6. Microphones

Location and studio sound starts in the analog domain, and therefore you need a way to pick up acoustic energy and convert it into something you can record. Of course, at any analog step there can be distortion. I define distortion rather simply: If what went in and what comes out are different in any way, there is distortion. Sometimes that distortion might be a lot, resulting in a gravelly, nasty sound; other times the distortion is minimal, with little impact on the resulting sound. Some distortion—usually the warm sound of a tube—actually sounds good to our ears. This distortion is what makes mics sound different. We choose some mics for the sound they impart to our recordings, whereas we prefer other mics because they capture the sound with little coloration. And we choose still other mics because they allow us to get the best sound, free from distracting noise, that we can in a given situation.

Recording good production sound on location starts with making good microphone choices. There are essentially two types of microphones: dynamic and condenser (a.k.a. capacitor). Much like the eardrum, all mics have a flexible diaphragm that vibrates in an analogous manner to the sound waves that reach it. This process of transforming a form of energy—from acoustic sound waves into mechanical energy—is called transduction. Microphones are occasionally referred to as transducers, too.