Microphones?

There are many different types of uses for a microphone; however, the key to making an instrument or voice sound good is knowing what type to use with each instrument you come across. According to Ear Trumpet Labs, the microphone that you use will affect the over all sound and feel of each instrument; thus, it will have a huge affect on how the audience perceives it in a live setting. The main qualities of a microphone that discern what you should pick for each instrument depend on if they are dynamic or a condenser microphone.

What’s the difference?

Dynamic Microphones are the most commonly used microphones in the live sound industry. They are used for a variety of instruments; however, they are mainly used for vocals, bass and guitar cabinets, drums, and other percussion instruments. They are the go to microphone for many traveling bands and sound engineers because they don’t require a power source and are very durable. Durability is key with microphones because, well, no matter what you do they will be dropped or soaked in water (ask me how I know…). Another factor that leads many sound engineers and bands to use these is their price point. They aren’t that expensive so getting extras or breaking one isn’t as detrimental as breaking one that is five times as much for a little better sound. Paul White explains that on of the few down falls to dynamic microphone is that the instrument or source of sound has to be relatively loud in order for the microphone to pick up the entire frequency range. Sometimes this doesn’t matter; however, if you are working with a instrument that is higher pitched, a lot of the higher pitches and detail will not be projected and picked up correctly. Dynamic microphones are great and can be used on a wide variety of instruments.

Condenser microphones are not as commonly used simply because of their price point; however, they are important to every sound engineer. Unlike the dynamic microphones, condenser microphones require power of some sort or what we sound engineers call it, “phantom power.” Phantom power is power that is sent from a mixer to the microphone and without it the microphone wouldn’t work. This poses a problem in some venues because not all mixers have the ability to send power to microphones this way. Condenser microphones are mainly used for choirs, pianos,  or as overheads on a drum set because of their pick up pattern is much wider and better than that of a dynamic microphone.  Condenser microphones have a much better frequency response than that of a dynamic microphone. This helps bring out  higher pitches and tones that some instruments produce as well as giving the microphone the ability to pick up much quieter instruments. Even though many sound engineers can get by with using only dynamic microphones; condenser microphones are a vital tool in perfecting a bands sound.

Overall, picking the right microphone for each source and application is very important. Stay tuned for future tips and tricks for becoming a great live sound engineer.  

Starting with the Basics

Today I had the pleasure of working with a few volunteers who will be helping me out at future concerts. Some of them had some technical experience and others just knew how to play their instruments. Therefore, in order to get everyone on the right page, I started everyone out with the some of the basic, non-technical, aspects of live sound.

One of first and most important things to take into account when mixing live sound is the room. What is the size of the room? Are the floors concrete or carpet? Are the ceilings high or low? These are all important simply because the characteristics of a room will drastically affect the sound and what you will need to bring through the P.A. In smaller rooms you must be sure that you aren’t putting to “much” through the PA system. According to Branden Prescott, no matter how much electronic processing is at your disposal to use to make a bad room sound good, it is always important to remember to use your ears when mixing live sound. I cannot stress how important it is to be able to listen to your mix and know exactly what is wrong with it. I started off with no experience and no external processing to help me out, which has proved to be helpful over the past few years. 

Another important factor when mixing live sound is what figuring out what instrument is more important to the others? Are the drums, the guitarists, the bass, or the vocals? As you might have guessed by this list the vocals aren’t an instrument; however, they are a key factor (obviously) when it comes to performing arts. According to Peter Lantz, the vocals are the most important part of the mix and need to be clearly heard no matter what setting you are in. Vocals need to be loud, clear, and be able to cut through the entire mix. Sometimes in order to achieve a good vocal mix, you have to cut other things out of the pa such, which might sound like a bad idea but it usually goes unnoticed in smaller rooms.

Have you ever been to a concert and left thinking, “Wow, the drums sounded amazing!” Well, I am one that loves to hear and feel the drums; however, you have to be sure that you aren’t over powering the rest of the band. When I am mixing in smaller and mid sized rooms I usually only put microphones on the bass drum and the snare drum. The main reason that I do not put microphones on the cymbals or toms in small rooms is because of the added noise and feedback that it can cause. I  only resort to putting microphones on the cymbals and toms when it is a larger room where they can’t project their sound fully. Drums should remain the driving force and feeling of a bands sound in a live concert and should be as loud as you can get them without drowning out the vocals.

When it comes to the bass and guitars, I usually put microphones on them no matter what; however, depending on the room size, I rarely put them through the pa. The main reason I keep a microphone on them is so I can put their guitars in the bands monitor mixes. The only situation that I end up putting the guitars through the pa system is when I am in a huge room or if I am working with acoustic guitars that are not very loud to begin with.

Although, there are many things that contribute to successfully making a band sound good live, these are just a few key pointers that everyone should take into account when starting as a armature sound engineer. Stay tuned for future tips and tricks for becoming a great live sound engineer.