Single mic - polar pattern

[deejayen]

I'm practicing recording myself playing guitar and singing using a single mic.

Not being a singer, it's going to take me a wee while to get used to recalling lyrics and the tune while attempting to playing some fancier guitar parts at the same time!

I had been thinking about buying a new mic, mic stand, and some acoustic treatment. However, last night I tried recording with my only mic, a Beyerdynamic M201TG, which has a hypercardioid polar pattern, and to my novice ears the recording didn't sound too bad. The perfomance wasn't great, but the level between guitar and vocals was okay, although I can tweak that by changing the mic position and angle. I think the tone was fine as well. So, I'm happy using what I've got for now, until I get better at everything.

I think I was probably somewhere between 18 inches and two feet from the mic. I'm just curious if a different polar pattern would work better in picking up the two combined sources. Also, because my hypercardioid mic wasn't pointed directly at either my mouth or the guitar, would the recording be potentially compromised by the off-axis response of the mic?

As I said, I'm not looking to buy another mic for now. I'm mainly just curious about my current setup.

[keith.rogers]

A regular cardioid or even "wide-cardioid" pattern can work better when trying to capture more than one source, though your M201 (FD: which I also have, use, and like) is a nice mic, and if it works, I wouldn't run out and spend a bunch of money unnecessarily.

From my POV, a person that's singing and playing a guitar at the same time is not really multiple sources unless you have the mic closer than you're using, so you're not really off-axis. Yes, hyper/super-cardioid mics are often prescribed for loud stages where they get used quite closely to a source, but once they're back the 18-24" you mention, that bit of tighter pattern is less of an issue. (The pickup node at the rear can be, though, so watch where the back end is aimed!) Anyway, it's easy enough to test by changing the angle to be more directly aimed at your mouth or guitar and see if you can hear a difference in the timbre [of the target] in the recorded track.

Not sure what you're plugging into, but as dynamics go, its sensitivity (-58dB) is down there with the rest of the bottom-dwellers, so if you're looking for something to spend money on, a Cloudlifter, Fethead, etc. is maybe something to consider.

[deejayen]

Thanks very much, Keith.

I'm thinking about buying some rockwool to put a bit of absorption behind the mic. The mic is mounted on a desktop stand near the edge of my desk, so there's a bit of plasterboard partition wall maybe a couple of feet behind it, with an overhead unit.

I'm connecting it to a DAV BG-1 preamp. Perhaps the mic would benefit from a Cloudlifter-type of signal booster, but it seems to be working okay for my current requirements.

[shufflebeat]

That's a great mic.

I'd suggest the space you're recording in is going to have much more impact on the result. Record in a good space and a little bit of reflected sound is an asset, record in a concrete bin and it's a problem (depending on intended outcome).

Once you've exhausted the possibilities of an m201 in a variety of spaces and mic positions you'll understand more advanced options much better.

[kitandkat]

A sample of your recording would help. Like you said, maybe it sounds really good. I'd get a second (3rd,4th,5th) opinion and go from there.

[Robin, Wales]

I use a large diaphragm condenser mic' on stage for both voice and guitar, and I have used it for recording (the same mic' - a Rode NT1a). It's fine for both and not expensive. As has been said, as you move away from the mic' the cardioid pattern starts to capture everything. And as you have discovered, the balance between guitar and voice can be set by where the mic' is placed.

For me, playing live, what's behind me is a factor - not what's the other side of the mic'. Ideally, a soft surface behind me helps with gain before feedback.

It would be great to hear your recordings when you are ready to post them.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by deejayen

I'm practicing recording myself playing guitar and singing using a single mic.

Not being a singer, it's going to take me a wee while to get used to recalling lyrics and the tune while attempting to playing some fancier guitar parts at the same time!

I had been thinking about buying a new mic, mic stand, and some acoustic treatment. However, last night I tried recording with my only mic, a Beyerdynamic M201TG, which has a hypercardioid polar pattern, and to my novice ears the recording didn't sound too bad. The perfomance wasn't great, but the level between guitar and vocals was okay, although I can tweak that by changing the mic position and angle. I think the tone was fine as well. So, I'm happy using what I've got for now, until I get better at everything.

I think I was probably somewhere between 18 inches and two feet from the mic. I'm just curious if a different polar pattern would work better in picking up the two combined sources. Also, because my hypercardioid mic wasn't pointed directly at either my mouth or the guitar, would the recording be potentially compromised by the off-axis response of the mic?

As I said, I'm not looking to buy another mic for now. I'm mainly just curious about my current setup.

Sounds like it's working for you. I noticed that the Beyer has a large change in the lower end frequency response as the distance from mic increases, if that matters to you. That MIGHT be a general characteristic of hypercardiods, I don't know.

Beyerdynamic M201TG response chart from Recording Hacks

[deejayen]

Thanks very much. I think those charts are showing the additional bass (proximity effect) when using the mic close up. 2cm is less than one inch, and 10cm is about 4". I'm not as far away as the lower line (1m / 40") but suspect the frequency response is still pretty flat at the distance I'm working at.