Recording - May 2013 - 43

5-10 dB of gain reduction, with a medium
attack so it sounds natural. I will set the
release fairly fast and timed to the rhythm of
the speaker’s diction.
Which polar pattern and when?
As DPA offer both omni and cardioid
models, you may be wondering which is
the best choice for you and your room?
Surprisingly, it’s probably the reverse of
what you may think.
In a large reflective room you’d probably
expect the cardioid to be the champion, but
omni may be the better choice. If you have
used omni-patterned mics on vocals in the
studio, you will know that they are the least
prone to proximity effect, the low-end
buildup that happens as you move closer to
a mic. On a cardioid mic right by the
mouth, increased proximity effect will cause
bass buildup that can lead to feedback as
well as being more prone to plosives,
which in a room with subs is not pretty.
Still, while the omni is my usual choice, I
do keep one cardioid d:fine on hand for a
few reasons. Occasionally, if the room is
very empty and reflective, then the cardioid
pattern can help save the day. Next, if the
speaker is on the quiet side, a cardioid can
help me zero in on the voice to get the level
I need. Lastly I will use a cardioid occasionally in large-ensemble productions when
two actors or singers are very close and

invading each other’s personal space. Here
the tighter pattern can help cut down on
phase cancellation between crossing polar
patterns. When I do use the cardioid model,
I always use the included wind screen as it
helps lessen plosives and breath blasts.
One last thought: While omni is easier
to work with in most rooms, with most people, most of the time, if you have a controlled professional vocalist in a nicely
treated room, the cardioid will give the
tightest, most focused results.
Final application thoughts
One: speak up! The more the talent projects, the less work the mic has to do and the
less room sound creeps in.
Two: Although in a live setup you mix for
the room, have headphones on hand, as
they will allow you to hear what the mic is
hearing, and headphones aid in tweaking
both the eq and gain level as you will better
hear the echoes in the room and help assure
the best quality of your recorded tracks.
Three: When possible, learn the script
and practice riding the faders. The fewer
open mics you have at any one given time,
the better. In my world, manual rides usually work better than gates, which almost
always lose a word at the worst possible
time, or muting, which sounds unnatural. A
good trick here is to find an acceptable
median volume with all of the mics on at

the same time. Then simply bring them up
and down by 3–6 dB as needed.
Conclusions
Recording live productions, dramas, and
seminars can be challenging, but it can also
be a fun and rewarding alternate revenue
stream for your studio. And while my suggestions can apply to any headset mic, I
must reiterate that of the many headset mics
I have used in my work over the past
decade, the DPA d:fine is easily the best so
far. It’s lightweight and has a magnificently
clear sound that gives me studio quality in a
live situation. What more can one ask?

Prices: omni, $559.95; cardioid,
$599.95 (prices for single-ear versions
with Micro-Dot connectors; dual-ear versions and added bodypack connectors
can add $80 to $150)
More from: DPA Microphones,
www.dpamicrophones.com

http://www.dpamicrophones.com http://www.cloudmicrophones.com http://www.cloudmicrophones.com

Recording - May 2013

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