In the realm of professional audio recording, every detail counts when it comes to making a high-quality recording. There are lots of moving parts and decisions involved, and while most attention goes to microphones, preamps, and acoustic treatment, one overlooked component can make a huge difference in your recording quality, much more than other components: the mic plate. Some might think these are simple accessories, but they're actually very important, and they can help create professional, organized, and efficient recording environments.
What Are Mic Plates?
Mic plates, microphone wall plates, mic panels, etc., are flush-mounted connection points that are mounted, usually in studio walls. These mic plates provide a convenient, permanent access point for mics or other peripherals, eliminating the need for cables running across floors or through doorways.
Key Benefits of Using Mic Plates
Enhanced Studio Aesthetics and Organization
One of the most obvious advantages of mic plates is how they help provide a clean and professional look to any recording space. Rather than seeing cables snaking across the studio flooring or being draped on furniture, mic plates provide discrete connection points, and they help to preserve and maintain the visual appeal of the studio. An organized space can look more presentable but is also more conducive to artists and clients being inspired and engaged.
Improved Safety and Workflow
Cables that are lying everywhere across studio floors as a potential safety hazard create tripping hazards, which can lead to injury or, in the worst-case scenario, damaged equipment. Mic plates mitigate that danger by providing safe and secure, wall-mounted solutions. The increased safety ultimately leads to better workflow, as musicians and engineers can move about the studio without being bogged down by cluttered cables!
Signal Integrity and Reliability
Quality mic plates are produced with heavy-duty connectors to ensure that there is a stable, secure connection. In a professional recording environment, it is critical to have a reliable way to connect the signal. You can't compromise the integrity of the signal when it's a professional recording. By installing mic plates correctly, the chances of a connection issue, ground loops, and intermittent signals during recording will be greatly reduced compared to a temporary cable solution.
Flexibility and Scalability
Contemporary mic plates allow unparalleled versatility for a variety of recording situations. For a solo vocalist, you can place a mic plate anywhere in the room to record in a different spot, or, if recording an ensemble or full band, simply reconfigure mics with the mic plates you have in certain areas of the room while you're recording, without changing the overall cable routing drastically. The added benefits of this flexibility are especially valuable for multipurpose rooms that perform many recording functions.
Best Practices for Implementation
Strategic Placement Planning
The placement of mic plates needs to be carefully thought out depending on each studio's normal recording situations. When planning where the most common microphone positions will be for certain instruments and vocal setups. In a live room there should be plates at different heights and locations that accommodate everything from bass amplifiers placed on the floor to recording drum overheads. A similar caution of comfort should be given to the common mic placements for vocal recording with many popular broadcast microphones like the SM7B and the SM7dB and the other common models of podcast mics, voiceovers, and vocal recording devices. Control rooms will also want to pay attention to mic plates that are around the desk for talkback microphones and the microphone from the client.
Quality Installation Matters
Installation is a vital process for proper use of mic plates. Installation should always be conducted by qualified professionals who would route the electrical properly and be sure ground points are properly grounded to any grounded system. Always choose high-quality plates with high-quality gold-plated connectors that would resist corrosion and maintain the maximum quality of signal going from the mic to the console over time. Always ensure your mounting is secure to the proper fastening position and that plates are only profiled to the surface of the wall to avoid places to snag on other equipment!
Cable Management Behind the Scenes
While mic plates do a great job of cleaning up the visible part of the studio space, good cable management behind the walls is just as important. When working with cabling behind the studio walls, users should think about using good cabling, using the right cabling for the length distance, and managing the cable routing to reduce any interference. When cabling a studio, try to label everything connected to the plate; it will save time for troubleshooting and maintenance.
Integration with Existing Systems
Users should think about how mic plates will integrate with their audio routing system. Whether a user is patching into a patch bay, using a digital snake system, or directly into your console, it is important to make sure the installation of the mic plates will add to the user's existing workflow rather than making it more complicated.
Future-Proofing Considerations
When installing mic plates, consider the future. Adding more plates after the initial construction is far more cost-effective than retrofitting. You may want to consider spare connections or different connector types for an unknown future.
Maintenance and Long-Term Care
Regular maintenance of mic plates can keep them operating reliably for years to come. Regularly check the connections and look for wear and tear or corrosion, and clean the contacts if necessary. Keep spare plates and connectors on hand so that you can quickly replace any that may get damaged.
Conclusion
Mic plates are a professional way to build a studio and well worth the investment when you consider safety, organization, and sound quality. Although they do require initial planning and financial commitment, the overall benefits in workflow efficiency, safety, and professional appearance are too important to not consider installing mic plates in any serious recording facility. With respect to proper installation practices and basic considerations for placing the plates in your space, you can enhance your existing studio, build a safer environment, and help make recording and mixing simpler and more professional.