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Gear Review: Condenser Microphones for Flamenco Guitar (1/2)
14 January 2010
Not too long ago I wrote a review of the Fishman SoloAmp, as seen from the perspective of a flamenco guitarist. The choice of amplification is, or course, an important one. Whatever sort of amplifier set-up you’re using, however, at some point you’re also going to have to think about microphones.
Perhaps you’re looking for a first microphone purchase—or maybe (like me) you’re looking to upgrade the microphone you’re currently using. Whatever the case, there can be little question about the fact that once your audience is beyond the range where they can comfortably hear the sound coming from your guitar on its own, the microphone you choose will have a profound effect on the sound of your performance.
Why Condensers: It’s All About Tone
For neophytes to the world of microphones, this question of “dynamic microphones ” versus “condenser microphones ” might be a bit puzzling. The basic difference between the two, however, is really pretty simple. A dynamic microphone works on the same principle as a speaker, but in reverse: you speak, play, or sing into a small diaphragm that is connected to a movable induction coil which in turn is situated in a permanent (i.e. static) magnetic field. When the diaphragm (and attached coil) vibrates in response to sound waves, the coil moves in the magnetic field, producing a varying current in the coil through electromagnetic induction. This generates the signal.
In a condenser, on the other hand, the diaphragm that you speak, sing, or play into acts as one plate of a capacitor. Here, the varying current (the signal) is produced by the changes in distance between the capacitor plates (the second of which is fixed). The upshot is that in a condenser, the sound waves have to do less work to move the signal generating apparatus of the microphone. The result is that condensers tend to be better at picking up the finer nuances of the sound source—i.e. your playing.
Dynamic and condenser mic designs each, of course, have relative benefits and drawbacks:
- Dynamic mics tend to be much more durable than condensers. SM58s, for instance, are famous for the abuse (dropping, throwing, spilling upon) that they can take and still work well.
- Dynamic mics generate less feedback. This makes them a good choice for many live sound settings—particularly if a rock band is in any way involved.
- Dynamic mics do not require external power (either “phantom power” or a battery), while condenser mics do. Though many mixing boards and some acoustic guitar amps do have “phantom power” capabilities, this is far from universal.
- Because of their construction, condenser mics are much more sensitive to subtle variations in tone and timbre (the overtones that give instruments their specific characters).
Ultimately, because of the fact that condensers require the “incident sound wave” (your playing) to move less stuff in the microphone, they do a better job of picking up the minute differences in tone that are often lost on a dynamic. It is for this last reason that, despite all of the other advantages of dynamic microphones for live sound, I began investigating condensers.
If you’re looking for volume and brute force, the condenser is probably not for you. If, however, you’re looking for a mic that will pick up (for better or worse) the distinct character of your guitar and the way you play it, a condenser may be just what you want. In any case, that’s what I wanted. But knowing that one wants something is not the same as knowing what (exactly) one wants, no? So: how to choose?
Method: When Nerds Shop
If you’ve ever read any of my reviews before, you already know that I am an unrepentant nerd. This being the case, it should come as no surprise that before deciding on a new mic, I absolutely must do some geeky experimentation first. The way I ran this particular “mic test” was to bring several different mics home to play through my amp, with my guitar, and at variable settings, and then pick the best among them for my specific performance needs (and return the others—my wife helped me complete this part of the plan). I also tried some of the more likely candidates out at rehearsals and dance classes, to get a feel for how well they adjusted to different rooms.
My initial criteria were based on several factors: I had a budget (I didn’t want to go over $200); I wanted something that would work reasonably well live (i.e. it had to have a narrow directional pattern, so as not to pick up every other sound in the room); and I wanted something that was well tuned to sound profile of the guitar (spec sheets helped a bit with this, but the ear is, of course, the final judge).
From these initial criteria, none of which strike me as overly capricious, I was able to narrow my choices down to four mics. Add in the mic I have been using to play dance classes for the last few years (a Peavey PVM 38i) and I was able to compare five microphones back to back with different playing styles, volume levels, and speaker/microphone configurations. So which mics did I test and how did they perform? Read on!
>>> go on to page 2: "Results:
The Mics," "And Finally!" >>>
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