The list of possible microphones you could choose for your singers and band may be as long as the menu at a Chinese restaurant. There are an awful lot of mics to choose from. Yet, like Chinese food, sometimes you just have to go with what you know.
But how do you just “go with what you know” unless you've invested time, effort and a willingness to try new combinations—time to learn the vocal qualities of your singers and the tonal characteristics of the instruments in your band, as well as time to learn about the various capabilities of the mics in your inventory, plus those under consideration for purchase or use.
One size fits all or a variety?
“Get the right tool for the job.” That's a quote many of us have heard or even used a time or two over the span of our careers. And while it might not be obvious, it's even important with something as ubiquitous as a microphone. The microphone is an important part of the creative aspect of doing sound. And, it's a critical link in the signal chain of any live, recording, or broadcast sound system. Jim van Bergen, freelance audio engineer/sound designer, says, “At Middle Church in NYC, the programs change radically from week to week; From classical programs with organ and traditional choral music, to gospel choir with full praise band with B3, drum kit, bass, guitar and piano. Of course, the only thing to expect is for change, adaptation, and challenge. It's one thing to make sure you have enough mics for these changes live, but we also need to have everything covered properly for broadcast. So a varied, flexible toolkit is the only approach that is truly appropriate.”
Nate Gustafson, FOH engineer for Bay Hills Community Church of Richmond, Calif., notes, “It is important to have a variety of mics available because the best way to EQ something is to put the correct mic on it. Of course, ‘correct' is a matter of preference, however, you can fix a lot of EQ ‘problems' by putting a different mic on it.” Across the country in Lakeland, Fla., local audio professional and volunteer at his church, Kevin Bridges concurs with Gustafson. “For starters you typically have a revolving cast of singers in a church environment,” he says. “Every voice is different and you need to be able to put the right mic up. I would rather get it right with the mic choice than to fix it with EQ and processing, of which I have limited availability.”
Adam Bayles, an Orlando, Fla.-area freelance sound engineer who also works in a local church, says, “I have different mics for different people, depending on who's singing. My vocalists are significantly different; one of them has an extremely deep voice. I have another guy who doesn't really stay on the mic that much so I prefer to use a dynamic cardioid mic for him. That way, it gives him a little bit more fullness when he's on the mic. Also, for the female singers, a lot of the time I'll go with a condenser because they don't tend to push as much, and I can pick them up a little bit better and get a more well-rounded sound.”
However, oftentimes budgets, or the experience or skill level of the tech staff will preclude having a variety of microphone types in your inventory. So you will to find a few microphones that can be as flexible as possible and service the particular needs of your church. Patrick Waller, worship pastor at WayPointe Church in Richmond, Calif., says, “In a perfect world it would be great to have a stable of different mics for different voices and situations, but with an all-volunteer tech staff that doesn't have the expertise to utilize a stable of mics, I've gone for a pretty standard allotment of mics, [such as] Shure SM87s across the board for all my vocals. The congas are the only mic'd instrument, and I'm using Shure SM57.”
Microphones that have survived the rigors of touring will likely hold up in a church environment—which is more demanding than one might think.
Which one do I choose?
Application will help to determine the mic choice. Even though quite often the goal is to reproduce the sound of the voice or the instrument, an experienced engineer will often select a microphone that will complement or even enhance the sound source. Most of the readily available microphones will have some sort of signature sound, which is why a lot of audio people consider microphones an integral part of their creative tool kits. For example, most microphones intended for vocal use have what's referred to as a “presence peak,” or a slight rise in the frequency response at about 5,000 Hz. This is to help with intelligibility. In addition, directional microphones will exhibit a characteristic known as “proximity effect,” where the low frequencies will become more pronounced as the sound source gets closer to the mic element. Many singers use this to help make their voices sound fuller. It's important to use the mic's individual qualities to the best advantage. It could be that the pickup coverage pattern, the gain before feedback in a live situation, the ability to help the vocal cut through a noisy stage environment, or the frequency response of the mic just happens to work well with whatever you're trying to amplify or record.
To aid with selection, microphone manufacturers will often provide some guidance by categorizing mics on their website or other documentation, by possible or typical applications, or even providing packaged kits for things like drums or accessories that enable use for specific applications, such as mounts for pianos or acoustic instruments. Some also offer more in-depth application guides.
However, don't be afraid to experiment (though an actual service or live production is not necessarily the time). Gustafson notes, “The best way I find to pick the best mic for the job is to actually try them out at practice and see how they sound. You can find out a lot by actually putting a mic on something and listening.” Also, try out the mics you have available with your own voice or another familiar sound source and listen how they are affected by microphone choice—and placement.
Bayles adds, “Mainly by listening to the singers and musicians, or [from dealing] with them in the past, knowing how they perform, knowing the tone of their instruments, I'll choose a mic accordingly, from whatever I have to work with.”
“I listen to the source,” says van Bergen, “and decide if it's going to be best suited and replicated by being treated as a broadcast source or live source. Some sources in the space don't need reinforcement, but need good representation for broadcast or capture, while others need to be reinforced in the house. If we're dealing with a source that will need to be loud in the live space for a gospel-style number, we'll choose a mic for good gain before feedback for reinforcement. If it doesn't need a lot of support for the house, we choose a studio mic for broadcast/capture.”
Perhaps you're given a new mic to try out on vocals. It might work well on male vocals, with a very solid low-end response, for example, and so you decide to try it on various instruments—on drums, on the toms for instance. It may not actually sound good at all, so perhaps you move it to try on brass—trumpets, trombones, French horns, etc. It works great and you subsequently use it whenever you have to mic up a horn section.
"… you can fix a lot of EQ ‘problems’ by putting a different mic on it."
Nate Gustafson
FOH Engineer, Bay Hills Community Church, Richmond, CA
Comfortable, like a favorite pair of shoes
With time and experience comes familiarity, and quite often audio personnel will have a “go to” or an old favorite that they will start with because they know the characteristics and the capabilities of the mic.
When asked of his choice, Bayles says, “It depends, but if it's a singer, I'll usually start with a cardioid, that's probably my ‘go to' because if they are all over the capsule, then at least I know I'll get fairly good coverage, and at least I know they are not going to be stepping out of the coverage pattern.”
Bayles continues, “We have some super cardioid vocal mics in our inventory, but if I have a new vocalist coming in I'll usually go with a cardioid. Some kind of a cardioid, dynamic mic is a good starting point, because they'll stay in the polar pattern. Even if they move side to side or back up off the mic, you can kind of keep them in the polar pattern. Also, it will reject feedback more than some of the other mics like a condenser or a super cardioid.”
As with Bayles, “[For] my personal preference for live vocal applications in a church I'll usually default to a cardioid, dynamic microphone, especially if the mics are wired as opposed to wireless.” While van Bergen notes, “Every mic has an appropriate application. While I don't have a ‘go-to' per se, I could not imagine working without AKG 414s and Shure 57s and 58s.”
Tried and true
In particular for application in houses of worship, look for microphones that have established a reputation for durability as well as sound quality. Microphones that have survived the rigors of touring will likely hold up in a church environment too (which is more demanding than one might think).
As Gustafson noted earlier with regard to microphone selection, correct may be a matter of preference—what works best for your situation. Doing your homework by utilizing available resources, manufacturers' websites and documentation, consulting with local audio dealers and professionals and even other churches to find out their opinions and choices, will help you figure out the most appropriate microphones for your requirements.
