A N S W E R S

When should I use a shotgun/hypercardioid mic instead of an omni/cardioid and vice versa?

Think about the pattern of the _null_ of the mic, rather than the pattern of the main lobe. The on-axis performance of all of these mics can be quite similar. The differences are in the off-axis response. Think about pointing the null at the sound you don't want, rather than pointing the front at the sound you do want. Use a tighter pattern when the reverberation or overall room noise overpowers the desired sound.

Note that besides the design-centre directionality pattern, there are a host of other compromises the mic manufacturer must accept in order to have a produceable model. While their specs may be identical, omnis, cardioids, and hypercardioids all sound_very_different. The main specifications that are almost never reported include capsule-generated distortion, phase or impulse response, off-axis frequency response, and frequency distribution of mic-generated noise including capsule-generated noise.[dj]

What types of mics should I consider for use in small venues (bars and clubs)?

What types of mics should I consider for use in medium-sized venues (between 500 to 5,000 seats)?

What types of mics should I consider for use in large venues (>5,000 seats)?

Very broad questions. Depends on the room acoustics. Start with one of the pair techniques in {1}. Listen to how the room sounds and listen to the sounds you want to get rid of. If you need more room isolation, think about ways to orient the mics so that the nulls are pointed at the noises you want to lose. [dj]

What mics are good for 'up front' (FOB) recording?

In general, you can get away with using omnis/cardioids or other less-directional mics up front, mostly because you are closer to the source and the music is generally much louder than venue acoustics and crowd noise. Using highly directional mics like shotguns up front might not allow you to capture the entire sound. [jm]

What kind of mics are good for live recording with a DAT?

Mic selection is generally driven by budget, personal taste, and pattern requirements (which are in turn driven by recording location and venue layout), and stereo recording technique. There is no such thing as the perfect microphone, even for a single type of recording situation. [rg]

Some of the most popular mics for live taping, along with miscellaneous comments from users. In general, high cost means >$1000 per mic; mid is ~$1000 per mic, and low is $500 per mic or less.

What microphones are good for unobtrusive ("stealth") recording?

There are many microphones out there that are small yet provide good sound. During the 80's, two of the more popular larger "stealth" microphones were Nakamichi's 300 and 700, modified to use a short barrel. These are roughly the size of a man's index finger and are sometimes built into hats.

Considerably smaller and stealthier than the Naks are the electret condenser microphones that are designed to attach onto the temple pieces of your eyeglasses, clip onto your jacket's shoulders or lapels, or clip to any handy object (light grid, chair, curtain). At least two manufacturers (Core Sound and Sonic Studios) offer these. These microphones are roughly the size of jelly beans. Despite their small size, they typically have very wide and flat frequency responses. A few models can record over very large dynamic ranges with little distortion. This makes them ideal for a compact, stealthy concert recording setup. Their main drawback compared to larger, more expensive microphones is a relatively high self-noise (roughly 30 to 40 dBa) but the self-noise is normally swamped by the ambient noise level at a concert. The microphone elements are typically omnidirectional and can be used to make binaural or spaced-omni stereo recordings. Prices under $500. Combine these microphones with a portable DAT recorder and you have a stealthy, good sounding, reasonably priced and simple recording setup. [lm]

What mics are good for radio reportage, radio drama, and film and tv location work? Mechanical durability, resistance to handling noise, and cost need to be considered.

The all-time favourite mic for reportage, at least in the US, is the Electro-Voice 635A series. This is an omni dynamic, available also in a heavily padded and screened version called the RE50. They are nearly indestructible, and older ones are covered by a lifetime warranty; if it isn't mangled, they will fix it for free, forever. Used 635A's typically bring $50. If I only had $100 for mics, that would be it.

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