***condenser mic tips***

[Burtog]

Hi,

Recently got a condenser mic (Behringer C-3), runs on the phantom power of the BR-800. Dont know if anyone else has one or similar?

Does anyone have any basic tips for using these, I have noticed it is difficult to get a balance with the recording level and peak so as to have a steady volume but not to allow peaking too far or clipping, if that is the correct phrase?

What about distance from the mic / settings on the BR?

Using a pop sheild.

Any of your knowledge would be handy.

Gaz

[Flash Harry]

Hi Gaz,

they are quite different from dynamic mics. You will need a pop shield and a decent shock mount if you can get one. Also decouple the mic stand from the floor by placing it on a cushion or a foam block. The distance that you are from the mic alters the way that they sound, close to emphasises the bass tones, further away makes for a more natural sound, ever further increases the noise levels so there is a happy medium. About 6 to 12 inches is OK.

The dynamic range of condensers is greater than dynamics too, which may mean that you need a bit of compression to get it into your mix satisfactorily. It's easy to peak when you think that you have your levels right. Stand up and sing. Don't be self conscious when you set the levels.

Acoustic guitars sound nice with a condenser. The mic wants to be around the 12th fret and 6 - 8 inches from the fretboard.   

Good luck!

[Farrell Jackson]

Hi Burtog. I've had a Behringer B2 Condenser mic (similar mic) for a few years and it works great.  Everything Flash Harry said is good advice. A pop filter is a idea as it keeps your breath pops from becoming too noticeable. Did it come with a wind screen? Some compression will keep the levels from getting too crazy on you. I like to run my condenser levels pretty high at about 75% when they peak but I always use a compressor to keep things in check. You'll also notice at these levels that the dry mouth noises become more apparent. Keep a water glass handy. To Minimize some of the plosives and sibilance I try not to sing directly into the mic. I position the mic more to the  bridge of my nose and  sing at a slight angle so my breath doesn't hit the mic square on. About 8 inches out.

After you get used to recording with the condenser mic, you'll like it.

Farrell

[dasilvasings]

Nice comments... if I only knew what a "inch" is... 

[Flash Harry]

Nice comments... if I only knew what a "inch" is... 

Ha! it's a twelfth of a foot, which is a third of a yard, which is a twenty-second of a chain, which is the length of a cricket pitch, no?

About 2.5 cm.

[Burtog]

Thanks for your advice chaps, It did help, I think I got a better recording, also stumbled across some of the mic effect settings on the BR800 which I seemed to have missed before.

But out of interest what effects settings are others using for external condensers?

[dasilvasings]

Ah! So you meant:

Hi Burtog. I've had a Behringer B2 Condenser mic ....... my breath doesn't hit the mic square on. About 0.0101 cricket pitch length out.

You should have said so!

Now for real, I bought years ago an Audio Technica 2020, which I haven't used much, except when I want to record a deep bassier voice. I use a pop shield and record it very close to me to catch all the bassier harmonics. Quite happy with the results. I like that mic a lot, but agree the dynamics are very intense.

I ususally record everything dry, and then add compression and a bit of reverb (if needed). It is frequent to add a bit of chorus too. Lately I've added some very mild/ warm distortion with good results. I recommend it. Oh... and... pitch correction with audacity ;-)... a vst called gsnap if my memory doesn't fail.

[Geir]

I've got a Behringer B2 pro, and still try to find better ways to record both vocals and acoustic with it. Flash Harry and Farrell's advice are about the same that I would give. I do however try to avoid using compression when recording if it's not neccesary. It takes some more training tho, to get the feel of how much to draw back from the mic when increasing the volume of the voice. Closed headphones with quite high volume when singing helps to control it better.

I've used several patches, and now I usually use a modified ROCK or POP patch from the vocal multi bank (I turn the compression off or at least make it softer) or I use the P11 Natural from the SIMUL bank (also modified) if I do a LitLR recording with the guitar plugged in. Depending on the dynamic of the perform I also sometimes modify the noise-supressor, so that it don't cut off the voice too early when "fading out"

I use a pop-shield and I have made my own shockmount (see picture below)

[Burtog]

I've got a Behringer B2 pro, and still try to find better ways to record both vocals and acoustic with it. Flash Harry and Farrell's advice are about the same that I would give. I do however try to avoid using compression when recording if it's not neccesary. It takes some more training tho, to get the feel of how much to draw back from the mic when increasing the volume of the voice. Closed headphones with quite high volume when singing helps to control it better.

I've used several patches, and now I usually use a modified ROCK or POP patch from the vocal multi bank (I turn the compression off or at least make it softer) or I use the P11 Natural from the SIMUL bank (also modified) if I do a LitLR recording with the guitar plugged in. Depending on the dynamic of the perform I also sometimes modify the noise-supressor, so that it don't cut off the voice too early when "fading out"

I use a pop-shield and I have made my own shockmount (see picture below)

That is an unusual looking shockmount but I've heard your songs so it obviously works. I havent got a shockmount but am looking to get one.

What settings roughly do you use on the BR800 panel? The manual says to have peak as high as you can until it occasionally peaks during singing, I found I was at about 65% on both peak and rec volume the other day, does that sound about right? One thing I have noticed is the further you back away you bring more echo/bacground from the room into the mix.

[Geir]

I usually have the mic4 level set to about 15-20% and the rec-level between 40 and 60% (this is from memory so it might be slightly off, but not much I think), but I'm usually quite close to the mic, 15-30cm on quiet vocals and 40-50cm on more powerful ones. I try to get as close as possible both to get the proximity effect and to get a better signal/noise ratio.