Sound Advice by Leon Sievers Sound Professional August 08, 2006
If your worship team includes
a Choir you may or may not want to include them in the house mix. If the
choir is loud enough in the house of worship without amplification, you
don't need to mike the choir unless you want to pick them up for recording
or broadcast. Most manufacturers offer models designed specifically
for choir micing. They are almost invisible, sound natural, and are available
in black and white finishes. Use one microphone in the center of every
20 to 30 foot span. A choir of 30 to 45 voices should need only two or
three mics. The fewer the mics, the better the gain before feedback. If
the choir mics are used for sound reinforcement, place them close to the
choir to minimize feedback: about 1.5 feet in front of the front row of
singers, and about 1.5 feet above the head height of the back row. This
placement tends to pick up all the rows of the choir about equally. Monitor
feedback into choir mics is a serious problem because choir mics are far
from their sound source. Try to keep the monitor level as low as possible.
Some general tips on microphone
usage to reduce the likelihood of feedback.
Use as few microphones as possible.
Each time you double the number of open microphones, the gain before feedback
drops by 3 dB.
Turn down microphones not in
use. This reduces the number of open mics, which prevents feedback and
increases clarity. An automatic mixer (gated mixer) is a helpful tool here:
it attenuates unused mics automatically.
Keep loudspeakers and microphones
as far apart as is practical.
Keep microphones close to their
sound sources - as close as possible, but no closer than necessary to achieve
adequate volume before feedback occurs. Have the sound-system operator
educate users to stay close to their microphones.
Use directional mics like cardioid,
supercardioid or hypercardioid.
In conclusion, houses of worship
require a wide range of mic choices and placements. Each sound source has
special miking needs. But with some attention to those details, your application
will provide a clear, natural sound that enhances the worship experience.
condensors
We use AKG C1000s mics for vocals and have found them to sound much cleaner then SM58s (no big surprise really). I have been able to get them on Ebay for around $150 each (new) which makes them a better value than SM58, in my opinion. Don't get me wr...more
Submitted by: Pat Gibbons Location: Magnolia. Tx
SM 58? and other micing comments/quesitons
I am surprised that you did not talk about the frequency and transient response of different mics which ultimately affect the sound of the mic. In my experience, the SM 58 has decent frequency response but poor transient response which ends up makin...more
Experiencing Worship, The Study
Used by churches all over the world to help teach worship, the Experiencing Worship study can help your worship team too.
Your team will learn why we worship and gain a better understanding of how to worship.
One user said..."Your 5 week study course has made a tremendous impact on my life in the study of worship... I would like to express my thanks for a well written study course that leads into a higher realm of praise and worship."
The Paul Langford Project
This is the debut album by EXW friend Paul Langford. Paul is a Chicago based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. Paul has a career that spans 14 years. Paul's work includes arranging for groups like GLAD, Voices of Liberty, VoiceTrek, The Chicago based "Caroling Party" and Day of Discovery Singers. His arranging has appeared on recordings side by side with greats like Gene Puerling and David Maddux, and he has sung with Don Shelton, Bonnie Herman and Bob Bowker, among others.
Used by churches all over the world to help teach worship, the Experiencing Worship study can help your worship team too.
Your team will learn why we worship and gain a better understanding of how to worship.
One user said..."Your 5 week study course has made a tremendous impact on my life in the study of worship... I would like to express my thanks for a well written study course that leads into a higher realm of praise and worship."
This is the debut album by EXW friend Paul Langford. Paul is a Chicago based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. Paul has a career that spans 14 years. Paul's work includes arranging for groups like GLAD, Voices of Liberty, VoiceTrek, The Chicago based "Caroling Party" and Day of Discovery Singers. His arranging has appeared on recordings side by side with greats like Gene Puerling and David Maddux, and he has sung with Don Shelton, Bonnie Herman and Bob Bowker, among others.