Choosing the right microphone is probably the most significant way to improve the quality of your recording.  I will cover the microphones I use for my own recordings and the reason behind using them.

First some basic terminology.  There is a great article on microhones on Wikipedia. 

There are two basic types of microphones.  Dynamic and Condenser.  Most temples use dynamic microphones for the PA system.  These microphones are generally very durable — a quality that is very important for a temple microphone.  Dynamic microphones are generally less responsive than a condenser microphone.  A Condenser microphone generally has better quality but are delicate.  Condenser microphones also require a power source — either provided by a built-in battery or through phantom power provided by your pre-amp. 

Another characteristic that is important to consider is the pickup pattern of the microphone.  A cardoid microphone is directional — it’ll pick up what you point at and will not pick up sound that is coming from a different direction.  An omnidirection microphone is just that — it’ll pick up sound from any direction. 

Lecture microphones

The Audio-Technica Pro-70 ($99) is a great cardoid condenser microphone.  The length of the cord is 6 feet (1.8m).  This is just right to put the microphone right next to the main temple microphone and have the battery box sit on the floor.  The cable is not removable so you can’t easily extend the cable.  If you are handy with a soldering iron, you could cut the cable and extend it yourself with the appropriate cable.  The box includes an XLR connector to connect to a microphone cable to your recording equipment.  The box also has a ‘low-cut’ roll-of switch which, when enabled, should minimize the handling noise when the speaker adjusts the microphone or accidentally touches the microphone or cord.

Normally I use my wireless recording equipment for lectures.  This minimizes the time to setup/tear down and also gives me more flexibility in where to place my equipment.  I’ll do a full review of the wireless equipment I use (Audio-Technica 1800 Series) in a later article. The microphone I use is the Audio Technica 831cW ($75).  This microphone is the wireless (rough) equivalent of the Pro-70 mentioned above.  It is a cardoid condenser microphone.  It comes with a very nice tie-clip — nicer than the one that comes with the Pro-70.

Kirtan microphone

I have been very pleased with the Sony ECM-MS957 ($190) Stereo microphone.  This is a condenser “Mid-Side” microphone.  It handles loud kirtans well and has a switch that converts between a 90 degree pattern (narrow) and a 120 degree pattern (wide).  The microphone can also be rotated up and down so you can point the mic properly.  The microphone does not use phantom power.  Instead it uses a single AA battery to provide power.  I’ve not had to replace the battery in the last year (but keep a spare anyway!).  It comes with two cables.  One is a 5pin XLR -> 1/8″ mini jack.  This would be used with the cheaper recorders that do not have XLR connectors.  The other is a 5pin XLR -> 2 3pin XLRs.  It is a pigtail cable so it is fairly short.  If you want to run the cable some distance, then either use 2 regular XLR cables, or you can purchase a 5pin XLR cable of the appropriate length.  They are fairly expensive though, about $50 for a 25 foot cable.  Sony also makes a lower end version of this microphone that only terminates in a 1/8″ mini jack.

Bhajan microphones

You can certainly use the above Sony microphone to record a bhajan.  You’ll eventually find that the vocals are quiet compared to the instruments or the drums are not crisp and clear.  The next step is to use separate microphones for the different instruments and record each on a separate track (ideal) or use a mixer to mix the microphone levels live and then record to your 2-track recorder.

I currently use a  Sennheiser e825S ($80) Vocal cardoid dynamic microphone.  It is fairly low end and will be replaced at sometime with something better but has served me well.  It has a on/off switch which the leader will probably appreciate.

For the drums, I use a pair of Audix i5 ($100) microphones.  One for the small head and one for the big head.  These are also cardoid dynamic microphones that can handle significant volumes (what you need for a drum).  Be careful not to put them too close to the large head though.  Even these will distort at high volume.

For the harmonium, I use the Audio Technica Pro-70 listed above.  I affix the microphone using either the tie clip or the (included) guitar clip.  Just find a place that gets it close to the reeds and then affix it so that the microphone will be steady. 

Finally, I use the Sony microphone listed in the Kirtan section to capture a stereo “room” mix.  I record this separately from the instrument/vocal mix.  In my case, the camcorder accepts a microphone input, so I feed the signal to the camcorder.

Alternatives

For lectures, the key is use a microphone.  It can by any microphone, but lapel or lavalier microphones are the easiest to place close to the speaker.   Be sure to get a cardoid or directional microphone.  This will ensure that room noise will be ignored.  Unfortunately, it will also make recording the questions difficult — I’ll cover possible solutions in a future article for dealing with that.

For bhajans and kirtans, again, most good microphones will do.  Just be sure to choose cardoid (directional) microphones for your instrument mics so that you only pick up that instrument and not the rest of the room.  For recording the overall sound mix of the bhajan or kirtan, use a stereo microphone.  These are either Mid Side (like the sony above) or XY microphones.  Either will do, though XY will generally be in a fixed pattern and so can’t be adjusted to capture just the sound of the bhajan party.

Next week?  I’ll cover mixers.