Sometimes doing things in a certain way has no particular reason behind it, because sometimes it is just so cool to do them in that way that nothing else can even come close. Audio professionals, streamers, and singers putting their condenser mic upside have that same effect.
But should the average audiophile be doing the same thing? Or are there any reasons why a person shouldn’t be putting their condenser mic upside down like a mad person? If you’ve ever wondered why large-diaphragm tube microphones hang upside down in front of vocalists, then we’ve got the answers for you.
Yes, you should set your condenser mic upside down. The rationale for this is the rising head from the tube of the mic and how it can cause the sound of the mic to change if not regulated. Placing the mic upside down means that you will not be damaging the diaphragm.
Sometimes cool things that you see in movies and pictures have a semblance of rationale and logic behind them. The case of the upside condenser mic is no different with an actual tangible reason for why you probably should have it a certain way.
However, we’ll be going over more reasons as well as why you should have your condenser mic set up in this way. As we believe that you can never have enough good reasons to do something cool. And we also hope that you get a thorough understanding of the action. But mostly the first thing.
Related: 9 Ways To Get Rid Of Background Noise On A Condenser Mic
Why should you place your condenser mic upside down?
So as we discussed earlier it is probably an extremely good idea to place your condenser mic upside down. We’ve seen it done several times in movies, TV shows, and even in the setups of many streamers and content creators. It simply is the best way to utilize your equipment.
However, there is a caveat that we would like to discuss, and that is that not all condenser mics will appreciate this sort of placement. We believe that most of them will function as we describe within this section. But you should research on your specific model and whether it’ll be compatible with this method.
Moreover, even if you place your microphone the right way around, you might not see many observable differences if you’re not using professional equipment, or if you’re not particularly looking for the highest quality setup. So even if you don’t use this method we do not believe you’ll lose out on much.
With that said let’s dive into the reasons we believe that it is probably best that you should use your condenser mic upside down.
Related: Are Expensive Microphones Worth It? What You Need To Know
Heat Generation Issue
The first thing that we believe is important to discuss is the point we mentioned in our introduction, and that was regarding the generation of heat by the internal structure of the microphone during intense segments of the recording.
Now this is true, the longer the recording or usage of the microphone goes on the more heat is going to be generated by the internal mechanisms of the microphone. This is simply because of the various little bits that are constantly interacting with each other in the microphone, causing friction and building heat.
Now heat, as we know, it rises, and if we let the microphone set up be straight or the right-side up then the heat that is constantly being built up will interfere with the rest of the important components of the microphone. This can add both distortions in the mic, and might just also damage internal structures.
All of that is to say that it is often a better idea to have your microphone upside down as the heat can release upwards and does not interact with other vital parts of the microphone that it might have otherwise interacted with.
Related: 2 Reasons Why Condenser Mics Are More Sensitive
Improves Vocals
Although this aspect is not applicable in all cases, however, it has been proven that an upside condenser microphone benefits an individual’s signing capacity. This is because the vocalist will often have to lift their chin upward to reach the mic.
This would force their particular airways, throat and lungs to open and encourage a full-body voice. The full-body voice is often touted to be better than any other because it accentuates all the positive factors that people find attractive in someone’s voice. This is particularly important for singers who sing with a deep tone.
Additionally, many vocalists also say that it is far easier to read lyrics if the microphone is above their head rather than in front of them because it no longer blocks the sight of their lyrics sheet. And allows them to pay more attention to the words that they are singing whilst using their microphones to the best of their ability.
Ultimately, whether or not you should set your condenser microphone upright or upside-down is completely up to you and what you’re looking for within your audio recording. When you keep your microphone the right way around it provides a nice timber to the vocalist’s voice.
However, by doing so you’re losing out on the full-body voice that is often regarded as the superior of the two. We will just say that both of them are viable and necessary for different types of vocals and audio recordings. And you should set them according to what you think is best for your particular piece of media.
One undeniable aspect, however, is that the heat produced damaged the tube of the microphone. And so if you’re looking to minimize distortion as much as possible then getting a Boom tube and turning your microphone upside down might be the way to go.
Make what decisions you will, hopefully, this article informed you more about the subject matter. Till next time! Ciao.