Music & Audio Advice Microphone Placement Techniques 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a Mid-Side (M/S) recording technique, the Side microphone uses which polar pattern?
- Figure-8 (bidirectional) (Correct answer)
- Cardioid
- Omnidirectional
- Shotgun
Correct answer: Figure-8 (bidirectional)
M/S pairs a center mic with a figure-8 Side mic whose lobes are decoded into left and right.
Question 2: A key advantage of the Mid-Side technique over other stereo methods is what?
- Fully adjustable stereo width and perfect mono compatibility (Correct answer)
- Higher output level
- No need for a mixer
- Elimination of room sound
Correct answer: Fully adjustable stereo width and perfect mono compatibility
Adjusting the Side level changes width, and summing to mono cancels the Side cleanly.
Question 3: When close-miking a snare drum from the top, angling the mic toward the center of the head affects what?
- The balance of attack versus body tone (Correct answer)
- Only the cymbal level
- The kick drum tone
- The room reverb time
Correct answer: The balance of attack versus body tone
Aiming toward the center captures more tone and body, while the rim emphasizes attack.
Question 4: Why is a bottom snare mic frequently phase-inverted relative to the top mic?
- The two heads move in opposite directions (Correct answer)
- To increase gain
- To add delay
- To remove the snare wires sound
Correct answer: The two heads move in opposite directions
The top and bottom heads move oppositely, so inverting the bottom keeps them in phase.
Question 5: For an upright double bass in jazz, placing a mic near the bridge versus the f-hole changes what?
- The mix of attack/string detail versus boomy body resonance (Correct answer)
- The tuning of the instrument
- The number of strings heard
- The bow noise only
Correct answer: The mix of attack/string detail versus boomy body resonance
The bridge gives more string articulation while the f-hole emphasizes low-end body resonance.
Question 6: What is a common reason to use a room mic in addition to close mics on drums?
- To capture natural ambience and add depth (Correct answer)
- To remove low frequencies
- To reduce the cymbal decay
- To eliminate bleed
Correct answer: To capture natural ambience and add depth
Room mics add the natural reverberation and sense of space that close mics miss.
Question 7: When miking a Leslie rotating speaker, why are mics often placed on both the top horn and bottom rotor?
- To capture the full frequency range and rotation effect (Correct answer)
- To reduce volume
- To avoid the tremolo
- To make it mono only
Correct answer: To capture the full frequency range and rotation effect
The top horn handles highs and the bottom rotor handles lows, so both are miked for the complete swirling sound.
Music & Audio Advice Microphone Placement Techniques 4
In a Mid-Side (M/S) recording technique, the Side microphone uses which polar pattern?