Tips, Techniques, & Advice
Have you ever wondered why you get that awful squeal from a microphone? Why do some sound systems sound great for speech but not for music? How to select proper microphone or speaker cable? The article links below are wonderful sources for finding out.
Microphone Tips
ABC's of AKG: Microphone Basics & Fundamentals of Usage
This article presents an overview of the basic technical characteristics of microphones, including how they work, what their acoustical pickup patterns are, and what their electrical characteristics are. We then move on to a discussion of basics of usage, such as how multiple microphones interact with one another, what their target working distances are, and how they behave in a variety of operating environments. Our aim is to keep our coverage as simple and as "user friendly" as possible.
Audio Systems Guide for Houses of Worship
Audio systems for house of worship applications have evolved from simple speech reinforcement to full concert quality multi-media systems. They run the gamut from the most traditional services to the most contemporary services and nearly every combination in between. Recording, broadcast, and video production are additional aspects that must often be integrated with the audio system.
The objective of this guide is to provide the reader with sufficient information to successfully choose and use microphones and related equipment in a variety of typical house of worship applications.
Audio Systems Guide for Meeting Facilities
Audio for meeting facilities is a topic that encompasses a wide range of applications, from a simple public address system in a courtroom to a multi-channel legislative system with recording and broadcast capabilities. Though these systems may vary in size and complexity, they are all governed by the same physical principles and they share certain types of equipment.
The objective is to provide the reader with sufficient information to understand how microphones and mixers are applied to meeting facility sound situations (Boardrooms • Courtrooms • City Council Chambers • Legislative Chambers).
Audio Systems Guide for Music Educators
An often overlooked yet vital part of modern musical performances is the sound reinforcement (PA) system. In a perfect world, a trained professional would always be available to purchase, setup, and operate the school's sound system. In reality, most educational facilities do not have the available funds for such a luxury. The responsibility then falls to the next most likely person at school to run the sound system, the music director.
Audio Systems Guide for Theatre Performances
Proper microphone selection and placement in theater applications can dramatically improve and reinforce the impact of the action and emotion on stage. While the physical design of the theater environment and its acoustic qualities must be considered in the design of a sound reinforcement system, the topics focused on in the guide includes microphone selection and placement, and wireless microphone systems. This text will examine how microphones, both wired and wireless, can be used to insure that every word spoken or sung is heard while taking into account some of the complexities of costuming or staging.
Audio Systems Guide for Video Production
Because the video production field is enjoying such rapid growth, keeping up with its technological advancements is a real challenge. The equipment used in video production is becoming more sophisticated, practical, and accessible every day, and more and more people are getting involved with video projects of all kinds.
This booklet is intended to help anyone involved with video projects improve the audio quality of their productions. It is not intended as a comprehensive study of the subject of audio. Its real goal is to provide helpful tips, practical advice, and a general knowledge of audio tools – all with the express purpose of making video productions as clear, understandable, and impressive as possible.
Interpreting Wireless Mic Specs
The "spec game" is played by every manufacturer. The allowable tolerances are not strictly controlled and there are few standards, so you generally have to qualify or translate a particular set of specifications before you can make valid comparisons. It is difficult enough to decipher and compare specifications on conventional audio equipment, but it gets to be very nebulous with wireless microphone systems.
Micing the Drum Set
In this White Paper we will discuss micing the drum set largely from the point of view of AKG's highly regarded studio mics. We also want to introduce a new family of low-cost dynamic microphone models that are so good you'd think they were condensers! These are the models D440, D550 and D660; along with the D770, D880 and D112, they are ideal for the home studio and music reinforcement on stage. They all have high overload margins in the 145 to 150 dB, which is essential in drum micing.
Microphone Techniques for Live Sound Reinforcement
Microphone techniques (the selection and placement of microphones) have a major influence on the audio quality of a sound reinforcement system. In this guide, Shure application and development engineers suggest a variety of microphone techniques for musical instruments to achieve good results.
Selection & Operation of Wireless Microphones
The purpose of this guide is to provide reader with adequate information to select suitable wireless equipment for a given application and to use that equipment successfully. This guide is presented in two parts: how wireless microphone systems work and how to make wireless microphone systems work. The first part should be of interest to those who specify or integrate professional wireless equipment while the second part should be of use to anyone who regularly works with wireless microphone systems.
Cable & Connector Tips
Choosing the Right Mic Cable
In this article, you will learn about microphone cable construction and selection with recommended products for various types of use. We will cover: XLR connectors, balanced and unbalanced connections, Wiring of the different types of microphones, the right wire for microphone cables, including shielding, and a short section for vocalists only.
Choosing the Right Speaker Cable
Speaker cables hook audio amplifiers to speaker cabinets. The ideal speaker cable has zero-length wire, with no resistance, no capacitance, no inductance, and no change in sound from amplifier to speaker. The ideal speaker cable does not exist. However, this guide will assist you at understanding how important cable selection is to an audio system
Connector Guide
A pictorial of different connectors used in the audio industry. Each connector is shown and the appropriate name given.
Connector Wiring Guide
The variety of connectors on audio equipment sometimes leads to confusion in wiring. The diagrams provide
wiring recommendations for most common cables. This guide shows proper wiring of audio connectors.
What's a Snake?
The snake is a convenient way to get all your audio signals to and from the stage and mixing console. This simple guide illustrates uses for a snake.
