The use of lavalier microphones is very popular with location sound mixers and in studio situations. But how do you hide the little microphones so that they don't rustle and still record rich sound? Different items of clothing pose different challenges for sound engineers here. And how to place the transmitter packs so the talent is not disturbed by it?
In this hands-on workshop, Daniele Turi - CEO of Viviana Straps - will demonstrate his expertise in this field. Featuring a number of products and techniques for hiding lavalier mics and transmitter packs. Supported by their German distributor Ambient.
Shotgun microphones - how to describe true sound and features?
MIC-1-2 | Start 10:30 | Duration 60 min. | Eddy B. Brixen | Tutorial (English)
Interference tube microphones - or shotguns - apply to many jobs in audio, especially in film and TV. These mics have both advantages and disadvantages compared to more “conventional” 1st order microphones. What everybody expects is a perfect high directivity, constant with frequency. However, usually more is expected than achieved.
Many brands and models are available to the audio engineer, which is nice. Although many of them look alike, they are not when it comes to sound and functionality. How do they differ from each other? Does the polar plot tell the whole story of the perceived directivity, or should a “psycho-acoustic filter” be involved when assessing these data?
Is it possible to publish a directivity index for a shotgun mic? Is it valid to present one number, covering the complete frequency range, or should this be presented per octave or fraction of octaves?
What about the handling/boom noise and noise from vibrations? Handling noise is usually assessed very subjectively. Can this be done so it provides comparable data?
Often it is asked: What is the “reach” of the microphone? Is it possible to answer a question like that at all?
Is weigth a parameter, it is worth publishing? What if the mic is too heavy - or too light-weighted - to work sufficiently in a shockmount?
In this presentation, we will look at the available conventional data, and see whether they are sufficient, or are there other data one rather should look for to easen the choise of this special tool, the shotgun.
MIC-2 | Microphones / Microphone Setups | Wabe | 2023-11-09 | 12:00 - 13:00
curated and moderated by Marcel Remy
Research on microphone arrangement in the grand piano recording: In search of a musical suitable timbre
Every musical instrument has a specific sound radiation pattern, which is highly dependent from tone and frequency. This has been extensively investigated by Jurgen Meyer in his book “Acoustics and the Performance of Music”. In 2018, We did comparison recordings of 15 orchestral instruments and In 2022, we finally did grand piano. The purpose of this research is to make comparable sound sources and to search the microphone arrangement that can record the most musically appropriate timbre of a grand piano through subjective evaluation experiments. This project was done in April 2022 at Berlin University of the Arts Hall by Kazuya Nagae of Nagoya University of Arts, Thorsten Weigelt of Berlin University of the Arts (UdK), Toru Kamekawa, Atsushi Marui of Tokyo University of the Arts (TUA) and Tonmeister course students of UdK, and graduates of TUA. About the recording, 28 omni-directional microphones, Schoeps MK2H were installed at different positions and heights while keeping the AB stereo 55cm. We can listen and compare the positions of 24 points. Also we recorded ambisonics microphone, Sennheiser AMBEO VR MIC. Because we want to introduce what is the direct sound and indirect sound of the piano in the hall. After recording, we conducted a subjective evaluation experiment to see how the sound impression would differ depending on the microphone position. We'd like to introduce about all this project, current results of subjective evaluation experiments and how relate between the piano and the microphone.
MIC-3 | Microphones / Microphone Setups | Wabe | 2023-11-09 | 14:30 - 17:00
curated by Marcel Remy —
moderated by Helmut Wittek
Recording music and sounds heavily rely on microphones, each with its unique function. Despite the continuous advancements in microphone technology, some models from the mid-20th century remain relevant and are still in use today. Microphones are, therefore, often valued very differently than other musical recording equipment.
Over the years, music recording has gone from an exclusive activity to something ordinary people can do. In the past, advanced equipment was required, and it was often costly to make recordings. Today, virtually anyone with a computer or mobile phone can make a decent sound-quality recording. In addition, the software available for music recording means that older, previously expensive equipment is available in digital formats, and such plug-ins have become very widespread.
In higher education, many students study music recording, including music production. However, it can be difficult for students to distinguish between different technical equipment, especially microphones. Our research project aims to clarify the differences and similarities among various microphone types, which will help students in higher music education, or anyone seeking guidance, to select the appropriate microphone for their needs.
Music recording and production is a popular study area for many higher-education students. However, it can be challenging for students to differentiate between various technical equipment, particularly microphones. Therefore, it is essential to have precise information in this domain. Our research project focuses on elucidating the distinctions and similarities among different types of microphones. This knowledge will benefit students pursuing higher education in music or anyone seeking guidance on selecting the most suitable microphone for their requirements.
In a previous study, a group of students evaluated dynamic microphones, considering cost and suitability. To eliminate any potential bias, all microphones were covered with black PVC electrical insulation tape and had coloured acoustic-foam microphone windscreens. The survey included five handheld microphones ranging from €25 to €400 in price. During testing, students were given a portable SQN mixer and a pair of Sony headphones to test the microphones. Surprisingly, the results showed that the students could not distinguish between low-budget and expensive microphones. Although some students could describe differences between the microphones, they could not differentiate between them since all the microphones were deemed suitable for most purposes.
In another previous study, the quality of vocal recordings was tested using different microphones, including Neumann and AKG microphones, as well as an Apple computer's built-in microphone. Participants in the study included students, teachers, and audio engineers who listened to the recordings with and without background music in a mix and with software processing. The findings were enlightening, indicating that most participants had difficulty distinguishing between microphones when the recordings were processed with software and mixed with background music. Although a handful of listeners could correctly identify the microphones in unprocessed recordings, many participants made mistakes during the test. They were surprised by the actual microphone used for each recording. The study also found no notable difference in results between male and female voices.
We are currently conducting a study measuring various types of microphones in a studio. We are playing music through speakers with microphones in different positions in front of the speakers. We are comparing the differences and similarities in the recorded sound when different microphones are used. The study includes analysing the dynamic, frequency, and directional responses. We have only tested microphones from the Shure manufacturer so far. In the coming months, we will test microphones from most other available manufacturers on the market under similar conditions, and also test some historically interesting microphones.
This project is a part of the research project Searching for Sophia in Music Production and Music Production Education. The term Sophia [wisdom] refers to ancient Greek knowledge typology and is used to summarise the theoretical framework of the project.
Spherical Microphone Arrays - From Theory to Application
MIC-3-2 | Start 15:00 | Duration 60 min. | Jens Meyer |
Gary Elko | Tutorial (English)
Spherical microphone arrays enable the recording of the three-dimensional soundfield rather than just the sound pressure or particle velocity (or a combination of the two) at a given point in space. A common use case for spherical arrays is as an Ambisonic microphone. First order Ambisonic (FOA) microphones have been around since the 1970s. Higher order Ambisonic (HOA) microphones started in the early 2000s.
This presentation will explain the underlying technology of spherical arrays, focusing on HOA microphones. Its benefits and physical limitations will be discussed. And finally some use cases beyond being an Ambisonic microphone will be presented.
Kreatives Arbeiten mit der Mikrofon-Richtcharakteristik in der Post-Produktion
MIC-3-3 | Start 16:00 | Duration 60 min. | Christoph Frank |
Kurt Richter | Workshop (German)
Im Workshop wird mittels verschiedener Plugins auf Basis von Aufnahmen mittels Dual Output Mikrofon der kreative Umgang mit der Richtcharakteristik in der Post-Produktion gezeigt. Mithilfe dieser Technologie kann sowohl frequenzabhängig als auch dynamisch in die Richtcharakteristik eingegriffen werden, und das alles nach der Aufnahme in der DAW. Dies passiert mit Mono-, Stereo- sowie Mehrkanal Material. Es werden sowohl der Workflow sowie die technisch/physikalischen Hintergründe dazu erörtert.
MIC-4 | Microphones / Microphone Setups | R 2 | 2023-11-10 | 09:30 - 10:30
curated and moderated by Marcel Remy
Akustische Qualitätsdaten von Mikrofonen: Frequenzgang und Polardiagramm
MIC-4-1 | Start 09:30 | Duration 30 min. | Hannes Dieterle |
Helmut Wittek | Talk (German)
Neben den der Öffentlichkeit meist zugänglichen Informationen zu Empfindlichkeit, 0°-Frequenzgang und dem Polardiagramm gibt es weitere akustische Kurven und Werte, die für den Einfluss des Mikrofons auf den aufgenommenen Klang ausschlaggebend sind. Bei der Entwicklung und der Fertigung von Mikrofonkapseln werden deshalb neben den aufbereiteten Marketingdaten zusätzliche Messungen erstellt, die in ihrer Ursprungsform aber für gewöhnlich nicht der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich gemacht werden. Diese Kurven müssten dafür teilweise zusätzlich erläutert werden oder sie beinhalten Messungenauigkeiten und systematische Messfehler, die gar nicht dem Mikrofon zuzuordnen sind.
Dieser Vortrag gibt hierbei Einblick in reale Messdaten aus der Kapselentwicklung und -produktion eines Mikrofonherstellers, erklärt diese und zeigt dabei auf, welche Belange dabei für die akustische Qualität eines Mikrofons und die objektive Beschreibung des Klangeinflusses eines Schallwandlers besonders relevant sind.
Der diskrete Charme historischer Mikrophone
MIC-4-2 | Start 10:00 | Duration 30 min. | Martin Schneider | Talk (German)
Historische Mikrophone ähneln Instrumenten: viele werden auch heute noch für Aufnahmen verwendet, einige Bauformen und Typen genießen dabei einen besonderen Ruf. Entsprechend beziehen sich auch viele moderne Realisierungen auf Geräte und Konstruktionen, die in den 1930er bis 1960er Jahren entwickelt wurden, bis hin zur möglichst identischen Wiederauflage bzw. Fortführung der Produktion.
Der Beitrag behandelt eine Vielfalt von Aspekten von Kohle-, Bändchen- und Kondensatormikrophonen: die Anwendung zur getreuen Nachbildung des Sounds der 1920er; der Einfluss historischer Geräteperipherie auf den Klang und die technischen Eigenschaften von Mikrophonen; „vergessene“ Konstruktionen; Alterungserscheinungen und deren klangliche Auswirkungen; Aspekte historisch korrekter Wiederauflagen.