Microphone Sensitivity: One Hot Microphone

Microphone Sensitivity: One Hot Microphone

Microphone sensitivity becomes a topic of discussion as soon as it becomes a problem.  I'd hazard a guess that most people don't think about microphone sensitivity until the moment when a microphone picks up a sound that explodes out of the house speakers, to which someone says, "that microphone's really hot!" The definition of microphone sensitivity Microphone sensitivity is the measure of the microphone's ability for converting acoustic pressure into an electric voltage.  The higher the [keep reading]

Feedback Prevention: A Closer Look at Microphones and Monitors

Feedback Prevention: A Closer Look at Microphones and Monitors

Monday's post on feedback prevention prompted a good question from Ryan, a reader.  He said, "...there was one phrase that jumped out at me.  Specifically, 'Regarding floor monitors, vocalists should be very close to their floor monitor.'  I wanted to ask what the reasoning is behind this?  I would think the further away the singer is, the more the sound is diffused; ergo, feedback is reduced." One of the hard parts of live audio production is taking into account all the different [keep reading]

Four Great Microphone Articles from the Web

Four Great Microphone Articles from the Web

Consider microphones as the most important part of your sound system.  It doesn't matter how great your house speakers sound if you aren't using the right microphones for the job. This week, I covered microphone diaphragm size and how it plays a role in the quality of your vocals.  I also discussed how you can easily clean up your vocal channels in three short steps.  I now present you several articles from across the web in regards to microphones. The four great microphone [keep reading]

Microphone Suggestions for Quartets

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Running sound at church can be like running sound for a variety show.  You never know what will next come your way.  Today, you walk into the church and find out a singing quartet is on the roster.  Their only request: only one microphone for all four of the singers.  Let's investigate your options. A quartet can share one of two types of microphones; large diaphragm or small diaphragm condensers.  The choice between the two microphones comes down to the type of monitoring they [keep reading]

Q/A: Podcasting Microphone Recommendations

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Steve B. sent this email: "Chris, do you have any recommendations on podcasting equipment?  Our church is looking into starting that ministry."  There are a couple of ways to go with podcasting microphones... There are three ways to setup for recording a podcast; USB microphone that plugs into the computer (simplest) Standard vocal mic that plugs into a USB converter (moderate) Standard vocal microphone that plugs into a mixing board (complex) Most podcasters will fall into the [keep reading]