Samson Q2U Recording & Podcasting Pack (Gray) - Manual (Page 18)

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Operating the Q2U
Stand Mounting the Q2U
The Q2U can be mounted to a standard microphone stand like the Samson BT4, BL3 or
MB1 using the included mic clip. If you are using a U.S. 5/8” mic stand, you will need to
unscrew and remove the included Euro stand adapter. Simply screw the Q2U mic clip
on to your mic stand or boom arm and adjust the microphone to the desired angle.
Polar Patterns
The most important characteristic of any microphone is its directionality or “pick-up
pattern”. There are three basic categories of pick up patterns; omni, bidirectional (or
figure 8) and cardioid (or unidirectional). Omni mics pick up sound from all directions,
bidirectional mics pick up the sound directly in front and back of the microphone while
rejecting the sound on the left and right sides, and cardioid mics pick up the sound in
front of the microphone. While omni and bidirectional microphones are very useful
for a variety of applications, cardioid is desired for a majority of “miking” situations. The
cardioid pick up pattern allows for better separation of instruments in the studio and
more control over feedback in live sound reinforcement. When positioned correctly, the
cardioid pick-up pattern allows you to pick up more of the sound you want and less of
the sound you don’t want.
Microphone Placement
In order to maximize the sound quality, you must pay careful attention to the
placement of your Q2U and how it is positioned for the instrument or vocalist that you
are miking. All microphones, especially cardioid microphones, exhibit a phenomenon
known as “proximity effect.” Very simply put, proximity effect is a resulting change
in the frequency response of a microphone based on the position of the mic capsule
relative to the sound source. In general, as the microphone moves closer to the sound
source, the bass response increases. You can also make subtle changes to the frequency
response by making minor adjustment to the position. Specifically, when you point a
cardioid mic directly at the sound source (on axis) you will get the best frequency