Microphones / Miking

I've just bought my first mic, a Rode NT1A, which requires phantom power, and I'm wondering if there's anything wrong with leaving it plugged in with phantom power switched on for long periods of time?

I have just got hold of a CAD M9 valve mic and the background noise level seems high compared to my other condensers...

I have been planning to record an upcoming choir concert with a centred ORTF stereo pair of Rode NT5 cardioids...

Can you tell me if it's common practice to use measurement microphones for recording? I have access to a good selection of...

I recently bought a large-diaphragm condenser mic which came with a foam wind shield (the kind that fits over the top of the mic). Will this do a good enough job of stopping plosive blasts?

I'm wanting to record a band all at the same time in the same room, and my main problem is that the drummer is much too loud...

I bought a Boss guitar effects processor the other day and noticed that the guitar sounds a lot better through it than it does just straight into my mixer. Also, could the sound from my mic be similarly improved by getting a stand-alone voice channel for it, rather than just putting it through the mixer?

If I left my Neumann TLM103 mic out on its stand when not in use for long periods of time, would its performance be affected, by dust in particular?

I am looking at buying a matched pair of SE Electronics SE1 mics for drum miking. Would the SE1s be suitable for 'over and under' miking of the snare? If not, could you offer any alternatives for this kind of configuration?

I've just got hold of an Oktava valve mic. Having not used one before, I was wondering if there are any general rules or guidelines I should be aware of when using valve mics?

I bought a Rode NT1A a few months ago and I'm now considering buying a second one. How can I tell whether the two mics are closely matched enough for use as a stereo pair?

I did a recording session recently using a mixture of dynamic and condenser mics, and realised my desk does not have switchable phantom power for each channel — they're either all on or all off. Luckily, I had some external channel strips which I ran the condensers through, but is it safe to apply phantom power to dynamic mics?

I've just been looking at buying a cheap condenser mic and I was wondering how useful it is to have the low-frequency cut and 10dB pad options that are on some mics?

With so many brand-new budget-priced microphones out there these days, I'm wondering if it might be better to get a high-quality mic second-hand instead?

We answer one of the most common queries from those just starting out with home recording.

I've recently bought myself an electroacoustic guitar and it sounds really loud, clean and crisp when I play it. Yet...

I'm looking for a decent microphone for my small studio, which is based around a Korg D8 eight‑track digital...

The type of microphone you choose for a given task can have a profound effect on the quality of the resulting recording. Paul White sorts out the dynamics from the capacitors.

Paul White looks at the workings of capacitor mics and discusses their advantages for studio recording.