Recording - December 2017 - 43

that happens with a tube circuit design. The
result can be a very smooth and warm sound.
Like anything with a tube, they can be pushed
past subtle nonlinearity to recognizable distortion. Lots of artists have taken advantage of
that, deliberately distorting a performance for
effect. Many condenser mics also have output transformers that can introduce pleasantsounding harmonic distortion.
There are plenty of fantastic condenser
mics out there, both tube and solid-state, and
they all sound different. Obviously, vintage
Neumann, Telefunken, AKG, and Sony mics
will give you that analog vibe-while leaving
you broke. Fortunately, many of the newer
models sound great, and they don't have the
maintenance issues that come with vintage gear. No two
condensers sound the same; thanks to unique choices of material,
build and design. Most studios have a range to choose from for
different applications.

TAKIN' SOME RIBBIN'
Ribbon microphones were developed in the 1920s and
were really the first microphones able to capture a relatively
wide frequency range. A ribbon mic's transducer consists of a
thin corrugated strip of metal (often aluminum) that is suspended
between two magnets.
The sound of ribbon mics is often described as round and
warm. This is partly due to the fact that the high end is somewhat
rolled off compared to the extended, and sometimes hyped, top
end of a solid-state condenser mic. To my ears, quality ribbon
microphones offer a very natural sound when paired with a preamplifier that supplies enough gain and properly-matched input
impedance. Curiously, I think we associate that "naturalness" as
sounding a bit retro. Most ribbons have a figure-8 polar pattern,
which can contribute to their old-school open sound.
Many amazing analog recordings were recorded predominantly
with ribbons. Scanning LP jackets from the 1950s and 1960s,
you'll see a lot of RCA 44, 77 and BK5 mics. You can achieve
some of that vintage sound with a good ribbon microphone
(new or vintage), well matched to a preamplifier.

IS IT A MIC OR A HAMMER?
Moving-coil dynamic mics (usually just called "dynamics") use a membrane or diaphragm attached to
a magnetic coil. Changes in air pressure cause the
coil to vibrate, turning sound into signal-a speaker
in reverse. Dynamic mics are often tough as nails
and used widely for live sound as well as in studios.
Most dynamic mics have a cardioid pattern and
the diaphragm is usually set very close to the end
of the mic casing. These factors allow them to be
placed very close to the sound source, cutting down
bleed and adding a bit of weight to the bottom end

1

(proximity effect). That bottom, plus a rich
mid frequency pickup, is the sound of thick,
creamy, distorted electric guitars.
Along with the Shure SM lineup, Electro-Voice
and Sennheiser offer a variety of models that
are studio standards. These microphones were
all designed in the 1950s-1970s, the golden
age of analog recordings, and most are
very affordable.
I have an old E-V 666 that's great for
capturing old-school kick drum sounds. Aretha
Franklin sang through one during her
sessions at Muscle Shoals-can't beat that
for analog cred! And yes, you can hammer
nails with it.

GOZINTA, GOZOUTA
Nearly every "classic" recording you've ever heard was
done using a recording console from a very select few manufacturers. Neve, SSL, Trident, Helios, API, EMI, Universal
Audio, MCI, Harrison... these were the centerpieces of the
best studios on the planet.
As the project studio and digital audio revolution took hold,
the market for large consoles softened... but demand for the
sound didn't. Clever vintage-gear brokers recognized value
could be extracted from a console by stripping out prized
components-preamps, channel strips, compressors, etc.
Audio pros snapped them up.
There aren't enough vintage bits out there to fill the demand.
To fill the gap, dozens if not hundreds of manufacturers
market standalone preamplifiers and channel strips, often directly modeled on vintage gear. Prices range from reasonable to
ridiculous. So... assuming you can't afford a vintage or highend reproduction preamp, what should you be looking for if
you want to add analog warmth to your recordings?
Well, a tube design can give you that. As with tube microphones, tube preamps offer thicker, warmer sound. There is
more weight in the low frequencies and top end isn't quite
as pronounced as in a solid-state design. Tubes introduce a
very pleasant set of mostly even-order harmonics (nonlinearity
again!). Tubes also naturally compress transients. There are
many good modestly-priced tube preamps on the market.
Transformers in a circuit can add warmth. Many of the
classic consoles incorporated transformers in the design.
These and others with similar design have a rich
bottom end, a smooth midband response, and
detailed but not exaggerated high-frequency performance. They have a unique color that you've
heard a thousand times on countless recordings.
Coupled, as they often are, with a simple but
very musical EQ, they are tough to beat.
All the big plug-in developers offer good preamplifier/channel strip plug ins; many are modeled
or emulate classic Neve, SSL, Trident, API, EMI and
Helios preamps and EQs. There are also some

2

RECORDING December 2017

43



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - December 2017

Contents
Recording - December 2017 - Intro
Recording - December 2017 - Cover1
Recording - December 2017 - Cover2
Recording - December 2017 - 1
Recording - December 2017 - 2
Recording - December 2017 - 3
Recording - December 2017 - 4
Recording - December 2017 - 5
Recording - December 2017 - Contents
Recording - December 2017 - 7
Recording - December 2017 - 8
Recording - December 2017 - 9
Recording - December 2017 - 10
Recording - December 2017 - 11
Recording - December 2017 - 12
Recording - December 2017 - 13
Recording - December 2017 - 14
Recording - December 2017 - 15
Recording - December 2017 - 16
Recording - December 2017 - 17
Recording - December 2017 - 18
Recording - December 2017 - 19
Recording - December 2017 - 20
Recording - December 2017 - 21
Recording - December 2017 - 22
Recording - December 2017 - 23
Recording - December 2017 - 24
Recording - December 2017 - 25
Recording - December 2017 - 26
Recording - December 2017 - 27
Recording - December 2017 - 28
Recording - December 2017 - 29
Recording - December 2017 - 30
Recording - December 2017 - 31
Recording - December 2017 - 32
Recording - December 2017 - 33
Recording - December 2017 - 34
Recording - December 2017 - 35
Recording - December 2017 - 36
Recording - December 2017 - 37
Recording - December 2017 - 38
Recording - December 2017 - 39
Recording - December 2017 - 40
Recording - December 2017 - 41
Recording - December 2017 - 42
Recording - December 2017 - 43
Recording - December 2017 - 44
Recording - December 2017 - 45
Recording - December 2017 - 46
Recording - December 2017 - 47
Recording - December 2017 - 48
Recording - December 2017 - 49
Recording - December 2017 - 50
Recording - December 2017 - 51
Recording - December 2017 - 52
Recording - December 2017 - 53
Recording - December 2017 - 54
Recording - December 2017 - 55
Recording - December 2017 - 56
Recording - December 2017 - 57
Recording - December 2017 - 58
Recording - December 2017 - 59
Recording - December 2017 - 60
Recording - December 2017 - 61
Recording - December 2017 - 62
Recording - December 2017 - 63
Recording - December 2017 - 64
Recording - December 2017 - 65
Recording - December 2017 - 66
Recording - December 2017 - 67
Recording - December 2017 - 68
Recording - December 2017 - 69
Recording - December 2017 - 70
Recording - December 2017 - 71
Recording - December 2017 - 72
Recording - December 2017 - Cover3
Recording - December 2017 - Cover4
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