Gear / Technical Help > Microphones & Setup

Side Vents on Mics

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guitard:
How important is it that the side vents on my AT853 cardioids not be covered?  I read in a thread about AT853 windscreens that the vents shouldn't be covered, hence my asking.  I typically record >:D and use these croakie-like mic holders (see photo).  For concealment purposes, I usually pull the mics inside of the holders so that only the very tip is sticking out.  Have I been making a critical mistake by doing this?  If so, I'm going to have to come up with a way to allow them to extend out from the holders, while still keeping them concealed and also pointed straight forward.

Edited to notate my AT853s are cardioid mics.

EmRR:
The vents are a big part of what makes them directional mics.  At minimum you are modifying the pattern.

RyanJ:
If they are pointed straight at the source, I don't see this inhibiting much of the sound?

Would love someone to chime in on this as well.

MIQ:
You have to keep the side vents open on those mics.  They will not function correctly if you don’t.  They work by combining the acoustic wave hitting the front of the membrane with the delayed acoustic wave hitting the back of the membrane coming in from the side vents.  For a cardioid mic, when the sound is coming from directly behind the mic, the front and rear waves cancel each other and you get the deep null in the pattern.  Imagine what would happen if you stopped those rear membrane waves from entering the mic at all frequencies.  Even the tech flex mesh will have a big effect at high frequencies, but would do nothing at lower frequencies...

nulldogmas:
It's super important to keep the side vents uncovered, as I've learned through bitter experience. I don't know the acoustic properties of that croakie material, but I would try to keep it away from the vents if at all possible. (If not possible, you can try to recover some of the lost frequencies via EQ in post, but YMMV there.)

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