You can suspend boundary mics from the ceiling.
Your studio rehearsal is an important part of the recording process, as well as for preparing for live concerts. As such, you want to get the most out of your rehearsing time, which is why using appropriate microphones in the studio is imperative. A boundary mic is the most suitable type of microphone for rehearsing in your studio, since it is designed to pick up direct sounds from multiple sources -- from vocals to instruments -- while drowning out background noise. Placing the mics strategically around the rehearsal studio requires you to be familiarized with how the microphone actually works.
Instructions
1. Mark the locations where each musician will be standing in the rehearsal studio. Use neon tape to make an "X" on the floor for easy identification. The location where you set up the boundary microphones depends on where the sounds are coming from in the studio. Have the musicians stand in place.
2. Ask for the musicians and vocalists to play or sing a tune. Cup one hand over one ear as you listen to the sounds. Find the spot in the studio where the music or vocals sound the best with your ear still covered. This becomes the starting spot for mic-ing the studio. Stand one boundary mic at this location, or hang it, so that it is at the appropriate level where the music or vocals sound the best. You have to use your ears and listen to determine what the best height is for the microphone. This variable depends on many factors, including the height of the musicians and how they are arranged in the studio.
3. Perform your first mic test. Have the musicians play or the vocalist sing. Listen to the sounds. Identify any offensive background music. If you notice some, move the boundary mic closer to the music source, but not too close or else the sounds become unnatural sounding.
4. Add second or third mics to the studio to help pick up the sounds of the music. A boundary mic can be attached directly to the sound source or right next to it. The location and position depends on the type of instrument. For instance, if one of the instruments is a grand piano, a boundary mic can rest on the underside of the piano's lid. If you are mic-ing a violin, the boundary mic should rest on the music stand or on the front or above panel.
5. Follow the distance rule when it comes to using more than one boundary mic. That rule states that the distance between each microphone must be three times the distance from the mic to its sound source. So, in an example, if one microphone is one foot from the instrument is covers, and another microphone is one foot from another instrument, the two microphones must be positioned three feet apart.
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