction allows it to be placed mere inches from the source. Dynamic microphones are an essential part of every recording and live application, and local music stores like Strait Music Company of Austin, Texas, employ musicians with all the necessary knowledge in recording techniques to help every musician find the perfect dynamic microphone to suit his or her needs.

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of recording and pro audio gear to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Drum Shell Construction Importance

It probably goes without saying that the way a particular drum set sounds has a direct relationship to the quality of its construction. The drum shells should be constructed from tried and true, solid, tone woods, such as maple, birch, or mahogany, though less expensive, economy sets often employ lesser-known woods with much less agreeable sounding results. The most influential factors of drum sound are the wood used for the shells themselves, the thickness of the shells, and the sizes employed.

Of the three most often used woods, mahogany is the least expensive and also the least desirable for several reasons. Aesthetically, mahogany is less attractive, possessing less naturally occurring grain and striations resulting in this wood usually being covered with a plastic polymer coating, adding color or pattern to an otherwise unattractive fascia. This plastic wrap makes construction quite inexpensive versus the protective spray used on higher end drums, utilized to showcase and protect the more beautiful woods. Budget sets made on assembly lines for large drum set distributors are usually crafted of mahogany. The relatively dull sound produced by mahogany sets can be attributed to the relative softness of this easily obtained wood.

The other most often used woods are maple and birch. They both possess a beautiful grain with striations that often form striking patterns such as the much sought after birdseye-maple rings. Shells in these woods are exhibited as well as protected by a spray on coating, allowing the natural grains to show through. Maple and birch are both sturdy hardwoods, possessing hardy sounds with the ability to cut through in many genre applications. The difference in tone between these two woods can be best observed in the treble ranges of the drums. Birch drums are described as possessing a brighter sound due to their magnified response in the treble range while maple shells display warmth across the entire sound spectrum.

Thickness of shell affects the pitch of the drum. The thicker the shell, the higher the pitch, the thinner the shell, the lower the pitch. Most drum shells are constructed of several plies (different layers) of wood allowing for strength, durability, and defense against warping over time. Also affecting the pitch of a given drum is its diameter and depth. A larger floor tom or bass drum will display a much deeper tone than say a smaller, shallower mounted tom. These differences allow for a large palette of sound being available within a five or six piece drum set. Local music stores such as Austin’s Strait Music Company stock a wide variety of drum sets catering to needs of many a budding and professional drummer alike. The best way to hear these differences is to go on in and pound on some skin!


About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, the best of drum set stores in Austin TX. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Guitar Amplifiers: Solid State Advantages

This article is in response to the previous article posted claiming that tube amplifiers dominate over solid state amplifiers in achieving best sounding tone. Solid state amplifiers need not be short-changed in order to tout the greatness of the tube. Solid state amplifiers do possess many advantages and remain a viable choice for many guitarists and bassists alike.

Solid state amplifiers are almost always less expensive than tube amplifiers, both at time of purchase and in terms of maintenance. This makes them a very attractive alternative for the beginning as well as seasoned guitarist alike. Tubes must be replaced, depending on the load put on them and the frequency of playing. If a guitarist plays at loud volumes several times a week, especially without allowing adequate time for the tubes to warm up before cranking the volume up, tubes might need replacing within 3 months. With the usual 3-4 times a week performing or practice sessions, with proper adherence to warm up times, tubes still must be replaced anywhere from 6 months to once a year for optimum performance. This yearly maintenance can cost a guitarist approximately $10-$15 per tube on the low end, with most tube amplifiers utilizing 4 or more tubes. For example, the coveted sound produced by the popular Fender Deville amplifier uses two Groove Tube output tubes ($70 - $130 for a matched pair) and 3 Fender preamp tubes ($10 a piece). That’s quite a hefty price tag if all tubes need replacing at once!

Another advantage the solid state amplifier has over its tube counterpart is portability and ease of transport. Because tube amplifiers employ glass vacuum tubes at the heart of their power, they need much more space for these glass cylinders and require much more care when hefting their heavy weight to and from the trusty band van. One misstep could result in a trip to the guitar store immediately if replacement tubes aren’t part of a band’s gear box; the show must go on, but won’t go on if tubes are damaged because a sticky fingered roadie had an unfortunate accident with the guitarist’s boutique tube powered amplifier. Because solid state amplifiers employ transistors instead of tubes, they are much lighter, more durable, and need much smaller cabinets to hold a higher rated power plant than their portly, tube-powered cousins.

New advances in solid state amplifiers allow for guitarists to dial in the precise tone they’re looking for without breaking the bank in the process. Well informed and friendly sales associates at local guitar shops like Austin’s Strait Music Company can help guitarists of any and all skill levels find the solid state powerhouse they need to keep on rockin!

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of electric guitars and guitar amplifiers to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.

Guitar Amplifiers: Are Tubes the Best?

A large part of getting just the right tone from an electric guitar happens when the signal from the instrument is amplified. True, the original tone is an amalgam of the tone wood selected for the guitar’s body and the electrical pickup technology employed, but the tone generated in the amplification process is definitely not to be understated or underemphasized. Most guitarists tend to lean towards tube amplification over transistor-based, solid state technology, but for what reasons, and are these reasons with merit?

Tube technology has been the choice of famous and novice musicians alike for decades, because its technology has been present the longest. Vacuum tubes were used in the first radios and televisions to provide power for sound amplification. Tubes are basically light bulbs, possessing a filament inside that must get warm in order to perform their duties. When musicians talk about their tube amplifiers, they inevitably mention the “warmth” of the tone produced. This warmth arguably comes from the true heat that is being generated by these tubes, a naturally emanating warmness generated from current through filament that can be heard in the guitarist’s resulting tone. A tube sound can be described as possessing this “warmness” throughout the entire spectrum of guitar sound, resulting in mellow, “creamy” treble sounds that experience a “punch” or focus when strings are struck harder, while continuing to display thick bass sounds from underneath. Who wouldn’t enjoy a warm sound that seems to vibrate and grow to fill the space of a given room? When guitarists first discovered the ability to overdrive tubes, achieving a clipped or distorted sound from the speakers, tube sound became immortalized. Guitarists found that more distortion could be added gradually as the gain knob was turned up, creating a more saturated, dirty sound across the whole sound spectrum. The amount of available drive that a particular amplifier can handle without overextending itself is called “headroom”. This allows a guitarist to pump up the gain in order to overdrive the signal without experiencing electrical difficulty because of the increased power to the tubes. While tubes arguably provide the best tone possible, this tone does not come without a price. Tube amplifiers cost substantially more than their solid state cousins. Also, since the tubes themselves are made of glass, some care is necessary when loading and unloading tube amplifiers, though new advances are making them more durable than ever. Warming up a tube amplifier is necessary before playing, but ask any of the well informed sales associates at Strait Music of Austin, and they’ll surely say the same: tube amplifiers sound warmer, fuller, and resoundingly better than solid state, and are definitely worth the extra money in the attempt to find that killer tone!

About the Author: Clint Strait is a third generation owner and assistant manager of the Strait Music, Austin Music Stores, providing the best selection of electric guitars and guitar amplifiers to Austin and the surrounding area for over forty years. For more information please visit www.straitmusic.com.