5 Great Microphone Tips

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5
Great Microphone Tips For Rappers And Singers!
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If you are a rapper or singer you obviously know
the importance of having the proper tools and
techniques to record quality vocal signals. Here
are a few important tips for both the novice and
the professional on how to ensure you get the
right vocal quality on that mic whether you are
recording or performing on stage.
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Tip 1
Choose The Appropriate Mic For Your Performance
Choosing the appropriate microphone is critical
to achieving the best voice quality. For stage
performance most artists tend to use the common
handheld dynamic mics such as the Shure SM-58.
It is however important to note that they are
rugged and though they produce exceptional sound,
they lack a certain level of clarity and openness
that can only be achieved by condenser
mics. Therefore if you are looking to record
quality performance in a studio setup, condenser
mics should be your tool of trade.
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Tip 1
Choose The Appropriate Mic For Your Performance
Dynamic mics make use of the design of a magnet
and moving-coil to capture the waves of sound
that hit the microphones diaphragm
Condenser mics make use of a diaphragm plate that
is light-weight and charged hence enabling them
to have improved transient responses which is
ideal for capturing the refined tones of the
human voice
For serious recording, you would need large
diaphragm condenser mics which are costly however
there are plenty of other reasonably priced
condenser mics (100) for home recording and
small studios.  
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Tip 2
Maintain the appropriate distance from the mic
In case you are a rapper or singer who performs
on stage, you know that it is almost comes as an
instinct that you need to keep the mic closer to
your mouth. Here is the thing, vocal mics are
often directional or cardioid in design, meaning
that they pick vocal signals more effectively
from the front rather than from the rear or
sides. Keeping that mic close to your mouth
ensures that your voice is strong and that any
other sounds around you are weaker. The
inevitable question then becomes, how close is
close? The problem with mics is that when they
are used close to the lips they produce a
proximity effect that boosts the bass response
when the source of the sound is too close to the
mics diaphragm.
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Tip 2
Maintain the appropriate distance from the mic
For studio recording purposes where you use
condenser mics rather than directional mics,
positioning your mouth 6-8 inches distance from
the mic helps reduce the proximity effect and
improve the ability of the mic to capture the
natural sound of the artist. A very practical way
of achieving the desired minimum distance to the
mic is by holding up your hand and spreading your
fingers as wide as you can, with your pinky
touching your mic and your thumb touching your
lips. If you maintain this distance with the
condenser mic, any other sound in the room will
be minimized or eliminated resulting in quality
voice recording
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Tip 3
Avoid Plosives
Even though you manage to maintain the
appropriate distance from the mic, the problem of
plosives may come up. Plosives are unpleasant
thump sounds that you at times hear from a mic,
when an artist sings words with the letter P, T
or B. This effect happens because of the pop
effect produced by the performer pronouncing
these letters, the blast of air waves causes the
diaphragm to vibrate a bit faster as if it had
been suddenly tapped 
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Tip 3
Avoid Plosives
It is important to note that all mics are
susceptible to this and some artist may be more
prone to this effect. Vocal mics make use of a
screen in front of the mics diaphragm to try and
mitigate the plosive effect but it is usually not
very effective. For studio recording, you are
advised to make use of pop filters which are
available at approximately 15. They are placed
between the mic and the artist hence effectively
reducing the pop effect.
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Tip 4
Avoid unwanted background noise
Background noises tend to be picked up by the
mic, especially a powerful condenser mic. It is
therefore important to isolate yourself from all
forms of unwanted noise. You can prefabricate a
room to be your sound booth though it can be very
costly. Alternatively, light-weight, commercially
available baffles (go-bos) can be arranged around
the artist, which have been known to do an
excellent job of isolating the performer from
unwanted noise.
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Tip 4
Avoid unwanted background noise
In case you are not privileged to have a sound
booth and you are using a directional mic, you
can position the mic such that it faces away from
unwanted background noises, hence achieving the
effect of muffling the noises.
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Tip 5
Use headphones for proper monitoring
It is important to monitor you sound using proper
headphones to ensure that you stay on pitch. The
closed-ear design headphones (with the ear cups
fully surrounding the ears) are usually better,
since they allow no sound to escape from the
headphones. Though open ear headphone designs are
more comfortable and lighter, they tend to
produce an irritating high-frequency noise which
leaks into the vocal microphone, leading to
problems later on especially if you are
recording.
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Tip 5
Use headphones for proper monitoring
I hope these tips will go a long way in helping
out any upcoming and experienced rappers or
singers out there! With the appropriate talent,
tools and techniques in todays world, you can
produce good quality music in all kinds of
environments.
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