Microphone Selection and Placement Flashcards
7 cards from real Music & Audio Advice practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Microphone Selection and Placement flashcards as text
The '3:1 rule' in microphone placement advises that when miking multiple sources, each mic should be at least how far from the next relative to its distance from its source?
Answer: Three times the source distance
The 3:1 rule keeps mics three times farther apart than from their source to reduce phase issues.
For recording an acoustic guitar with a balanced, natural tone, a common starting position is pointing the mic at the:
Answer: 12th fret area
Aiming near the 12th fret avoids the boomy bass that comes from miking the sound hole.
A large-diaphragm condenser microphone is most commonly chosen for studio vocals because it offers:
Answer: Warmth and detailed sensitivity
Large-diaphragm condensers deliver the warmth, detail, and low noise prized for studio vocals.
Phantom power, typically +48V, is required to operate which microphone type?
Answer: Condenser microphone
Condenser mics need phantom power to charge their capsule and run internal electronics.
To reduce a bass drum's 'boomy' resonance while keeping attack, you would generally place the mic:
Answer: Closer to the beater inside the drum
Placing the mic near the beater emphasizes attack and tightens the low-end boom.
A shock mount is used primarily to:
Answer: Isolate the mic from physical vibrations
A shock mount suspends the mic to prevent stand and floor vibrations from being picked up.
For a podcast in an untreated, echoey room, which combination best minimizes room reflections?
Answer: A cardioid dynamic mic close to the mouth
A close cardioid dynamic favors the voice and rejects off-axis room sound.