ETSU Recording Lab Microphone Guide

Comprehensive vocabulary review flashcards covering specifications, polar patterns, powering requirements, tonality, and applications for all large diaphragm condensers, small diaphragm condensers, dynamic microphones, and ribbon microphones in the ETSU Recording Lab.

AKG C414-XLS

A large diaphragm condenser microphone (available as a stereo pair) with a multi-pattern polar response that requires phantom power. It serves as a good all-rounder with a somewhat neutral tone, commonly used for drum overheads, acoustic guitar, floor tom, old time banjo, hand percussion, and both male and female vocals.

Neumann U87Ai

A large diaphragm condenser microphone featuring a multi-pattern design (Cardioid, Bidirectional, Omnidirectional) that requires phantom power. Known for its mid-forward sound that allows it to cut through a dense mix, it is used on male vocals, bluegrass banjo, upright bass (body mic), and mono drum overhead.

Peluso 2247SE

A multi-pattern large diaphragm condenser microphone that has its own power supply. Based off the Neumann U47, it serves as a good all-round vocal mic and is used for female and male vocals, upright bass (body mic), and fiddle.

Peluso P12

A multi-pattern large diaphragm condenser microphone with its own power supply, based off the AKG C12. It is primarily used for female vocals and fiddle, as well as acoustic guitar and mono overhead.

Peluso P87

A multi-pattern large diaphragm condenser microphone that requires phantom power. It is similar in tonality to the Neumann U87Ai but brighter and more aggressive; used for upright bass (as a single mic or body mic), bluegrass banjo, male vocals, and snare (if feeling brave).

Peluso P49

A multi-pattern large diaphragm condenser microphone that has its own power supply. It is utilized primarily as a vocal mic when the Peluso P12 is too bright, and is also used on female vocals, acoustic guitar body, fiddle, and old time banjo.

Shure KSM32

A cardioid large diaphragm condenser microphone (available as a pair) that requires phantom power. It offers a neutral-sounding response suitable for most acoustic instruments, including drum overheads, banjo in general, fiddle, guitar cabinets, and acoustic guitar.

Shure KSM44

A multi-pattern large diaphragm condenser microphone requiring phantom power. It is used primarily as a vocal microphone (especially female vocals) as well as for upright bass (body mic or single mic).

Sony C-38B

A large diaphragm condenser microphone with cardioid and omnidirectional patterns that requires phantom power. It produces a transparent sound with a lifted top end, requires $10\,\text{dB}+$ more gain than a typical condenser, and is used for vocals, fiddle, room miking, guitar cabinets, bass (body mic), and kick drum (kick out).

Warm Audio WA-47F

A cardioid large diaphragm condenser microphone requiring phantom power. It is primarily used as an outside kick mic or for bass guitar cabinets, as well as for upright bass (body mic), voice overs/podcasts, and acoustic guitar body.

AKG C451B

A cardioid small diaphragm condenser microphone (available as a pair) requiring phantom power. Characterized by a very bright response, it is used as a single acoustic guitar mic, upright bass neck mic, hi-hat mic, overheads, and room mic.

Audio Technica 4033

A small diaphragm condenser microphone (available as a pair) with a cardioid pattern that needs phantom power. It is a bright microphone with a forward sound, used for vocals, old time banjo, acoustic guitar, and drum overheads (for a jazz kit or an ensemble needing a darker tone).

Earthworks M30

An omnidirectional small diaphragm condenser microphone (available as a pair) that requires phantom power. It features a very neutral sound that works exceptionally well with bass instruments, room miking, upright bass, bass cabinets, and acoustic instruments in general.

Neumann KM184

A small diaphragm condenser microphone (available as a stereo pair) featuring a cardioid pattern and requiring phantom power. It is a bright SDC well suited for acoustic instruments including drum overheads, mandolin, dobro, acoustic guitar, bass neck, and hand percussion.

Peluso P28

A cardioid small diaphragm condenser microphone (available as a pair) that has its own power supply. It possesses a bright sound profile with a scooped-out midrange, commonly used on drum overheads, fiddle, mandolin, acoustic guitar, and bluegrass banjo neck.

Sennheiser MKH8040

A cardioid small diaphragm condenser microphone (available as a stereo pair) requiring phantom power. Known for its neutral sonic character, it is used on acoustic instruments such as acoustic guitar, fiddle, banjo, dobro, mandolin, hand percussion, as well as horns and woodwinds.

Audix D6

A moving coil dynamic microphone with a cardioid pattern that does not require phantom power. Designed specifically as a kick drum mic with lots of attack, its primary applications are kick drum (kick in) and floor tom.

Electro-Voice RE320

A moving coil dynamic cardioid microphone that does not require phantom power. Designed primarily for kick drum (kick in) applications, it is also well-suited for podcasting, voice overs, and bass guitar cabinets.

Sennheiser MD421-II

A cardioid moving coil dynamic microphone that does not require phantom power. It is most commonly used for drum toms and guitar cabinets, but is also suitable for background vocals, bluegrass banjo, and bass neck.

Shure SM7b

A general-purpose moving coil dynamic microphone with a cardioid pattern that does not require phantom power. It requires a lot of gain and is widely used for male and female vocals, podcasting, hi-hat, and bluegrass banjo.

Shure SM58

A standard moving coil dynamic cardioid microphone that does not require phantom power. It is designed as a general-purpose vocal microphone, but can also be used on snare drums when an SM57 is not available.

Shure SM57

A ubiquitous cardioid moving coil dynamic microphone that does not require phantom power. Built as a general-purpose instrument mic, its common uses include snare, guitar cabinets, bluegrass banjo (pot), toms, and hand percussion spot miking.

AEA R84

A bidirectional ribbon microphone that does not require phantom power. Known for its warm sound, it requires a lot of gain and is used on upright bass (body mic), guitar cabinets, acoustic guitar (body mic), mono room miking, and bass cabinets.

Peluso TR14

A bidirectional ribbon microphone equipped with its own power supply. It shares similar applications with the AEA R84 but is mildly brighter and requires less gain, commonly deployed on autoharp, guitar cabinets, fiddle, acoustic guitar, and bass cabinets.