Getting the vocal sound you want in praise and worship can either be a matter of prayer and blessing, tradition (who could go wrong with the legendary SM58?), or better yet, understanding a few fundamental facts. In this article, we're going to demystify the mechanics and give you the guidelines you need to make the best decisions for your situation.
We'll cover some of the basics:
Pickup Patterns Is it a "cardioid world"?
Mic Placement How to hold the mic and where to place it, especially if you're using stage monitors
Keep in mind, though, that while the technical aspects of microphones are pretty rigid, how you apply them to the sound you're trying to achieve is not. Your vocalists' styles, the style of music your musicians play -and whether you're striving for a clear, natural sound or a specific effect -will all influence the choices you make.
Transducer Types: Dynamic and Condenser
Beginning to understand how microphones work will help you to understand their sonic differences. A good place to start is transducer types because every mic, whether wired or wireless is either dynamic or condenser.
What's a Transducer?
This is the element inside a mic that converts sound waves to electrical impulses. Live applications typically use a mix of dynamic and condenser mics.
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Transducer Types
Condenser mics receive their power through the mic cable from the input of the device to which they are connected, such as a mixer or mic preamp. This is called Phantom Power.
Phantom power is a DC voltage (generally ranging from 11 to 52 volts) that powers a condenser mic's electronics and, in certain models, provides a polarizing voltage for the capsule. Most often, phantom power is supplied by a mixer, but it can also be supplied by a separate, dedicated power supply.
Most condenser mics can operate with phantom power voltages ranging from 11 to 52 VDC.
For more information on phantom power, click here.
Dynamic and condenser mics have different frequency response characteristics. Dynamic mics (like the SM58) tend to be "shaped", meaning there are more peaks and dips in the frequency response. Condenser mics are typically "flatter", and have more extended high frequency response.
What this means:
If you're looking to accentuate mid-range frequencies in vocals or increase intelligibility, a dynamic mic might be your best choice. This is the sound most of us associate with high energy rock. On the other hand, if you want to cover a wider (high and low) frequency range to better achieve a more "realistic" sound, a condenser mic might be a better choice.
Again - it's a matter of experimentation
If you cannot see the movie, you may download the Flash plugin here or simply click below to view the alternate PDF version.
Pickup Patterns
| The bass response of all directional microphones is increased as the signal source - your voice - comes closer to the mic capsule. This is called Proximity Effect and it becomes apparent at a range of one foot and increases as the distance of mouth to mic decreases.
For speakers or singers with high or thin voices, proximity effect can boost the bass, filling out the sound. To learn more about Proximity Effect, click here. |
Handling the Microphone
Seems like a pretty natural thing, doesn't it? But how your vocalists handle the mic has a major effect on the resulting sound. It may look great, but your tech team won't get the sound they want when your soloist holds a microphone an arm's length from her mouth.
Why?
The first reason is the inverse square law. If you hold your mic a half-inch from your lips it receives a given amount of sound energy from your voice. Move it twice as far-one inch-and it receives one-fourth as much energy. That extra half -inch takes away three-quarters of the efficiency of your sound system. While good mic technique involves "working" the microphone, singers that fully extend their arms when reaching for that climax, are usually doing it for dramatic effect. Small changes in distance from the mouth can result in very dramatic changes in sound level.
Second: When you move the mic away from your lips, you must turn up the microphone level at the mixer to be heard, and more unwanted sound enters the mic. When sound from a monitor speaker enters the mic, it instantly becomes the earsplitting screech we know as feedback. Keeping the mic close to your mouth minimizes feedback.
To learn more about the Law of Inverse Squares, click here.
To learn more about Feedback, click here.
DO -Hold the microphone steady. -Mount on a stand to reduce handling noise -Hold it short distance (no more than 3" -4") away and point it somewhere between the nose and mouth. DON'T -Wave the microphone around. -Press it to your chin. -Cover the microphone by holding it at the ball grille. |
Until more houses of worship invest in personal monitors, floor monitors will continue to have a presence onstage. Now, the goal becomes getting the best possible Gain Before Feedback.
What It Is and Why It's Important:
Gain Before Feedback is the amount of gain (amplification) that can be achieved in a sound system before ringing or feedback occurs. In live performance, you generally want as much of this as you can get.
To keep vocal microphones from picking up sound from the floor monitors that are facing musicians onstage, place the monitor angled towards the least sensitive side of the microphone. With a cardioid pattern microphone (like the SM58), place the monitor directly behind the microphone. For supercardioid pattern microphones (like the Beta 58A), follow this simple diagram.
There is no doubt that wireless lavalier microphones have just about become the standard for miking the pastor. That's not to say, however, that a reliable lectern microphone doesn't have certain advantages.
Ask yourself these questions:
1. Does the pastor move around the pulpit? If the answer is "yes", you'll probably want to invest in a wired or wireless lavalier mic or perhaps, a headworn model. Lavalier mics are great because they're completely inconspicuous and won't interfere with the sight line of the congregation. Upgrade to wireless, outfitted with a beltpack transmitter, and the worship leader or pastor can move freely about the sanctuary and congregation.
Wireless headworn models, like the WBH53 allow you the opportunity to use an omnidirectional microphone and still enjoy good gain-before-feedback. The real benefit is that the mic tracks with the pastor's or worship leader's head movements, delivering excellent sound quality and freedom of movement.
Tip: When using wireless transmitters, always install fresh batteries and remind the pastor to turn the transmitter on right before the service.
2. Does the pastor stay in one place or will other speakers be stepping up to the mic? In that case, lectern microphones might be a better choice. /Generally speaking, it's better to use one lectern mic than two to ensure a more consistent tone.
Tip: It also helps to use a foam pop filter or windscreen to reduce breath pops for trained and untrained speakers.
3. Cardioid or Omni? While conventional wisdom suggests that unidirectional or cardioid mics may offer more stable performance in live applications, you'll want to experiment. If the pastor moves his or her head from side to side, his or her voice may move in and out of the narrower pick-up pattern of a cardioid mic. On the other hand, the slightly more true-to-life sound of an omni mic presents greater feedback challenges. The speaker's style will influence the choice you make in the microphone polar patterns. Lavalier, lectern and handheld mics come in both types. Experiment.
Tip: Since stage monitors tend to produce feedback problems, consider the use of in-ear personal monitors for your worship leaders, vocalists and musicians. They also help to promote a cleaner, less-cluttered look and give you more control of the mix.
For most musicians and engineers, the most important thing to remember in choosing a microphone is that how it sounds is really the most important factor. Experiment and listen.
Some general guidelines to remember.
Keep the mic in close proximity to the sound source (voice) and as far away as practical from unwanted sound sources (such as loudspeakers or instruments) to reduce feedback.
Reduce pop (explosive breath) sounds by holding the mic either closer or farther than 3 inches from the mouth (because the 3 inch distance is worst) or by using a pop filter.
Reduce handling noise and stand thumps by using mic stands and accessory shock mounts.
There are many excellent sources for technical detail on the subject of vocal miking for live performance. In addition to numerous articles published on the Internet, we recommend the Knowledge Base on shure.com, or Shure's "Microphone Techniques for Music/Sound Reinforcement" or "Audio Systems for Houses of Worship" available as a PDF at www.shure.com.
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