Microphone Placement Techniques 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 Placement Techniques flashcards as text
In a Mid-Side (M/S) recording technique, the Side microphone uses which polar pattern?
Answer: Figure-8 (bidirectional)
M/S pairs a center mic with a figure-8 Side mic whose lobes are decoded into left and right.
A key advantage of the Mid-Side technique over other stereo methods is what?
Answer: Fully adjustable stereo width and perfect mono compatibility
Adjusting the Side level changes width, and summing to mono cancels the Side cleanly.
When close-miking a snare drum from the top, angling the mic toward the center of the head affects what?
Answer: The balance of attack versus body tone
Aiming toward the center captures more tone and body, while the rim emphasizes attack.
Why is a bottom snare mic frequently phase-inverted relative to the top mic?
Answer: The two heads move in opposite directions
The top and bottom heads move oppositely, so inverting the bottom keeps them in phase.
For an upright double bass in jazz, placing a mic near the bridge versus the f-hole changes what?
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.
What is a common reason to use a room mic in addition to close mics on drums?
Answer: To capture natural ambience and add depth
Room mics add the natural reverberation and sense of space that close mics miss.
When miking a Leslie rotating speaker, why are mics often placed on both the top horn and bottom rotor?
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.