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The Q2U is a great microphone choice for many instrument miking situations. Below is a
brief guide on using the Q2U in some typical applications:
Vocals
Position the microphone directly in front of the artist so that the microphone grill is
approximately 4 to 18 inches away. When close miking vocals, use of an external pop filter
like the Samson PS01 is strongly recommended. You can use the Cardioid pattern to record a
group of vocalists by positioning them around the front of the microphone. Just remember
that the extreme sides of the microphone pick up less with less high frequency response, so
have them stand together tight, and/or move the microphone from one to two feet away
from the group to pick up more room sound.
Acoustic Guitar
There are a variety of ways that the Q2U can be used to mic an acoustic guitar. The
microphone placement will depend on the type of instrument and what kind of sound
you’re looking to capture. For example, the tonal quality you want to focus on, and how
much finger slide or pick noise you may or may not want. When miking a standard steel
string acoustic, a good place to start is with the microphone positioned and pointing
towards the end of the fingerboard at a distance of about 6 inches to 2 feet away from the
instrument. You can experiment by moving the microphone slightly in the direction of the
sound hole, which will produce more low frequencies, or move it in the direction of the
fingerboard to capture more high-end or to remove any unwanted boominess. For nylon
string acoustic, try positioning the microphone above the bridge to emphasize more of the
attack from the sound of the finger picking, or for less, move the mic closer to the sound
hole. If you have a pair of Q2Us, try one positioned at the fingerboard and the second over
the sound hole.
Application Notes
