Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Studio User Manual page 11

Microphone Dos and Don'ts
A . guide . to . microphone . technique . is . beyond . the . scope . of . this . User . Guide . (though . many . excellent .
books .on .the .subject .are .available), .but .if .you .are .new .to .recording .with .a .studio .quality .microphone, .
you .need .to .observe .a .few .golden .rules.
DO .use .a .mic .stand. .The .CM25 .MkII .has .an .industry-standard .5/8" .threaded .insert .which .allows .it .
to .be .mounted .on .most .mic .stands. .An .3/8" .adaptor .is .included .to .allow .it .to .be .fitted .to .mic .stands .
that .have .this .thread .size. .Inexpensive .short, .long .and .boom .stands .are .readily .available .from .music .
stores.
DO . observe . the . microphone's . orientation. . The . CM25 . MkII . has . a . cardioid . response . pattern; . this .
basically .means .that .it .has .a ."front" .and .a ."back", .and .if .you .point .it .the .wrong .way .round, .it .will .
sound .odd. .The .front .of .the .CM25 .MkII .can .be .identified .by .the .CM25 .MkII .logo.
DON'T .ignore .the .room .acoustics. .You .probably .won't .have .the .luxury .of .a .recording .studio's .perfect .
acoustics. . Be . aware . of . how . reverberant . the . room . is. . Reverberation . is . neither . good . nor . bad, . but .
frequently . i nappropriate! . S ome . i nstruments . w ill . b enefit . f rom . b eing . r ecorded . i n . a . r everberant . s pace, .
others . won't. . A . "dead" . acoustic . is . generally . better . than . a . "live" . one, . because . reverberation . can .
be .added .electronically .in .the .recording .process, .but .room .reverberation .on .the .recording .can't .be .
removed.
DON'T .blow .into .a .microphone .to .test .it! .Lightly .rub .or .scratch .the .grille .instead.
DO .experiment .with .microphone .placement. .Remember .you .will .not .only .be .recording .the .vocal .or .
instrument, .but .the .effect .of .the .microphone .position .relative .to .the .voice .or .instrument .as .well, .and .
this .will .be .affected .by .the .room .acoustics. .Moving .the .mic .around, .and .trying .recordings .at .different .
distances .and .angles .to .the .source .will .produce .different .sounding .results, .some .of .which .will .be .
better .than .others.
DO . u se . t he . C M25 . M kII . t o . m ic . u p . a . g uitar . a mplifier . i f . y ou . w ant . t o . i nclude . t he . c ontribution . t o . t he . s ound .
that .the .amplifier .makes. .But .be .aware .that .very .high .sound .levels .can .be .produced .very .close .to .
the .loudspeaker, .and .if .you .need .high .volume, .you .may .get .a .better .result .by .moving .the .mic .away .
from .the .amplifier. .Also, .be .aware .that .you .will .get .a .subtly .different .sound .if .you .point .the .mic .at .the .
centre .of .the .loudspeaker .cone .compared .to .the .edge.
DON'T .forget .that .a .microphone .is .utterly .unforgiving .– .it .will .not .only .pick .up .what .you .are .trying .to .
record, .but .any .other .sound .source .in .the .room, .like .a .clock, .the .aircon, .heating, .or .a .chair .creaking. .
You .know .how .you .take .those .holiday .photos .of .a .great .bit .of .scenery .and .it's .only .when .you .look .at .
the .pictures .later .that .you .see .the .power .cables .right .across .the .view? .It's .the .same .with .recording. .
You .might .not .notice .extraneous .sounds .at .the .time, .but .the .mic .will .and .you'll .hear .them .on .the .
recording. .To .remove .any .unwanted .low .frequency .rumble, .it .is .advisable .that .the .High .Pass .Filter .
(HPF) .on .the .mic's .DAW .channel .is .enabled.
This logo identifies the front of
the microphone.
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