Operating The Vr88 - Samson VR88 Owner's Manual

Operating the VR88
some pretty amazing equalization adjustments by slightly changing the angle of
the capsule to the sound source. This can be a very useful technique in capturing
the optimum sound of a drum set, acoustic guitar, piano or other instruments in a
live room or sound stage. Experimentation and experience are the best teachers in
getting good sounds, so plug in! For more information on microphone placement,
see the section, "VR88 Applications" later in this manual.
Setting Up the Signal Level
When connecting the VR88 to a mixer or recorder input, be sure that the input is of
microphone level. Also, be sure that the phantom power is engaged (as explained
the previous section "Powering the VR88"). Most mixers and recorders of reasonable
quality will offer a microphone input with mic trim (usual called Trim or Gain) control.
The purpose of the mic trim control is to optimize the amount of good signal to any
noise associated with the mixers electronics. A good mic pre with trim also will have
a PEAK or CLIP LED. To set a good level on the mic, set the VR88 up in front of the
desired sound source and slowly raise the mic trim control until you see the PEAK
LED light up. Then, turn the mix trim control down until the LED does not light any
more. On most mixers, the ideal setting is that the trim control is turned up as much
as possible without lighting the PEAK LED.
P-Popping
P-Popping is that annoying pop that you can get when the microphone diaphragm
gets a blast of air from a vocalist pronouncing words with the letter "P" included.
There are a few ways to deal with the problem including using an external pop filter.
Some famous engineers have relied on an old nylon stocking stretched over a bent
clothes hanger, which actually works very well, but can be a little smelly. You can also
try placing the microphone slightly off axis (on a slight angle) from the vocalist. This
can often solve the problem without using an external pop filter. However, on the
VR88 or any ribbon microphone, use of an external pop filter like the Samson PS01 is
strongly recommended.
Stand Mounting the VR88
The VR88 can be mounted to a standard microphone stand using the included swivel
mount adapter. If you are using a U.S. 5/8" mic stand, you will need to remove, by
unscrewing, the Euro stand adapter from the swivel's threaded insert. Simply screw
on the swivel adapter on your mic stand or boom arm. Now, loosen the thumbscrew
and adjust the microphone to the desired angle. Once set, tighten the thumbscrew
to secure the microphone in place. For more information on using the swivel and
shockmount, see the section "Using the SP88 Shockmount" on page 11 in this manual.
7