Samson C03U Manuel Du Propriétaire page 10

Operating the C03U
Super Cardioid
3
While Omni and Bi-directional microphones are very useful for a variety of specialty
applications, the majority of miking situations in recording and live sound require
uni-directional or Cardioid microphones. The C03U condenser's pickup pattern is
Super-cardioid, which offers even more side-to-side rejection. The uni-directional
nature allows for better separation of instruments in the studio and more control over
feedback in live sound reinforcement. To select the
Super Cardioid pickup pattern, set the pattern selec-
tion switch to the center, Super Cardioid position
indicated by the "heart shaped" icon. When posi-
tioned correctly, the Super-cardioid pickup pattern
3
allows you to pick up more of the sound you want
and less of the sound you don't want.
4 Omni
Omni, or omni-directional, microphones pick up sound from all directions. To select
the Omni pickup pattern, set the C03U's pattern selection switch to the right, "O" posi-
tion. You can use the omni pickup pattern if you want to capture the ambient sound
and natural reverb in a room where an instrument or voice is being recorded. The
Omni mode is also great for recording ensemble
performances from groups of vocals, brass, wood-
wind and other instruments with the artists facing
each other in a circle around the microphone. As an
added benefit, the omni pattern is the least suscep-
4
tible to the proximity effect. This can be extremely
useful when recording artists who have a tendency to move their instrument, includ-
ing their voice, around the microphone while performing. In these situations, using
a cardioid pattern can result in the frequency response changing tremendously with
just a few inches of movement resulting in a recorded track with the lows moving up
and down in volume. Using the omni pick up pattern can help control these tricky
miking situations allowing you to capture the best performance without inhibiting
the talent by forcing them to try to stay in a fixed position.
5 Figure 8
Figure 8, or bi-directional, mics pick up the sound
directly in front and back of the microphone while
rejecting the sound on the left and right sides. To
select the Figure-8 pickup pattern set the C03U's
5
pattern selection switch to the left, "8" position.
In this mode it's almost like having two identical
microphones facing back-to-back to each other. This can be an ideal setting for cap-
turing two artists singing a duet or laying down a background vocal track. Having the
two artists face each other while performing can help capture the emotions that may
other wise be missed if two microphones are used. You can also create some interest-
ing slap back echo effects by positioning the C03U in Figure-8 pattern between a
recorded instrument and a particular wall in the studio. The rear capsule will pick up
the reflection of the sound off the wall, and by changing the distance of the micro-
phone from the wall you can actually change the delay time of the echo.
8