Each Engineer Has a Touch with a Mic

Another cross-post from my blog.

There is much ado about fancy mics among musicians and engineers, just as there is much ado about fancy guitars among guitarists. And don’t get me wrong, these instruments can certainly sound inspiring. However, any guitarist worth trusting will tell you that so long as the instrument isn’t unplayable, you can make great music with it (and some have written and even recorded with beater guitars).

It’s not so much about the mic as it is the engineer. Having been through a handful of mics so far, I have not been rid of my “touch” with a microphone. It always sounds like me, whether I like it or not. I’m choosing to let myself like it.

I once heard Tina Weymouth share at a Q&A, “If you have ears, you can make anything sound good, if you’re enjoying it.”