Why matched microphones

It's not so much that the SM's are not matched. It is that in proximity they are quite a few dB different 1 o'clock and 3 o'clock on the gain knob. And at a distance they're almost matched, 8 o'clock and on the knob. Which means whatever part of the recording you had to make adjustments on are now tainted.

Or the whole set is tainted because one ear has a higher noise floor than the other. Save yourself some trouble and get a matched pair. It saves you time, and it saves your sanity. SM81 perfect example. Audio-Technica also doesn't match pairs. Top Mentioned Manufacturers. Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn. Subscribe to our Newsletter. By using this site, you agree to our use of cookies.

Code by Port Forward. Hosted by Nimbus Hosting. Connect with Facebook. Amr Kadry. Mini Mid-Side Field Rig? John Willett 11th December What's in YOUR mic locker??? Sigma 1 week ago. Rode NT4 question. Larry Mal. However, when matching for dual-channel stereo or 5-channel or higher surround, the microphones are selected in sets, which provides a narrower tolerance. This is done to obtain consistency of sensitivity and timbre. Proper documentation accompanies each set of matched Recording Microphones.

If the frequency response exceeds the tolerance limit, the microphone should be rejected. In theory, a 4 dB difference at a certain frequency is possible and permitted. In practice, however, it is exceedingly rare. Some manufacturers state that all their microphones are matched to make a stereo pair. As long as they are within the individual frequency response tolerance; this is not the case.

A single microphone can be chosen for its linear and natural response, but a certain frequency character might also be the reason behind a particular choice. When a number of microphones are set up to cover an acoustic field, you do not clearly hear the individual response — what you hear is rather a possible difference between the microphones.

Demand documentation Expect documentation from the manufacturer as to how well the microphones are calibrated. At DPA Microphones we match pairs that are identical within an extremely narrow tolerance and substantiate this info with a matching curve.

Note that even though one microphone has a subtle and intended high frequency rise, the matching curve is horizontal. This shows that both mics have the same high-frequency lift. Individual microphone linearity is not necessarily the issue here; we are looking for consistent and identical responses across microphones. Check your stereo mics Grab your favorite stereo pair and place them as close as possible in the same spot.

Gain them equally, sum them to mono, and invert the phase on one of them. With an ideally-matched pair, you should not hear anything. If you do hear something, you hear the difference between the mics. User Name Remember Me? Do you really need a matched microphones pair for stereo recording? It is certainly desirable, but it seems to me that you don't have any guarantee on the rest of the recording chain: - I don't think audio card manufacturers guarantee that two distinct mike channels have matching frequency responses.

Is it the case? So is it really necessary to use a matched pair? Wouldn't a pair of identical same model mikes be sufficient? Originally Posted by dumant. Thomas Find More Posts by Jae. Thanks for the input.