RSR534 - Derek Bargaehr - The Nerdy Mic Episode You Didn't Know You Needed!
Recording Studio Rockstars
Lij Shaw
4.8 • 543 Ratings
🗓️ 28 November 2025
⏱️ 66 minutes
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Summary
Learn why polar patterns matter more than EQ as Derek Bargaehr of Vanguard Audio Labs breaks down capsules, circuits, self-noise, phase tricks, stereo techniques, and practical mic placement you can use on your next session.
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My guest today is Derek Bargaehr. A lifelong tinkerer, he started out burning himself with a soldering iron and modding guitar pedals at 15, eventually working as Director of Operations for a successful microphone company. A freelancing engineer, producer, gear tech, and bassist, Derek earned a BA in Commercial Music – Audio Engineering & Music Business from Azusa Pacific University. Today, he runs Vanguard Audio Labs as the Chief Everything Officer, designing microphones and restoring priceless vintage AKG, Neumann, and Gefell mics.
He was previously a guest on RSR249, and I'm excited to have him back to talk about his new line of microphones, including the V14 Variable-Voltage Tube Condenser, the V24 Stereo Tube Condenser, and the V1 Gen2 FET Pencil Condenser!
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This episode of Recording Studio Rockstars is brought to you by Isotope, Native Instruments, |
| 0:06.7 | S-A-E- Institute, Adam Audio, Spectra-1964, and Picker. |
| 0:12.9 | In fact, you're hearing my voice right now, recorded through a Spectra-1964 STX-100 mic-Pree, |
| 0:20.5 | and mixed with Isotope, ozone, and RX on atom audio monitors and headphones. |
| 0:27.4 | Grab my free mixing course at Mixmaster Bundle with the link in the show notes below, |
| 0:33.1 | and please make sure to visit our fantastic sponsors also in the show notes, |
| 0:38.2 | and like and subscribe to our YouTube channel, |
| 0:41.5 | because it's a great way to help support this show. |
| 0:44.1 | Now, get ready to rock. |
| 0:47.0 | I really like XY with small diaphragm mics. |
| 0:49.9 | I don't have a good reason for you why, |
| 0:52.7 | but I'll do that on acoustic guitar all the time with like a pair of wide cardioids. It's very coherent sound. And that helps a lot. Yeah, the phase coherence is the whole point of a stereo mic too, is that you get instant phase coherence. You don't have to measure the snare or do all that stuff on a drum overhead. But XY is small diaphragms on an acoustic guitar. I have a real hard time going away from that technique when I record acoustics. And it's like, I should be more varied in the way I record so I can learn more stuff. But I'm like, I know I'm going to get a great sound out of this, like, Martin D15, just by going X, Y, somewhere between, like like the joint of the body and neck or the 12th fret. |
| 1:30.8 | And maybe like, you play with distance. |
| 1:34.1 | You can get as close as like three or four inches, but that's going to cause problems for the guitarist. |
| 1:37.5 | Or it can get as far back as like two feet. Welcome to Recording Studio Rockstars. |
| 1:52.4 | I'm Lid Shaw, and this is the podcast created to help you become a rock star of the recording studio. |
| 2:03.6 | Rocks. become a rock star of the recording studio. Rockstars, are you ready to unlock the full potential of your mixes and masters? |
| 2:10.6 | Then you need isotope ozone 12. |
| 2:14.6 | This complete tool set gives you 20 pro modules, including the new base control, Unlimiter, and StemEQ, |
| 2:23.3 | plus the IRC5 Maximizer for loud, clean mixes and masters without distortion, including the new mastering assistant that guides not decides so you are always in |
| 2:37.3 | control. Go to isotope.com and use the code rock 10 for 10% off. |
| 2:45.7 | Dreaming of a career in audio or the entertainment business, SAE Institute, Nashville, in the heart of Music Row, offers hands-on programs where you'll |
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