Dear David and co-vocalisters,
This looks like a microphone related question, but probably has more to
do with singing technique, that is to say: with how we hear ourselves,
vs. how others hear us than with microphones.
The technical part is quite complicated, but I’ll try to keep it simple.
John and Sarah stated that lower frequencies are less directional. That
is right, but is only one part of the explanation. In fact, if this
would be the only factor it should work the other way around (cfg.
whales communicating in ultra low frequencies over very large
distances.)
But there is also the effect Tako mentioned, the proximity effect: the
non-directionality of lower frequencies causes them to get recorded
louder than higher frequencies when very near to a directional (often
called cardioid) microphone. Singers with weak lower notes, a lack of
warmth in their voice, and/or a bad technique can benefit from this
effect, and almost all pop singers are very happy to use it. (Shure SM58
or just another cardio in your hand will do it).
In the situation David referred to, satb in front of one microphone, are
all singers far enough from the microphone to avoid the proximity
effect. However, a microphone with a cardioid pick up pattern, will have
the tendency to pick up sounds in front of it louder (and often clearer)
than those on it’s sides. (It’s supposed to that.) So, if the microphone
is quite close to the middle of the satb quartet (so to a and t) s and b
will be softer and often less clear.
Solution: if you use a non-directional microphone (often called: with an
omni characteristic, omni) and see to it that all singer are at about
the same distance from it (a half circle, e.g.), all singers will be
produced with the same sound quality and equally loud. You can also use
a pair of mikes, but then you also run into other problems.
The proximity effect also plays an important role in how we hear
ourselves. Imagine a sound source very close to your ears, but 90
degrees from it: your mouth. Your ears are in an acoustical shadow for
sounds coming from your mouth, so the sound your ears will hear suffers
strongly from the proximity effect: you will hear lower notes much
louder than they are. (There are also other factors, but this the most
important one i.m.o.)
So if you are the bass in the satb quartet, you will always be unhappy
with recordings, because the other voices (who all sing higher than you
and more directed to your ears) will sound louder on the recording or
via the speakers, than you heard them while singing. In fact this will
also be the case with all recording of you alone, unless you use the
proximity effect of the microphone to recreate the sound you heard in
your head! (but if your voice is 3x as big as that of the others, you
will not have any problems!)
To make it even more complicated: weak high frequencies also will sound
better when recorded close: untrained singers sound more brilliant (like
having a singer’s formant) and as if they have a better diction then.
Finally: when judging the way a mike is used, you have to listen to
recordings via speakers or headphones. They can also reproduce lower
tones too soft, or just muddy. If all recordings you know have weak bass
singers, then it could very well be this.
O, I almost forgot one thing: if the mike or the recording equipment is
not too good, it can also have problems with lower notes.
Best greetings,
Dré
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