We got our first look at Primacoustic's new IsoTools line of sound-isolating devices this past January at the Winter NAMM show. I mentioned in my NAMM blog that I thought the IsoTools products "could revolutionize the quality of sound reinforcement and recording."
We recently had a chance to evaluate two of more than half a dozen innovative acoustical isolation products in the IsoTools line. When used for mic'ing vocals, drums or other instruments, each IsoTools product is designed to improve isolation from other sources regardless of whether you use them in a studio recording, live recording or live sound reinforcement situation.
Isolation is a vital component of producing a quality audio mix, and is one reason why studio recordings tend to sound better than most live recordings. In a live or studio situation, bleed from one mic to another-whether it be from adjacent drum mics, instrument mics, vocal mics or room mics-can create a muddying effect that reduces the control the sound engineer has in producing the desired mix.
Two of the many new IsoTools products that appear to be most applicable for churches to improve their live sound reinforcement are the CrashGuard Drum Mic Shield (List Price: $40.00) and the KickStand Bass Drum Microphone Stand (List Price: $90.00). The CrashGuard is designed for use on drum mics to shield sound coming from adjacent cymbals. CrashGuard fits on any mic stand (most likely on a boom stand) between the mic clip and the stand itself. The cable cutout allows the microphone to swivel and be positioned as needed. The under side is coated with high-density open-cell foam to absorb reflections and reduce phase cancellation, and the hard-shell ABS side is designed to take a hit from over-zealous drummers.
The KickStand takes a different approach to acoustic isolation. Instead of shielding a mic from an adjacent source, the KickStand's focus is on reducing mechanical noise coming from the stage, riser or studio floor and entering the mix through a vibrating mic stand. Physical vibrations from the kick drum, and low-end tones and vibrations from subwoofers and bass guitars, can enter the mix from any number of sources. The KickStand's heavy rectangular base sits on top of high-density foam and is designed to decouple the microphone stand from the vibration source, while introducing a stabilizing mass to hold the microphone in place and, according to Primacoustic, increase the transient response of the microphone. In theory this makes sense. Though our evaluation was not a sophisticated A/B test, a microphone that is held more firmly in place will receive more sound/air pressure, and therefore achieve better transient response than one that moves or vibrates with the source.
We evaluated the IsoTools KickStand and CrashGuard in a live sound environment at a church that does a full-on, rock-style worship set before the pastor's message. The drums are on a 36-inch riser with a portable drum shield around the three sides. For our evaluation, the CrashGuard was placed on the snare drum mic in an effort to isolate it from the high-hat, and the KickStand was used as designed on the kick drum mic.
Of course, both products could be used for other purposes. For example, KickStand could be used on any mic stand, especially those on wooden stages, or risers where vibrations or resonances could enter the sound system through open vocal, instrument or vocal mics. The CrashGuard could be used on other instruments as well. In a recording environment where visual impact is not as important, I could envision using the CrashGuard to help isolate mics on wind or stringed instruments, instrument sections, and in a live or studio environment on guitar cabinets to reduce spill from adjacent guitar or bass cabinets and certainly drums.
A short boom stand was added to the KickGuard holding the church's Audix D6 kick drum mic. The KickGuard's heavy rectangular stabilizing base snuggled up nicely to the front of the kick drum, potentially offering improved placement when compared with traditional round mic stand bases, or even tripod bases.
When mixing the worship service, our sound engineer immediately noticed more separation on the snare mic using the CrashGuard. With more isolation he could better tailor the sound of the snare without also coloring the bleed over from the high-hat. The CrashGuard's tough ABS backing proved its mettle and may have shielded our snare mic from damage, as our drummer hit the unit several times over several services.
In our evaluation environment, the isolation brought by the KickStand was not as pronounced when compared to our standard kick drum mic stand, though our concrete stage floor and heavily carpeted drum riser no doubt already provided substantial deadening and isolation. In a church with a wooden stage, a cheaper, lighter drum riser, or one with a main PA located much closer to the drum set, we expect the isolation from the KickStand would have been more pronounced.
I stand by the original impression from the Winter NAMM show in that I believe Primacoustic's IsoTools products could revolutionize the quality of live and recorded sound-certainly for churches who may not benefit from ultra-high-quality equipment or expertise. Noise gates, and other electronics, can be extremely important for producing high quality audio mixes. But the use of electronics requires expertise that many churches simply don't have. Audio sources that are acoustically isolated or controlled at the source will give the sound engineer, regardless of his or her experience, purer source material from which to build a mix. Primacoustic's IsoTools CrashGuard and KickStand are very practical, affordable problem-solvers that help deliver purer, more isolated audio sources to sound engineers at all levels.
For more on how we evaluated the KickStand and CrashGuard, including additional photos, please visit www.churchproduction.com/primacoustic_isotools.
