Jesus Paid it All – Acoustic Lesson

Beautiful – Acoustic lesson

You are God – Electric Guitar Lesson

Mighty To Save – Electric Guitar Lesson

Happy Day – Electric Guitar Lesson

Everlasting God – D – Electric Guitar Lesson

Everlasting God – C – Electric Guitar Lesson

You Are God – Bass Lesson

Guitar Fingerstyle 101

Wholly Yours Intro Guitar Lesson

A brief explanation of the mechanics of mic. design:

Microphones generally fall into one of two design categories. They are considered to be either “dynamic” or “condenser” (which determines whether they are “passive” or “electronic” in design). A dynamic mic. is passive in the sense that it does not require a power source to function, but instead uses the air pressure  that naturally occurs when a sound is produced, to move a diaphragm attached to a  coil surrounding a magnet, which generates an electrical audio signal  (this requires no other power source to operate).   A condenser mic., on the other hand, uses a capsule with a diaphragm that is electrically charged, and generally requires the use of “phantom power” (supplied by the audio console) to operate.  This is just a cursory explanation of the differences in these two designs but should suffice for our purposes here.  The important thing to remember is that the differences in these two designs has a marked influence on the way these mic.s perform, and therefore, influence the ways they are used.

Dynamic microphones  are typically less sensitive to loud sound sources, are slower in their transient response, less accurate, more limited in frequency response, and generally more rugged (less fragile) than condenser mics.  This makes them especially well-suited for use on drums, guitar amplifiers, and screaming singers!

Condenser  mics., on the other hand, are generally considered to be more sensitive to softer sounds,  more accurate, and are quicker in transient response. This makes them a good choice for softer, broader range sources, such as vocals, acoustic guitar, drum overheads, acoustic stringed instruments, choir, etc.  They tend to be a bit more fragile, with less-tolerance of moisture and rough handling.  Because condenser mic.s are more sensitive than dynamic mics., they often have a more limited dynamic range, which means that some of them have a tendency to overload or distort more easily than dynamic mic.s do. There are some exceptions with some of the late-model condensers, which are designed specifically for drums and other loud sources, so the lines have been blurred a bit in recent years. Still, it’s something to keep in mind when choosing the right mic. for the job.

This brief explanation of the “mechanics” of dynamic and condenser microphones has hopefully begun to shed some light on which type of mic. design might best suit the type of sound-source and environment.  However, the there are still more things to consider when choosing the right microphone for the job.  A few of these are microphone pick-up patterns, frequency range, frequency linearity or irregularities, dynamic range, and capsule orientation.

Pick-up patterns:

With the exception of studio microphones, most microphones are designed to have a single pick-up pattern. This pattern is designed into the capsule, and it determines the narrowness or width of mic. sensitivey to sounds arriving from different directions.  The most common pick-up patterns are cardioid, hyper-cardioid, and omni-directional.

A mic. with a cardioid (uni-directional) pick-up pattern  generally has a high sensitivity to sounds arriving directly into the capsule, while rejecting (or attenuating)  sounds arriving off axis (or from directions outside the mic.s prescribed pattern). A mic. with a hyper-cardioid pick-up pattern has an even narrower field of sensitivity, which makes it even less sensitive to  sounds arriving outside of the area directly in front of the capsule. A mic. with an omni-directional pick-up pattern has a very wide field of sensitivity (usually about 360 degrees)  and therefore is equally sensitive to sounds arriving from all directions.

These differences in directional sensitivities allow for creativity and control over what sounds the mic. will pick-up, which is a very important factor when choosing the best mic. for the job.  For most live productions, the use of omni-directional microphones is prohibitive because of a greater possibility of feedback problems. Subsequently, in most cases, cardioid and hyper-cardioid mic.s are most often used for live sound reinforcement.  There are some exceptions, as in the case of headworn mic.s and lavalier mic.s for the spoken voice, but this is one of the few exceptions (in my experience).   Omni-directional mic.s are usually relegated to the recording studio, where acoustics are controlled and feedback is not an issue.  Additionally, many studio mic.s have the ability to switch the pick-up pattern between hyper-cardioid, cardioid, omni, and figure-8 (figure-8 is too hard to describe here -  google it!), making them a very flexible tool, indeed.

Another thing worthy of mention is that some mic.s are designed with the capsule facing forward, and others have the capsule facing to the side.  This allows the mic. to be physically oriented to best capture the voice or instrument (another important thing to know about the mic.s in your collection).  This is not always as visually obvious as it would seem (CHECK THE SPEC.’S or ASK SOMEONE, IF IN DOUBT).

Mic. personalities:

Although, it is imperative to know the pick-up pattern and mic. design-type, it is equally as important to know the individual sonic signature of each mic. in your arsenal. Microphones have as many sonic colors, personalities, and quirks as people do. Though there are some mic.s that have a ruler flat frequency response, most have unique sonic properties that make them more(or less) suited for specific tasks or instruments. For example, a mic. might be considered “bright” in character, meaning it tends to accentuate the high frequencies, or “dark” because it de-emphasizes the high frequencies (or accentuates the low frequencies). Microphones often have peaks and valleys in their frequency response that can be used to shape the instrument (or voice) at the source of the sounds being amplified. In other words, before the sound has the chance to be heard, it is already being influenced by the sonic personality inherent in that particular mic. design.

In some cases, it is desirable to have a mic. with a perfectly flat frequency response in order to capture an absolutely accurate representation of the sounds being picked-up by the microphone. By default, these highly accurate mic.s are found exclusively in the condenser mic. category, and tend to be much more expensive than other mic.s (no doubt because of very strict standards for design and manufacturing). For a variety of reasons, these sensitive and highly accurate mic.s are mostly used in the recording studio or as a diagnostic measurement tool. Though one might wonder why we wouldn’t want all of our mic.s to be perfectly accurate, the fact is that the frequency-response anomalies found in most mic. designs is yet another way that we can creatively shape or control the sounds we are trying to capture.

By being familiar with the sonic differences in each  mic., the experienced sound engineer can make informed creative decisions about which mic. is the best one for the job. This is just one of the many ways that sound engineering is both an art and a science.

Apart from these basic distinctions, microphone choice is largely a matter of personal experience, trial and error, or the recommendations of others.  Get to know them and they will serve you well.

]]> http://www.oceansedgemusic.com/gearheads/microphone-design-a-brief-primer/feed/ 0 http://www.oceansedgemusic.com/music-lessons/mystery-keyboard-lesson/ http://www.oceansedgemusic.com/music-lessons/mystery-keyboard-lesson/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:25:35 +0000 admin http://www.oceansedgemusic.com/?p=248 A walk-through of the keyboard instrumental to Mystery, by Charlie Hall. Taught by Bobby Bemis.

mixing live audio, I will attempt and describe the most common set of

adjustments available on your average audio compressor/limiter. Though,

some compressor designers  throw-in a few more controls to make it even

more interesting (ie “knee” adjustment, side-chain filters, etc.), the following

are the most common.

Threshold -  this control determines the signal threshold (or

ceiling level)  at which the compressor  begins to  affect the audio

passing through it.  If the signal coming through the compressor is

below this “threshold or ceiling” setting, the compressor has no affect

on the audio passing through it.  It is only when a signal reaches the

level of the Threshold setting (set by the user) that the compressor

automatically begins to affect the audio.

To determine to proper Threshold level, it is necessary to watch

for the Threshold lights to begin lighting up during the course of an

average amount of source material to determine the peaks in the audio

signal  that exceed the established Threshold settings. Based on the

observed incoming signal, you can adjust the threshold control so the

compressor begins to compress at the desired peaks in the dynamics. As

the Threshold is adjusted, the compression level meter will start to

show when the source material is in compression (and how many decibels

of compression are being induced).

Attack Time — This control determines how quickly the compressor

responds to transients or peaks in the  audio levels that exceed the

threshold setting.  Set to fast attack times, the compressor quickly

responds to audio that has triggered the Threshold.  Slower attack

time settings allow the compressor to respond at a gentler,  slower rate.

The attack rate is usually stated in units of milliseconds.

Slow attack time settings tend to exaggerate the sound source

transients (giving the sound more punch, edge, presence). While fast

attack times tend to soften  or dull the incoming transients (while

reducing overall dynamic range.  There are an infinite number of

possible attack settings , and much experimentation is needed to

determine the best attack settings for the job at hand.

Release Time -This control is the inverse of Attack Time, as it

determines how quickly the compressor recovers (or releases control)

from a signal that has exceeded  the Threshold setting.  Fast release

times tend to make a compressor pump or breathe, due to the rapid return

to an uncompressed state.  Slower release times are less noticeable (and more

desirable) in most cases.

Slow release times can give a signal a sustained presence (which is

a great way to lengthen the sustain of acoustic, elec., and bass guitars.

Fast release times are sometimes desirable when trying to hard-limit

very short-duration sounds that are peaky  and pesky . (see

hard-limiting below).

Compression Ratio – This one is a little bit more involved, and a

little harder to understand (but we’ll give it a shot).  This control

determines to what degree the audio is reduced when the incoming signal

exceeds the threshold setting, and it is expressed as a Ratio (ie 1:1,

2:1, 3:1, 4:1, etc.) When a ratio of 10:1 or greater is chosen,

the effect is considered to be “Limiting” instead of compression, as

this high of a ratio is putting a hard-cap on the dynamics (essentially,

starting to square-off the waveform).  Limiting is used when the desired

effect is to not allow the dynamics to go beyond a fixed level.

Compression, on the other hand, still allows for dynamics to pass, but

in a less-restrictive way than hard-limiting. If the  compressor ratio

adjustment is set at a 2:1 ratio, this means that if the input gain

rises two decibels above the established threshold, the compressor will

reduce the incoming level by only 1 decibel. If the ratio is set to 4:1

ratio, this means that if the incoming level increases by 4 decibels the

compressor will only allow for a 1 decibel increase in output.  Once the

ratio gets as high as 10:1  the  incoming level must rise 10 decibels in

order for the compressor to increase the output by 1 decibel (again, any

ratio above 10:1 is considered hard-limiting).  For most live

applications, I find that  the more conservative ratios are most

desirable for most applications (2:1, 3:1, 4:1).  Also, I think the

less-is-more model is usually best when it comes to the amount of

compression used (with the exception of extremely-dynamic instruments,

such as drums , lead guitars, and the occasional overly-dynamic singer .

Also, more extreme compressor settings can be applied when the desired

result is more of an obvious effect , rather than just a subtle, automatic gain-

ridiing.  Remember, the higher the compression ratio, the more severe

the affect on the incoming audio (and the greater chance of noticeable

artifacts – ( ie more squashed sounding, duller, etc.)

Make-up Gain — This control is used to bring the overall level of

the compressed signal up (without affecting the dynamics). It’s just a

simple and quick way to make-up for the loss of overall-level due to the

affects of compression.

As the rehearsal got underway, two things quickly became apparent: the singer was holding her own and seemed very comfortable, while on the other hand the acoustic guitarist was struggling and clearly not comfortable. The struggles were to the degree that his involvement in the worship for the upcoming weekend needed to be re-evaluated.

As the rehearsal went on, I had a different reaction in my heart to the situation than one might expect. Before I explain, let me share a brief background: I like rehearsals to be productive, fun, and short – one hour. Musicians that are unprepared make rehearsals a waste of time, annoying, and longer. My teams are always given the opportunity to be prepared – charts, CD’s, and song order at least a week in advance, often two to three weeks (I prepare songlists a month at a time). If they forget to pick up a packet, they can download charts and MP3’s on line. When someone isn’t prepared, they clearly haven’t taken the time to listen to the CD, preview the charts and practice. Everyone on the team will tell you that nothing gets under my skin quite like that. In rehearsal their lack of preparation is obvious to everyone, and I’ll call them out in a manner that is corrective, challenging and calm, yet not humiliating. At least that’s what I’m hoping to accomplish. Being unprepared is simply unacceptable to me, and everyone knows it. That’s why it usually only happens with someone that is new or fairly new.

Back to rehearsal – so when the acoustic guitarist isn’t cutting it, you can see the group looking at me to see if there was going to be a “correction” if you will. You could see a little confusion on their faces as they saw the contentment on mine. It was an apparent contradiction, but to me it was worlds apart.

Here’s the difference – the acoustic player was prepared, but he was in over his head by no fault of his own. This was not a case of laziness – not even close. I could tell that he had worked hard to get to where he knew he needed to be, but he simply wasn’t able to. When someone is very capable, yet performs below their abilities and expectations, shame on them. When someone is not as capable, and performs at their abilities – although below expectations, shame on me. I was not disappointed in the acoustic guitarist’s performance. Rather, I was disappointed in me – that I had not properly assessed his abilities thus putting him in a position to fail.

After rehearsal I pulled him aside, and went into a private location. I shared with him that he wasn’t ready for the weekend, and then I apologized for putting him in that position prematurely. His response was one of relief! He was relieved that I wasn’t upset or disappointed with him and that the pressure was off to try and accomplish something that he simply wasn’t currently capable of. It quickly became clear that the electric, not acoustic guitar was his passion. He also had battled with whether or not to share with me his struggles on acoustic and the desire to back out, yet not wanting to let me down or to be a “quitter”. I can totally understand and respect his battle.

I was able to share this with the team during the weekend, and they were very appreciative of the explanation. It boils down to “whom much is given, much is required.” I can only require out of someone what they are capable of giving or doing.

Several years I had two services back to back and a different bass player for each service. We were playing a rather difficult song that particular weekend, and the bass player at the early service was a good bass player, but the bass player at the second service was clearly more gifted and accomplished. The first service went well, and the bass player worked long and hard and did a very solid job on the tough song. I gushed all over him. The second service also went well, but the bass player at that service, although he actually played it better than the other bass player, did a sub-par performance in contrast to what he was capable of. I chewed him up. He protested that he had played it better than the other player, and I became even more disappointed. This is the beauty and fairness of God’s economy: the first bass player was rewarded for his faithfulness and investment. The second bass player, although he had played it better, was chastised for his laziness because he was given much, yet made no investment and therefore received no return or reward for his effort.

My job is always to foster excellence by and through investment. Excellence will always be relative to the level of talent, so that no one should boast in comparison to others, but rather, “each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.” (Gal 6:4) As I challenge others, I must also challenge myself. Am I prepared, have I practiced, have I invested in my gift in order to realize a return?

I’m used to these kinds of letters on occasion – I’m painfully aware that you can’t please everybody all the time, and frankly, it just comes with the territory: Tradition meets contemporary, hymns meet praise songs, four complex and in depth verses meet “I could sing of Your love forever (repeat 273 times).” So again, I’m used to it and in fact, okay with it. So why is it a topic then? This strikes a particular nerve in context to my bible studies recently. I just finished going through Numbers, literally finishing two days ago. Then the letter arrived today.

Numbers is filled with account after account of the Israelites turning from both God and Moses, wanting nothing but their own desires and wants fulfilled. They complained incessantly, and they complained together as a group – Numbers is filled with the phrase “conspired.” The people conspired against Moses and against God. What’s even more astounding is the context in which this “conspiring” takes place: the Israelites have witnessed miracle after miracle – the plagues, and ultimately, the final plague that established Passover and their release from slavery, the parting of the Red Sea, the Lord in the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, manna every morning – even quail when they complained of their lack of menu options, and water for the entire nation (around two million of them) from rocks, to name just a few. They became so selfish and faithless, that in Num 16:12 they complained “Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert?” Wow – hundreds of years of slavery that Exodus describes as “forced labor” and “ruthless,” to now “a land flowing with milk and honey?!” Astounding. How often does that happen to our own memories?

Just recently I rekindled a friendship with a pastor I had served under for several years dating back over 20 years ago. I had been charged then with transitioning the worship from predominantly hymns to more contemporary. Needless to say, there was a lot of resistance, yet at the same time there was a lot of revival. The church was growing, in fact, we had to go to two services. (Let me make this point very clear: I don’t have a problem with hymns, quite the contrary. I do however, have a problem with the people who revere hymns as the only, or at least most effective means of ushering in meaningful worship.)

Unfortunately, due to a number of sad and politically driven events, this pastor was removed, and I left shortly thereafter. The group that didn’t like the new direction clearly communicated that they weren’t the only ones who felt that way and they got their church back. In conversation with this pastor friend of mine, he informed me that the church slowly died, was sold and subsequently renamed. When the people in Numbers conspired against the Lord, their losses were great: an entire generation wandered the desert never to see the promised land, many died of plagues and snake bites, and many more were literally swallowed up by the earth. When the people conspired at my old church, He took away their church, their precious buildings, and everything they had worked for generations to accomplish.

Let me share it this way: if one’s personal tastes and desires evolve into a scriptural mandate, and others conspire together to that end, then I’m convinced they will wander endlessly as well, completely missing out on the “promised land.”

When I hear, in any context, the phrase “I’m not the only one who feels that way”, the opportunity to glean is simply lost – I no longer have any interest in or respect for what they have to say.

Over the years I have had many an opportunity to share with and challenge those who have approached me in this manner and with that catch phrase, especially the ones who had the courtesy to provide their contact information. In the majority of these encounters it has been very productive and fruitful. In every one of these conversations, my goal has not been to change their personal musical tastes, but instead to take their eyes off of themselves and onto the mission at hand – to reach a lost world with the love of Christ and the promised land He offers – considering others along the way higher than ourselves and our own personal tastes. I would encourage anyone who encounters this type of situation to confront it in love and with honesty, and with a clear explanation of the vision and the heart behind that vision. Encourage them to pray for you and the multitude of challenges you face in trying to honor God and please a widely varied congregation/church. You may be surprised at the response. Philippians 2:3-4 tells us: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The Israelites totally missed that in Numbers, but I hope more of us today will learn from them. I hope I’m not the only one who feels that way!