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SECTION ONE Microphone Technique Basics 3 How to: Reduce feedback and reverberation Reduce background noise and leakage Pick up sound at a distance Reduce phase cancellations between two mics Reduce phase cancellations from surface reflections Reduce handling noise Reduce proximity effect Reduce pop Achieve a natural tone quality Achieve a bright tone quality Achieve a good balance 3 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 SECTION TWO Notes on Crown Mic Models CM-200A CM-310A CM-311A CM-312A CM-30 / CM-31 CM-700 CM-150
CHOOSING THE RIGHT CROWN MICROPHONE Polar Patterns Omnidirectional or Unidirectional There’s a wide variety of Crown microphones to choose from. This guide will help you select the microphones best-suited for your applications. Omnidirectional microphones (also called pressure microphones) are equally sensitive to sounds coming from all directions. Unidirectional microphones (also called pressure gradient microphones) are most sensitive to sounds coming from one direction - in front of the microphone.
How to reduce background noise How to pick up sound at a distance • Stop the noise at its source: turn off appliances and air conditioning; wait for airplanes to pass; close and seal doors and windows; use a quiet room. The farther you place a microphone from a sound source, the more reverberation, leakage, and background noise you pick up. Also, you hear more mixer noise compared to the signal because the mixer gain must be higher with distant miking. • Mike close with directional mics.
How to reduce the phase cancellations between two mics As described in the Crown Boundary Mic Application Guide, these situations can cause phase cancellations which give a strange tone quality. Solve the problem by using Crown PZM or PCC microphones mounted to the piano lid, wall, floor, or other large flat surface. If two microphones pick up the same sound source at different distances, and their signals are fed to the same channel, this might cause phase cancellations.
How to achieve a natural tone quality • Use a microphone with a flat frequency response, such as: CM-700, CM-150, GLM-100, PCC-170, PCC-130, any LM mic, or a PZM-30D or PZM-6D set to “flat” response. phone, so aim the rear of the mic at your floor monitor speakers. Use the foam pop filter to reduce breath pops. • For maximum isolation and gain-before-feedback, use a GLM-100 close to the drum head a few inches in from the rim.
Percussion Recording/Reinforcement: • Place a CM-700 about 1 foot away. The CM-700 has a clear, natural sound. Self-noise is very low, and the mic can handle extremely loud sounds without distortion. A bass-tilt switch, pop filter and windscreen are included. • Tape a PZM on the musician’s shirt (see the Crown Boundary Mic Application Guide). CM-150 LM-201, LM-300A, LM-300AL, LM-301A These four models are meant to be used on lecterns, pulpits, or conference tables.
• For maximum gain-before-feedback and isolation, use a CM-310A with your lips touching the metal grille. The CM-310A Differoid® has more gainbefore-feedback than any mic you can buy, so it really helps vocals stand out over a loud instrumental background. • Tape the cable of a GLM-100 to the grille cloth in front of a speaker cone. A mic placement at the center of the cone sounds bright; a placement near the edge of the cone sounds more mellow.
• For maximum gain-before-feedback and isolation, use a CM-310A with your lips touching the metal grille. The CM-310A Differoid® has more gainbefore-feedback than any mic you can buy, so it really helps vocals stand out over a loud instrumental background. • Tape the cable of a GLM-100 to the grille cloth in front of a speaker cone. A mic placement at the center of the cone sounds bright; a placement near the edge of the cone sounds more mellow.
Percussion Recording/Reinforcement: • Place a CM-700 about 1 foot away. The CM-700 has a clear, natural sound. Self-noise is very low, and the mic can handle extremely loud sounds without distortion. A bass-tilt switch, pop filter and windscreen are included. • Tape a PZM on the musician’s shirt (see the Crown Boundary Mic Application Guide). CM-150 LM-201, LM-300A, LM-300AL, LM-301A These four models are meant to be used on lecterns, pulpits, or conference tables.
How to achieve a natural tone quality • Use a microphone with a flat frequency response, such as: CM-700, CM-150, GLM-100, PCC-170, PCC-130, any LM mic, or a PZM-30D or PZM-6D set to “flat” response. phone, so aim the rear of the mic at your floor monitor speakers. Use the foam pop filter to reduce breath pops. • For maximum isolation and gain-before-feedback, use a GLM-100 close to the drum head a few inches in from the rim.
How to reduce the phase cancellations between two mics As described in the Crown Boundary Mic Application Guide, these situations can cause phase cancellations which give a strange tone quality. Solve the problem by using Crown PZM or PCC microphones mounted to the piano lid, wall, floor, or other large flat surface. If two microphones pick up the same sound source at different distances, and their signals are fed to the same channel, this might cause phase cancellations.
How to reduce background noise How to pick up sound at a distance Field: • Stop the noise at its source: turn off appliances and air conditioning; wait for airplanes to pass; close and seal doors and windows; use a quiet room. The farther you place a microphone from a sound source, the more reverberation, leakage, and background noise you pick up. Also, you hear more mixer noise compared to the signal because the mixer gain must be higher with distant miking.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT CROWN MICROPHONE Polar Patterns Omnidirectional or Unidirectional There’s a wide variety of Crown microphones to choose from. This guide will help you select the microphones best-suited for your applications. Omnidirectional microphones (also called pressure microphones) are equally sensitive to sounds coming from all directions. Unidirectional microphones (also called pressure gradient microphones) are most sensitive to sounds coming from one direction - in front of the microphone.