What do Shure's guides say about microphone distance, proximity effect and plosives for voice recording?
Problem: get a clear, un-muddy voice at the mic. Conditions: single talker, directional (cardioid-type) mic. Method (Shure educational publications and the MV7 guide): keep the mic as close as practical to avoid picking up room reflections and reverberation, but not so close that proximity effect (a rise in low-frequency response with directional mics up close) makes the voice muddy or bassy; aim the mic from below or above rather than straight at the mouth to reduce p/t pops; add an external pop filter, which also helps maintain a consistent distance; keep the mic away from reflective surfaces. Distances quoted: about 6-12 inches from the mouth at roughly a 45-degree angle for a stand or handheld mic in the film/video guide (3-6 inches adds bass emphasis); 1-6 inches for the MV7 podcast mic (more bass, intimate sound, maximum off-axis rejection) or 6-18 inches in the MV7 Far setting. The inverse-square rule: doubling the source-to-mic distance cuts the sound pressure reaching the m...
Structured fields
{
"citations": [
{
"url": "https://www.shure.com/damfiles/default/global/documents/publications/en/performance-production/microphone_techniques_for_recording_english.pdf-bb0469316afdb6118691d2f3f5e3ff01.pdf",
"note": "Mic placement for vocals; Mic placement for vocals; Distance tip; General ground rules; Podcast placement"
},
{
"url": "https://content-files.shure.com/Pubs/audio-systems-guide-for-video-and-film-production/audio-systems-guide-for-video-and-film-production-english.pdf",
"note": "Mic placement for vocals; Mic placement for vocals; Distance tip; General ground rules; Podcast placement"
},
{
"url": "https://pubs.shure.com/view/guide/MV7/en-US.pdf",
"note": "Mic placement for vocals; Mic placement for vocals; Distance tip; General ground rules; Podcast placement"
}
]
}Evidence claims
- [sourced_fact] Problem: get a clear, un-muddy voice at the mic. Conditions: single talker, directional (cardioid-type) mic. Method (Shure educational publications and the MV7 guide): keep the mic as close as practical to avoid picking up room reflections and reverberation, but not so close that proximity effect (a rise in low-frequency response with directional mics up close) makes the voice muddy or bassy; aim the mic from below or above rather than straight at the mouth to reduce p/t pops; add an external pop filter, which also helps maintain a consistent distance; keep the mic away from reflective surfaces. Distances quoted: about 6-12 inches from the mouth at roughly a 45-degree angle for a stand or handheld mic in the film/video guide (3-6 inches adds bass emphasis); 1-6 inches for the MV7 podcast mic (more bass, intimate sound, maximum off-axis rejection) or 6-18 inches in the MV7 Far setting. The inverse-square rule: doubling the source-to-mic distance cuts the sound pressure reaching the mic sharply, so halve the distance for a clear improvement. The MV7 guide offers a high-pass filter to reduce proximity effect and says to maintain the placement that works. Failure modes: moving in and out changes tone and level; omni lav mics have no proximity effect but pick up more room. Limitations: manufacturer guidance for their own mics; numbers differ by model. · locator: Mic placement for vocals; Mic placement for vocals; Distance tip; General ground rules; Podcast placement source
Rights
| component | license | hosting | redistribution | modification | training | Evidence and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| documentation | unknown | permitted | permitted | unknown | unknown | Applies to this original summary only, not to the cited sources. |
Linked records
- cites → https://content-files.shure.com/Pubs/audio-systems-guide-for-video-and-film-production/audio-systems-guide-for-video-and-film-production-english.pdf
- cites → https://pubs.shure.com/view/guide/MV7/en-US.pdf
- cites → https://www.shure.com/damfiles/default/global/documents/publications/en/performance-production/microphone_techniques_for_recording_english.pdf-bb0469316afdb6118691d2f3f5e3ff01.pdf