Applications Guide
Contents
1. 16 Applications Guide above or below the first but with the capsules positioned at a 90 degree angle from the front The outputs of the two microphones are often connected to a special MS matrix mixer which combines the mid signal with the signal of the side microphone both in phase and out of phase The matrix mixer s ratio control now used to set the balance between the mid mic and the combined signal of the side mics to adjust the width of the stereo spread You can also connect the two microphones outputs to two inputs of a stereo mixer let s say channel one and two Next split the side signal into a third channel set to reverse phase Pan channels two and three hard left and hard right respectively Channels two and three should be at equal level and always adjusted the same amount as if they were grouped together Now use the balance between channel one and the grouped channels two and three to adjust the width stereo spread If you want to create the Mid side stereo effect after you ve recorded into your DAW record the mid mic on track one and the side mic on track two Then copy track two to track three be sure they are aligned perfectly and then reverse the phase on track three Now group tracks two and three together so they move with one fader Then pan channel two hard left and channel three hard right At this point you can adjust the width of the stereo image by change the balance between track one and the group channe2. Introduction The Miktek C7 multi pattern large diaphragm FET condenser will impress the most critical listeners and inspire artists to create their best performance The microphone s polar characteristic is selectable offering cardioid omni and bidirectional pick up patterns In addition the C7 employs a high pass filter and 10dB pad for recording loud sound sources The frequency response is warm on the bottom and silky sweet on the top yet at the same time the midrange is natural and open The microphone produces amazing results when recording acoustic instruments guitar amps or as overheads on a drum kit But of course the C7 really excels on vocal applications The C7 utilizes the new MK7 capsule developed by Miktek engineers featuring dual 1 inch diaphragms made using 5 micron Mylar with a 0 4 micron layer of evaporated gold Diaphragms are then precisely tensioned mounted to carefully tuned backplates and finally set back to back with electronic isolation to create the finished capsule The C7 s electronic circuit design is unique and features the AMI T7 transformer together with the implementation of high quality exotic components including hand selected transistors In addition the innovated head amplifier design features a unique circuit that allows the engineer to switch the capsule bias voltage from 48 to 60 volts This proprietary circuit implementation essentially provides the mic with two voices allowing you to choose be
3. closed back headphones and take notice to how just a slight adjustment can make a huge change in frequency response However before you get into experimenting the following basic examples are a good place to start Vocals When using the C7 on vocals position the microphone in front of the artist so that the microphone grill is approximating 4 to 10 inches away To avoid unwanted p popping use of an external pop filter is strongly recommended If no pop filter is available try to set the microphone at a slight angle which will also help reduce p pops When the C7 s pattern switch is set to Figure eight you can record a vocal duet by positioning one vocalist directly in front of the mic and one directly facing the rear of the microphone Just remember that the extreme sides of the microphone pick up almost nothing due to the bidirectional pick up pattern You can record a group of vocalists by positioning them in a circle around the C7 with the pattern switch is set to Omni The linier response will pickup up all the vocalists in a 360 degree pattern evenly Try to set the balance by having the talent use natural dynamics to blend or position each singer at different distances to mic to crest a different balance Applications Guide Acoustic Guitar There are a variety of ways that the C7 can be used to mic an acoustic guitar The correct placement will depend on the type of instrument and what kind of sound you re looking to capture for example
4. edu e sg se Cardioid Figure 8 and Omni Frequency Response o o 20 20000Hz SensitiVvity a sv sag ket Sees erg Ms aide e Hee eed 29 34 38 dBV Pa Equivalent Noise Level 13 18 22 dB Dynamic range oo rres oct EE SHES Shee SEES RE ds 105dB S N Bao 2 big of eed Shere A Siw Sere Sled Ss es 81 76 72dB Max EE dn Eb be be o re 127 dB Power Supply EE opor e d 48V phantom Specifications are subject to change without notice 21 www miktekaudio com 1200 Clinton Street Suite 15 Nashville TN 37203 tel 615 250 2434 fax 615 346 9298 2009 All Rights Reserved Miktek Printed April 2010 v1_2
5. getting the sound you want For more information on typical miking see the Application Notes section of this manual But remember these examples are at best an approximation of where you should place the microphone to get the best sound While placing the mic around any instrument or sound source 8 Operating the C7 monitor the signal through a set of good quality closed back headphones and take notice to how just a slight adjustment can make a huge change in frequency response As you re changing the microphone s position be sure to check that the mic input is still set to a good level without clipping as described in the previous section The Proximity Effect All cardioid or uni directional microphones exhibit a phenomenon known as proximity effect The proximity effect is the increase in low frequency response a microphone exhibits as it is moved closer to the sound source Vocalist tend to love this effect since when they get really close to the mic they get the FM radio big bass sound A good vocalist with good mic technique will use the proximity effect to adjust their tonal response in real time The key to developing the best mic technique is experimentation along with awareness of the general principle that when the pattern switch is set to Cardioid the closer your C7 is to a signal source the greater the bass response The proximity effect s bass lift is caused by the amount of pressure present at the ports that are u
6. 18 ACCC WEEN 19 Baffled coi oe ea o GRR Se ee eee SR oe ee ew ee Gee ES 19 Specifications oo ska s Geb Ged Oe Lanse EEG ee LAGE ERA DOD GAA De rs A 20 21 You ve done done it You ve purchased a truly exceptional piece of audio gear Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the C7 Large Diaphram FET Condenser from Miktek We know there are a lot of pretty good low cost microphones available today but you re in an elite group of audio engineers where pretty good is just not good enough Simply put that s why we make our products In the following sections of this manual you will find a description of the C7 s features step by step set up and operating instructions along with detailed specifications In addition we ve also included some basic miking techniques for typical recording and live sound applications Most of us who ve purchased the C7 are already experienced engineers so these may seem quite basic However at Miktek we want to encourage young or new engineers to use our microphones or at least to read our manuals and learn something about recording and live sound We know you re serous about your productions because you purchased such an outstanding audio instrument and at Miktek we re serous about providing superior products and service to our customers We appreciate your patronage and hope you enjoying using your microphones as much as we enjoy making them Sincerely Michael Ketchell Managing Director
7. Mikteld Large Diaphragm Multi pattern FET Condenser Microphone Owners Manual Miktek LLC 1200 Clinton Street Suite 15 Nashville TN 37203 tel 615 250 2434 fax 615 346 9298 2010 All Rights Reserved Miktek LLC Printed April 2010 v1_2 www miktekaudio com Table of Contents Introduction ee ANEN es Gea K RE DE Gad SOR SR GR KE ee AEN ee AE AN he 3 4 Features STEN a a a i a E 5 Operating the C7 on ee eee ku Geer she Oe eee Ge ke 6 10 Using the Polar Patterns is sa gaci akk ad AG bP eae RS See Bh uker else AN A 6 Connecting Your CT e sacrae se Ee EE GERE ee ee eG Eee ee RE eS 7 Powering the C7 concordia dada we HER EE CREE ER ET HES A 7 Setting Up the Signal Level 8 Microphone Placement an aa GSS ba do AG aa lei Baek Heer dad 8 The Proximity Effect oia a A A A eS ee ee a 9 Statid Mounting the CT a sra ra a a do A AAA 9 Installing the SM7 Shockmount s i sas ere ee 10 Applications Guide iama eini ekea a rn renne 11 19 Vocal s n ad ae SE GE OE we Ge ee ee r 11 Acoustic Guitar ogi ass s geek OEE RA DURES EE LEGG SG FE REE SARE dekk dok 12 Plano san kr es athe hs add H peed dete der ta de det ae Eb ade d ben 13 Overhead Drum Kit 24 44 453 AR oe GAME KAOS SEE KE EE sd ek Ala HE AGE Bak Oe Ge 14 Stereo Miking Techniques kvark ee 15 Coincidental XY or Crossed pairs 16 Near Coincidental s aco 665524404 8b e bee bek pda be GE Mb eo ba ale ei A
8. Strings Place the C7 one to three feet from the instrument when recording a solo string instrument like a violin When recording a string section try to position one or more C7 s several feet from the players If the size of the room permits raise the microphones three or four feet above the section and position them at a 45 degree angle facing down If you have two C7 s you can try the XY or ORTF stereo mic set ups described in the following section Stereo micing Techniques Overhead Drum Kit Because of it s extended high frequency response and fast transient response the C7 performs outstandingly when used as an overhead cymbal microphone The C7 s big sound and linear response capture the entire kit making them awesome on overheads You can position one C7 on a boom mic stand directly above the kit pointing from front to back For stereo miking use two C7 s placed over the drum set at a distance of two to three feet depending on the size of the kit You can experiment with the exact placement depending on the size of the room and whether you re looking for an ambient or close miked sound You can also try the XY or ORTF stereo mic set ups described in the following section Stereo micing Techniques In general when miking a drum kit it s a good idea to start with the overhead mics Even though you use the overhead mics mostly for the cymbals try to get the entire kit to sound great in the overheads Then it will be easier to ju
9. atterns E High pass Filter amp 10dB Pad Switches E Variable Capsule Bias Voltage 48 60v E AMIT7 Transformer E Individual serialized Frequency Response Graph E Wood Presentation Case with Swivel mount Shock mount and rugged aluminum Carrying Case Features NNN Est DN DOOR SC CB Operating the C7 Using the Polar Patterns Perhaps the most important aspect of using your C7 or any other microphone is to understand its available polar pick up patterns Every microphone has a characteristic polar pattern that determines how well it accepts or rejects signal coming from various areas around the microphone capsule You can use the C7 s polar pattern switch to select one of the three available polar patterns While there are many types and variations of polar patterns the C7 provides the three most important omniderctional bi directional or figure eight and unidirectional or cardioid The Omnidirectional pattern produces a linear response regardless of where the sound source originates in front of the mic behind it to the side etc When the C7 is set to the figure eight pattern the microphone picks up sound directly from the front and back while rejecting the sound at the sides When set to Cardioid the C7 will accept the sound coming from directly in front and to reject sound coming from behind or from the sides While Omni and Bi directional microphones are very useful for a variety of applications many mik
10. cy response There are several time tested techniques for recording in stereo including coincidental or XY pairs near coincidental or AB spaced pairs and baffled Following is a brief explanation of these common types stereo miking set ups Applications Guide Coincidental XY or Crossed pairs Coincidental microphone set ups are where the two microphones capsules are set close together on the same axis The most common of these is XY or crossed pairs In the XY set up the two microphone capsules are positioned on the same axis one directly above the other with the capsules positioned on an angle from 90 to 120 degrees The wider the angle the wider the stereo spread Since the microphones are set on the same axis the distance is constant and there s little or no delay difference Therefore the stereo image is created by the level difference of the left and right microphones Since there is no appreciable delay there is less of a chance for phase cancelation and comb filtering so you can good results when the stereo signal is combined to a mono signal MS Mid side The Mid side technique makes use of two microphones with one figure 8 and a second mic either cardidod or omni or two figure 8 pick patterns The first microphone the mid either figure 8 omni or cardioid microphone is positioned facing directly at the sound source The second microphone the side with a figure 8 pattern is positioned on the same axis directly
11. e damage to your speaker system Powering the C7 Since the C7 is a condenser microphone it needs to be operated by connecting it to a 48 volt Phantom power source Most quality mixers outboard mic pres and DAW mic channels have Phantom power available as a standard feature You can also use an external phantom supply if necessary Since most mixers and outboard mic pres have a dedicated switch to engage the phantom power be sure to check that the Phantom power is on Once the Phantom power source is turned on the C7 receives the phantom power directly from a mic cable Using The High Pass Filter The C7 has an onboard High pass or low cut filter which when engaged will reduce the response of the bass frequencies The knee the frequency where the roll off starts of the Hi pass is set at 100 Hz and the roll off occurs at 12dB per octave To engage the filter slide the High Pass switch so the picture of the roll off is showing The High pass filter can be a valuable tool to help eliminate unwanted low end content to reduce bleed in the studio and stage rumble in a live situation Plus if you re recording an instrument that doesn t make any sound under 100 Hz don t record under 100 Hz It s often better to set the high filter on to reduce any unwanted low frequency pick up 7 Operating the C7 Setting Up the Signal Level In order to get a good signal first be sure that the C7 is connected to a mixer or recorder input that is microphon
12. e level As explained in the previous section Powering the C7 be sure that the Phantom power is turned on Most quality mixers mic pre s and DAW s provide microphone inputs with a mic trim trim is jargon the control is usually called Mic Gain or Level control The purpose of the mic trim control is to set a good signal level and minimize any noise associated with the mic inputs electronics A good mic pre will also have a Clip or Peak LED to show you when the input is at overload the level which distortion begins to occur To set a good clean level set the C7 up in front of the desired sound source and slowly turn up the mic trim until you see the Clip LED light up On most microphone inputs the best setting is when the trim control is turned up as high as possible without lighting the PEAK LED Using the PAD The C7 has a 10 dB PAD for miking loud signals If you turn your mic trim all the way down and the signal is still clipping switch on the C7 s 10 dB PAD then reset the trim level as described in the previous section Microphone Placement To help maximize the quality of your recording you must pay careful attention to the placement of your C7 and specifically how it is positioned for the instrument or vocalist that you re miking Remember the front side of the microphone is the same side as the Miktek logo As you become more experienced in miking techniques you ll quickly realize the microphone placement is critical to
13. ersal switch so be sure to reverse the phase of any mics facing the opposite direction 12 Applications Guide Piano You can achieve outstanding results using the C7 on acoustic piano Several placement approaches can be used depending on the size of the piano and the type of sound you are looking to record When miking a Grand Piano for an ambient sound like that used in a classical recital a single C7 can be positioned directly in front of the instrument Open the lid to the full position and place the microphone five to twelve feet in front of the instrument For a more contemporary sound with better isolation place two C7 s inside the piano positioning one over the low strings and the other over the high strings To achieve a more realistic sound it s a good idea to leave some space between the instrument and the microphone especially if you are recording a solo instrument Also keep in mind how the track ultimately needs to fit into the mix For example if you are recording a solo performance of Chopin you would likely want a very even response and you d want to capture the left hand sustianato However if you are recording rock and roll or pop music you may want the piano to sit within the track in a specific frequency range where less bass is desired Nashville engineers and other good ones from all over the planet are famous for building the mix as they track starting with the microphone placement Applications Guide
14. ing situations in recording and live sound applications require uni directional or cardioid microphones The cardioid pick up pattern allows for better separation of instruments in the studio and more control over feedback in live sound reinforcement When positioned correctly the cardioid pattern allows you to pick up more of the sound you want and less of the sound you don t want In live sound situations the polar pattern also determines how prone a particular microphone is to inducing feedback Feedback is that nasty howling sound that occurs when a mic is placed too close to a loudspeaker the signal from the loudspeaker is fed into the mic then into the loudspeaker then into the mic over and over again until an oscillating tone is generated The cardioid pattern utilized by the C7 is so good at rejecting signal not coming from directly in front of the microphone you ll find that use of the C7 greatly minimizes feedback problems when used in loud sound applications Operating the C7 Connecting your C7 Connect the C7 to your mixer mic pre or DAW Digital Audio Workstation using a standard XLR microphone cable In order to ensure the proper phase response please note the C7 s output connecter is wired as Pin 1 Ground Pin 2 hot or positive and Pin 3 cold or negative Also it always a good idea to turn down your mixers main output level control when plugging or unplugging microphones so you can avoid any unwanted loud pops that could caus
15. its included shockmount screw the shockmount on a solid mic stand If you are using a US standard 5 8 inch mic stand remove the Euro adapter by unscrewing it from the shockmount c e Once the shockmount is mounted to the stand line up the bottom threaded section of the C7 to the holder and slowly rotate the bottom thumbscrew clockwise until it screws on hand tight Be careful not to cross thread the screws You can loosen the bottom thumbscrew slightly to make left and right adjustments to the mic and then re tighten it once it s in place IIR SEN ERR Nee Loosen the thumbscrew to set the microphone angle and then tighten once it s in place 10 Applications Guide The C7 is a great microphone choice for many instrument miking situations Below is a brief guide on using the C7 in some typical applications But as a general rule of thumb before you use a typical placement carefully listen to what you are miking by having the artist play a practice track Take a walk around the artist as they are playing and listen to what the instrument sounds like from different positions Move left and right Listen over the artist s shoulders Place your head up high and close to the floor Imagine your ears are the microphones What do you hear that you like Then once you choose your spot monitor the signal through a set of good quality
16. ls two and three SERTE SER Seel Figure 8 Cardioid Applications Guide Near Coincidental Near coincidental or AB mic set up used two matched microphones set relatively close together facing in opposite directions The spacing between the microphones creates a time delay adding to the stereo effect The greater the angle the greater the stereo spread Less of an angle yields a more narrow spread There are a few standards that specify different angles and spacing with the most popular being the ORTF the acronym given to the French Broadcasting Organization which stands for Office de Radiodiffusion Television Fran aise The ORTF standard specifies the capsules to be spaced 17cm apart and set at a 110 degree opposing angle In this setup the stereo image is created by the differences between level and time The stereo image is sharp however it tends not to be mono compatible Spaced Pairs The spaced pair approach uses two identical microphones set rather FRONT SIDE N Top View FRONT SIDE far apart for example 2 to 20 feet or more apart both facing directly at the sound source The further apart that the micro phones are placed the wider the stereo spread 18 The instruments in the center of the two microphones will be heard midway between the left and right speaker With greater distance the off center images are les
17. s focused or more diffused This set up tends to capture more ambience from the acoustical space which can be very pleasant to the listener however the signal tends not to be mono compatible In some instances were the microphones are very far apart a third microphone can be used in the center to reinforce the clarity of the center image Baffled In a baffled stereo set up two omni directional microphones are placed roughly the distance between your left and right ears with a physical hard or foam baffle placed in between the two mics It uses time differences at low frequencies and level differences at high frequencies to create the stereo image The baffle creates a difference in frequency response between the two microphones RRA SIR BOSS RRA Applications Guide 2 20 with less high frequency content heard from the further microphone Therefore with the baffled set up the stereo signal is achieved by the combination of the differences in level time and frequency With the baffled set up the stereo image has a tendency to be exaggerated and not mono compatible 19 Specifications RELATIVE RESPONSE IN dB l l 20 50 100 200 500 1000 2000 FREQUENCY IN Hz C7 Typical Frequency Response 20 10000 20000 Hz C7 Polar Response Specifications Types nites ace aed xe gere Bate Ao a Say Se wera es Large Diaphragm Multi Pattern FET Condenser Polar Patti ssu sses
18. sed to create the directional pattern Since omnidirectional microphones do not normally have ports they do not have proximity effect Stand Mounting the C7 The C7 can be mounted to any standard microphone stand using the included mic stand holder or the SM7 shock mount If you are using a US standard 5 8 inch mic stand remove the Euro adapter by unscrewing it from the mic holder Screw the holder to a solid mic stand then line up the bottom threaded section of the C7 to the holder and slowly rotate the microphone clockwise until it screws on hand tight Be careful not to cross thread the screws You can loosen the bottom thumbscrew on the holder to make left and right adjustments to the mic and then re tighten it once it s in place Loosen the side thumbscrew to set the microphone angle and then tighten once it s in place 9 Operating the C7 Installing the SM7 Shockmount The C7 kit comes with a SM7 shockmount which you can use to greatly reduce any noise transmitted through the mic stand The shockmounts are especial useful in reducing the problems caused by E a boomy soundstage for example when miking overhead cymbals or even in the studio with talent that likes to move a lot on a floor that may not be a solid as it should be saree Se 30 E eS ess sates oe SS SEH SE SH SS SS SS Ze E E Gs 288 SG SE SE E E 38 oe eS kes RS z ie eS E S SS SS To use the C7 with
19. st bring up your individual mics for more attack and thickness in the overall sound 14 Stereo Miking Techniques Stereo Miking Techniques Recording instruments like acoustic guitar piano and drums or ensembles especially in classical or jazz in stereo will provide a much more realistic experience for the listener You can create a stereo recording by simply using your mixer s or DAW s pan controls to place different instruments in between the left and right speakers However since the recorded tracks were likely created with close miking the stereo mix is void of a lot of information that the listener would normally enjoy in a live performance When you record live tracks in stereo not only will you capture the left and right position but you can capture the perspective of depth and distance of each instrument You ll also capture an image that translates the distance between the ensemble and the listener and you capture the sound of the acoustic space surrounding the instrument or ensemble When recording ensembles in stereo you have better chance of faithfully reproducing the balance between the instruments that was originally intended by the composer For most stereo miking applications you need to have two microphones with closely matching frequency responses and polar patterns Depending on which miking technique you use the stereo image is created when the combination of microphones pickup differences in level time and frequen
20. the tonal quality you want to focus on and how much finger slide or pick noise you may or may not want When miking a standard steel string acoustic a good place to start is with the microphone positioned pointing towards the end of the fingerboard at a distance of about 6 inches to 2 feet away from the instrument You can experiment by moving the microphone slightly in the direction of the sound hole which will produce more low frequencies or move it in the direction of the 12th fret to capture more high end or to remove any unwanted boominess For nylon string acoustic try positioning the microphone above the bridge to emphasize more of the attack from the sound of the finger picking or for less move the mic closer to the sound hole If you have a pair of C7 s try one positioned at the fingerboard and the second over the sound hole Try positioning one mic in the front of the guitar pointed towards the fingerboard and another over the right shoulder right handed player Important Note When using multiple microphones you need to be aware of their phase response In general all the microphones need to be facing in the same direction or you will experience comb filtering and or phase cancelation For instance in the previous example set up it will be necessary to invert the phase on the over the shoulder microphone since it will be more than likely end up facing the opposite direction as the front microphone Any good mic pre will have a Phase rev
21. tween a classic and modern microphone At 48 volts the capsule s diaphragm is under less tension so it s able to react to extremely subtle changes in sound pressure enabling the microphone to capture the slightest nuances in any performance When the bias voltage is set to 60 volts the C7 is extremely accurate and articulate The Miktek C7 is hand assembled tested and packaged in Nashville Tennessee USA using components from the US Europe and Asia Each microphone includes its serialized frequency response graph created during final testing The C7 is packaged with its swivel mount in a wooden box and set inside a rugged aluminum case along with the included shock mount Introduction With proper care your C7 will operate trouble free for many years We recommend you record your serial number in the space provided below for future reference Serial number Date of purchase Be sure to complete the included warranty registration card or visit mikekaudio com to register on line In the unlikely instance that your microphone would ever require service please contact us at 615 250 2434 for a Return Authorization number If you purchased the microphone outside of the US please contact your local distributor for service Please feel free to call us with any questions you may have about this or any other Miktek product E MK7 Dual 1 inch Capsule 5 micron Mylar Evaporated Gold Diaphragms E Cardioid Omni and Bi directional Pick up P
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