Released 18 Aug 2023
No importa lo profesional que sea tu configuración, una técnica y colocación incorrectas del micrófono pueden fácilmente arruinar el audio de todo tu stream. Colocar correctamente tu micrófono es crucial para capturar un sonido rico y claro sin ruido de fondo, y hasta los ajustes más pequeños pueden resultar en mejoras significativas.
En este artículo, analizaremos por qué la colocación del micrófono es importante y cómo posicionar mejor tu micrófono al hacer streaming para obtener la mejor calidad de audio posible.
El micrófono dinámico profesional XDM-100 USB es excepcional para streaming, pero como con cualquier micrófono, una colocación correcta ayuda a que funcione al máximo de su capacidad.
There are a few different variables at play when it comes to positioning your microphone, and each factor will influence the quality of your audio in a few different ways. Let’s check out some of the more prominent impacts of mic placement.
Simply put, the proximity effect dictates that a microphone will pick up more bass in your voice the closer it is to your mouth. This generally means that having your mic either too far away or too close can result in a thin and tinny sound or a boomy and muddy sound respectively, neither of which are ideal for clarity. We’ll cover the Goldilocks zone later on.
The distance between mic and mouth also impacts your voice's volume – the smaller the gap, the louder you’ll sound. If you’re too far away, your voice will be too quiet and you’ll need to turn up your microphone gain to compensate, but in doing so you may amplify unwanted background noise.
Most microphones used for streaming, like the XCM-50 and XDM-100, are directional mics. This means they’re designed to capture sound in the direction they’re aimed at while excluding sounds from the sides and rear of the mic. However, these microphones will still be susceptible to picking up background noise in your recording space, such as air conditioners or reflections from hard surfaces. Ensuring your microphone is in the optimal position will mean you can set your gain correctly to minimise background noise.
El micrófono de condensador profesional XCM-50 USB es de captación lateral, lo que significa que recoge el sonido de manera perpendicular a su cara frontal.
There are many interferences that can cause artefacts in your audio, but when it comes to streaming, two of most common you'll come across are caused by plosives and bumps to your desk or microphone.
Plosives are sharp puffs of air produced by mouthing certain sounds (such as the ‘p’ in plosive) that can result in a brief, loud burst of sound when it hits to microphone capsule. Similarly, when a microphone moves, its highly sensitive capsule can pick up slight vibrations, creating unwanted noise in your audio. These effects can come from directly bumping the mic, but also from something as seemingly harmless as the vibrations in your desk from using your keyboard.
So now we’ve had a look at how mic placement can affect your audio, let’s dive into solutions to these problems and how to optimise your setup with proper microphone technique.
The most flexible solution for mounting your microphone is a professional studio arm like the PSA1+. It allows you to position your mic anywhere in space, move it around quickly and silently when needed, reduces the clutter on your desk and helps to absorb knocks and bumps. Another option is to use a tripod on your desk, like the one that comes with the XCM-50 – these offer a simple and compact solution to positioning and angling your microphone.
Pairing our XDM-100 mic with the PSA1+ is an excellent way to dampen the impact of shocks as it offers three stages of protection. Any vibrations from your desk will be absorbed by the rubber contact points of the PSA1+, the PSM1 shock mount that comes with the mic, and also by the internal shock mount within the microphone itself.
With the XDM-100 dynamic USB microphone mounted on a PSA1+ studio arm, vibrations and shocks will pose no problem to your audio fidelity.
If you’re using a dynamic mic like the XDM-100, ideally place the mic between 5-15cm (2-6 inches) from your mouth. Condenser microphones like the XCM-50 are more sensitive and can be placed further away, typically between 10-20cm (4-8 inches). This distance will allow you to set your gain at a level where your voice is nice and loud, without boosting unwanted background noise.
While these proximities are good starting points, it’s worth experimenting with what works best in your situation as you may have a naturally deeper voice or be more expressive during your stream – in both cases, try moving the mic a little further from your mouth. Check out our article on dynamic vs condenser microphones for more information.
Typically, dynamic mics like the XDM-100 are end-address, meaning you need to point the end of the mic at your mouth, while condensers like the XCM-50 are more commonly side-address and pick up sound from the front/side
When aiming your microphone, it can help to visualise a cone extending out from the capsule of your mic. Try to keep your voice as close to the centre of this cone as possible, while making sure that nothing that creates a distracting and unwanted sound (like your keyboard, chair, traffic or air conditioning) falls within the cone.
The XDM-100 is shown positioned so that it’s aimed away from the streamer’s keyboard and mouse.
La forma más sencilla y efectiva de reducir el impacto de las plosivas en tu audio es usar un filtro antipop, que actúa disipando la energía de las ráfagas de aire antes de que lleguen a la cápsula del micrófono. Algunos micrófonos, como el XCM-50 y el XDM-100, ya tienen filtros antipop incorporados, y el último también viene con un filtro antipop externo.
Si tu audio sigue sufriendo de plosivas a pesar de esta protección, puedes intentar inclinar el micrófono para no hablar directamente hacia él, sino un poco hacia un lado. Esto significa que las ráfagas de aire de los sonidos plosivos no van directamente a la cápsula del micrófono, reduciendo su impacto.
Por último, pero no menos importante, vale la pena considerar cómo la colocación de tu micrófono afectará la estética visual de tu transmisión. Obviamente, no quieres que el micrófono obstruya completamente tu rostro (o tal vez sí), pero tenerlo demasiado lejos es problemático por todas las razones que hemos mencionado. Por lo tanto, vale la pena experimentar con mantenerlo justo fuera de la toma o en el borde de la misma, mientras sigue estando lo suficientemente cerca de tu boca para ofrecerte un audio rico y claro (un brazo de estudio puede ayudar enormemente con esta posición).
Combinar todos estos consejos te dará un audio cristalino con un tono rico y de calidad de transmisión en tu voz, pero si no puedes implementar todas estas recomendaciones, aplicar solo algunas de ellas aún mejorará considerablemente la calidad de audio de tu transmisión.
Para una solución de audio completa para streaming y juegos, consulta el XDM-100 o el XCM-50 y el UNIFY.
