Before you start streaming, you should ensure that the microphone you are using is suitable for talking voice. If the microphone is too sensitive, it will capture plosive sounds that you would not wish to have.
You should place the microphone for streaming right in front of you to ensure that it records your voice effectively. You should take time to construct the mic and follow all the instructions to fix the frames appropriately.
The rest of this article will talk about mic set up during streaming, how you should prepare in advance, and the factors to consider when placing the mic for streaming.
How to Set Up the Mic for Streaming
Choosing the right mic and positioning it properly are the first steps to successful streaming. Do not choose an oversensitive microphone to avoid capturing unwanted sounds. It is advisable to use a dynamic mic
because it is not too sensitive but still captures all aspects of your voice’s tonalities. Since a streaming microphone is a plug and play type, it is easy and compact to use.
When setting your mic, you should place it inside the frames and secure it on both sides to prevent it from shifting while streaming. However, when securing the mic, the fixing should not be too tight because you might still need to adjust your mic during streaming.
You might need to connect the mic to other devices; you will need a boom mic in this case. A boom mic is an adaptor that makes it easy to connect the mike to your PC.
Check out my guide to the Best Boom Arms.
If you have headphones, you should use them because they isolate you from outside noises and provide better audio monitoring. With headphones on, you will be able to listen to how you sound on the live stream. Knowing how you sound on the live stream will help build your confidence. It will also help you know whether you need to readjust your microphone for a better sound.
Check out the best ASMR mics.
Understand Its Polar Patterns
While positioning your microphone for streaming, you need to understand its polar patterns. Polar patterns help you to determine from which side your microphone will be capturing your voice. If you are streaming in a small room, for instance, you would like your microphone to pick sounds from the front and not its sides. If you do not set the polar patterns correctly, no one will hear you.
If you are streaming with other people in the same room, you will want to place the mic in a manner that will capture voices from all directions. Therefore, you may adjust the microphone’s polar settings to make it capture sounds from all directions. Most microphones come with a button that allows you to set the polar patterns. Most microphones have an indicator that allows you to know which polar sign you set.
Most microphones have an LED light indicator that will help you know the polar pattern you have selected. However, some mics have no indicator at all. If you are streaming together with other people, it is best to put the mic in super or hyper-cardioid mode.
Understand the Mic Sensitivity in Different Streaming Situations
It is essential to understand the mic sensitivity because this will help you know how to position the mike in different streaming situations. You can adjust the mic sensitivity on the mic or your personal computer. Higher mic sensitivity is ideal if the mic is positioned far from you. Low sensitivity is ideal if you have positioned the mic close to you. You can also use a USB cable nest alongside the streaming mic.
Here is a video on adjusting microphone sensitivity:
Know the Ideal Mic Positioning
How you position your mic in a room is just as important as the sensitivity and the microphone’s polar settings. The positioning will determine whether or not you isolate your mic from distracting background sounds. Air conditioners, vehicles, and steps could produce vibrations that might also be captured in your recording.
If you intend to connect your mic with an Xbox, you should ensure that no other devices are connected to the Xbox because this might cause connection problems. You have the option of testing your mic before you begin the live broadcast.
After checking your voice, you can make the necessary mic adjustments before you go live. Many apps are available that allow you to adjust your mic and autotune your voice in advance.
Check out which microphone is between the Blue Snowball and the Razer Seiren Mini here!
What to Consider When Setting Up the Mic for Streaming
Mic Placement
When placing your mic, you should ensure that you avoid hollow sounding or distant vocals. You would not want to sound as if you are streaming from your bathroom. With proper mic placement, you can solve this problem. You should place the mic closer to your mouth to capture every aspect of your voice and fewer other sounds in the room.
The ideal placement of the mic should be 6 to 12 inches (15.2 to 30.5 cm) from your mouth. At times, you may notice some plosives. Plosives are popping sounds produced when you are pronouncing “t” or “p” sounds. If you notice some plosives, you should try adjusting the mic by tilting it at a 45-degree angle towards you. This way, your mic will capture your sound clearly without interaction by air puffs.
If you tilt your mic but still can’t get rid of the plosives, you should consider using a pop filter. A pop filter is a custom screen that sits between the microphone and your face. The pop filter will prevent plosives and will also protect your mic.
For more information, check out our guide to properly using a pop filter.
Address Type
When positioning your mic for live streaming, you should consider whether your mic is a front-address or a side-address mic. You must ensure that you tilt the mic at the right angle towards your mouth. For a front-address mic, you should tilt the mic in a manner that your voice hits the microphone’s head.
If you have a side-address mic, the mic will pick up sounds from the sides and not the top. Therefore, you should orient the microphone’s head vertically. If your mic picks up sounds from the side, setting the mic at a 90-degree angle will make you sound clear and professional. If you have a side-address mic that has not been delivering quality streams, try positioning it vertically, and you will notice the difference.
Background Noise
No matter how you place your mic, it might be hard to prevent it from picking background sounds, especially if you have a sensitive mic. If you are in a noisy place, like close to a busy street, you should consider closing the windows while recording. You should also consider switching off any fans close to where you are streaming from to prevent the mic from picking the fan’s vibrations.
Issues That You May Encounter After Setting Up the Mic
After setting your mic, you may find that you keep bumping on the mic, which may ruin your streaming experience. You could invest in the shock mount. A shock mount will isolate your mic from interference. A shock mount will also help to reduce shock, noise, and ambient vibration.
You might also notice that your mic is taking up too much space on your camera or the desk. You can solve this problem by using a microphone boom arm. A boom arm will make it easy for you to move and place your microphone wherever you want it.
Find out to see if headset headphones are good for streaming in this article here!
Summing Up
After following all the outlined guidelines, your voice should be clear. However, if you place the mic well but still realize that your voice is not clear, you may use effects to enhance your voice.
You can achieve professional-sounding live streams by using signal processors like compressors, equalizers, and noise reduction tools. Some streaming software has inbuilt signal processors, while others rely on extensions.
Find out our top 5 tips on where to place a microphone in a video studio here!
Sources
- Microphone TopGear: How to set up your microphone for streaming on Youtube & Twitch
- Castos: Podcast Mic Techniques for New Hosts (11 Important Tips)
- Stream Labs: How to Improve the Sound of Your Twitch Streams
- My New Microphone: What Is A Microphone Shock Mount And Why Is It Important?
- Neumann: Microphone Basics: What’s a Dynamite Microphone?
- My New Microphone: What Is A Boom Microphone? (Applications + Mic Examples)
- Lewitt: 5 Polar Patterns Explained
- Voices.com: Microphone Setups – How To Find The Sweet Spot
- My New Microphone: What Are Top, End & Side-Address Microphones? (+ Examples)
- My New Microphone: What Is A Microphone Shock Mount And Why Is It Important?
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