I know it may seem a little over the top to spend an entire article on microphones, but these are probably the most important tools you have, especially in a house-of-worship setting. We will be covering the three popular types of pickup or polar patterns and dynamic microphones versus condenser microphones.
I will not be discussing brands and models of mics, as there are just too many to touch on. If you are a hired gun, meaning you do not belong to a particular congregation but you work as a mixer, you should have a selection of mics with you every time you mix. If you are part of the church membership and are either paid for your services or you volunteer your skills, you probably use the mics that are already at your house of worship. Unless your particular house has a vast selection of microphones, I would encourage you to pick up some of your own. Good mics are always a valuable commodity in any sound reinforcement setting.
Polar Patterns
OK, let’s take a look at the three different types of polar patterns and what they are good for. The first polar pattern I will choose is the omni-directional mic pattern. Omni means “all” (like God being Omnipotent), which explains why the mic picks up sound in a 360-degree spherical pattern. I only use this type of mic for my live worship recordings. I like to use one or two out in the room while I am recoding a service. I can get live sound off the stage and also the reaction of the congregation. For anything else, this type of mic is subject to too much feedback.
Next, we have the cardioid pattern. Sound is picked up in a heart-shaped area in front of the mic. This type of mic is unidirectional as opposed to omni (figure it out). This is by far the most popular pattern. It can be used for preaching, singing and miking of instruments. Generally, the cardioid pattern has good feedback rejection. Lastly, we have the Supercardioid pattern. This is another unidirectional mic, but with a more narrow sound pickup in that now familiar heart shape in the front of the mic. And a slight bit of pickup directly behind the mic. This type of mic can be used anywhere the cardioid can, but I like them for miking guitar amps or drums where I want a little extra isolation. That pretty much gives you an idea of the types of polar patterns, so why don’t we look at dynamic and condenser microphones.
Dynamic Versus Condenser
Dynamic mics are the most common type of microphones used in live sound applications. First and foremost they are very durable. Church mics can receive some very harsh physical treatment. A good dynamic mic can endure a fall, an orator’s spit and even double as a hammer in some occasions. You can find designs for almost any application and they can sound very good.
Condenser microphones for the most part are the second choice for sound engineers. To my ears, a good condenser is better sounding than a good dynamic mic. They are also more able to pick up sound from a distance. You will find that all top-quality choir and podium mics are condenser. They are typically smooth and natural sounding. The one draw back is they tend to be more susceptible to damage. It’s not a good idea to drop a condenser mic or get is wet. However, there are some very tough ones out there on the market that can take as much of a beating as a dynamic mic. Don’t forget all condenser microphones need a power source. Usually, it comes from a phantom power supply built into your mixing console via your balanced mic cable, but some models have battery compartments. Now that we have a basic over view of mic types and mic patterns, let me give you a few examples of how I use my microphones.
As I said earlier, you may not have the luxury of being able to walk into a house of worship with a road case full of mics, but I do. And when I have a choir in front of me I will put up two really nice condenser mics on two mic stand just in front and above the choir. At one of my churches they already have a couple of choir mics hanging from the ceiling. In this senario, my two mics just pick up a little more of the choir and add to the richness of the singers.
Speaking of singers, I work with a six-singer, ten-piece gospel band and I use a different condenser mic for one of the female singers who has a great voice, but not a lot of horsepower. A good condenser mic can certainly pump up your vocalist. It is also nice to have a good pair of condensers for any of your percussion micing needs. All the aforementioned condenser mics have a cardioid pattern.
I do, however, use a condenser with a supercardiod pattern in cases where I really want to isolate a guitar amp, an acoustic guitar sound hole and the occasional violin, viola or cello. That particular mic I don’t use very often, but it sure is nice to own it.
With my dynamic cardioid microphones, I will bring them out for solo singers, various guitar amplifiers and specific drum miking.
Just having some extra microphones can make your job easier and more fun. If you are a hired gun or a paid church member, good mic will make you the king of your mixing environment. If you work as a hired gun, a reputation for bring extra (and cool) mics will certainly increase your business. So, if you already own mics, please bring them to your worship sound gigs. If you don’t have your own microphones, think about getting some.
You can e-mail Jamie at jrio@fohonline.com
