BSQ Sound

Compiled by Shelley Herman

HANDHELD MICROPHONES IN CONTEST

I am a sound engineer with 50 year memberships in both the Audio Engineering Society and SPEBSQSA/BHS. I have belonged to the National Academy for Recording arts and Sciences (Grammy's) for twenty years.

I have written, time and again, articles for anyone who will listen or publish them, that four microphone use by barbershop quartets is WRONG. It will work just fine for shows where preserving the "Barbershop Sound" seems to have lost it's importance, but to sing as a Barbershop Quartet it is necessary for the participants to match, blend with and listen to each other.

When four microphones are used, the quartet becomes four soloists singing in formation, each singing a separate melody line, not chords.

The above being said, there are some exceptional quartets such as Acoustix or Suntones that have the talent and will spend the time and money necessary to rehearse with the system to enable them to have an acceptable "Barbershop Sound'" but they are the exception, not the rule.

If the four microphone technique is permitted in contest, quartets that have neither the talent, the ear, or the desire to spend the time and money to learn to use the system will be attempting to do it, then wondering why their performance is judged accordingly.

This technique has no place on the competition stage, and I personally will shout this message to everyone who will listen.

RECORDING CHORUSES

Recently questions were asked about chorus recording microphones. Here is my contribution:

The secret in recording is not just the type of microphone, it's the quality. If you use cheap dynamic mic's or cheap condensers, it's not going to sound as good as if your use high quality ones.

Most inexpensive condenser mic's are ELECTRET type. No matter what you do, electret mic's are just not going to sound good on barbershop. You would be best off, if you can't afford high quality condenser mic's, to use RIBBON mic's. If you can get some old Shure 330 or SM33 mic's or a modern ribbon made by Royer, you will get the best sound.

The next trick is location. The best place for the mic is right over the director's head. That way what is recorded is what the director is hearing.

Finally, using MP-3 or any other similar recording medium introduces dynamic distrotion. The louds are turned down, the softs are turned up. (This is an oversimplification.) Try to use a medium that has no compression.

It is also important to determine the final use of the recording. If it is a rehearsal tool, quality is not that important. If it is to be released as a for-sale or demo recording, then it should be of the very best quality.

OMNIDIRECTIONAL MICROPHONES

Freeman asked: Please Shelley, explain why he, Jeremy, doesn't need omni directional mikes vs directional mikes/cardioid mikes! If he wants to record the chorus wouldn't the omni directional suit his purpose better? That would have been my choice also! Educate me, please, in layman's terms!

From: "Jeremy Reynolds" <bbs10r@earthlink.net>

<skip> I know only that I need good omni-directional microphones and a decent enough sound system to go with them. >

Shelley Answered: Omnidirectional (omni) mics pick up all of the sound in the room. In recording situations all of the room sound and echoes are recorded instead of just the desired subject of the recording.

In reinforcement situations cardioid mics control feedback much better than omnis. In most situations it would be almost impossible to mic a chorus with omnis. I usually use supercardioid mics (Shure 330) for micing choruses. They are not only supercardioid but ribbon mics which is the best sounding for barbershop. Unfortunately there are no cardioid ribbon mics in general production at this time. If you can find some Shure 330's use them to mic your chorus. But be careful to TURN OFF the Phantom Power before connecting the mic.

MICROPHONE PLACEMENT

Jim Emery wrote: Obviously house aplification mics have different needs than recording mics, but I can share with you that the Great Northern Union chorus has used Sennheiser MKH-40's for our recent recording work. They really fit the sound of our chorus with a nice warmth but still very accurate response. We typically put them on towers about 18 feet above the floor and at roughly the lip of the auditorium stage. We've had excellent results with them.

Shelley Answered: That's fine for recording, but you would not be able to use that setup in a reinforcement situation. Before you got the mic level up to do any reinforcement you would be drowned in feedback.

OWNING YOUR OWN SOUND SYSTEM 1

Phil Sterner Wrote Hi Shelly - I recently saw on the Harmonet where you indicated to someone that you would be glad to review what they were considering for a sound system for their chapter.

My chapter - Roanoke VA had purchased some microphones sometime ago with the plans that a sound system would be aquired in the future. What they didn't know at the time was that these mics need phantom power and so far we have not performed anywhere that had this ability. The bottom line is that they have been collecting dust for the past two years in my closet. They are SHURE Model SM81-LC and we have stands, booms and cables, but nothing to use them with.

The board went back to the original committee of one and asked for an update on what we should use and then put money into the budget for the aquisition so that we could use the mics when we perform.

Listed below is the information that was brought to the board AND a reason why we should not make this aquisition from a very knowledgeable computer guy that has a lot of knowledge in other areas.

Would you care to comment on what was proposed for and what was against in this situation so that I can present an outsider's learned opinion to the board next month? It would be greatly appreciated and hopefully resolve the use of these mics.

In another chapter that I belonged to, we had a system which we would set up, do a sound check with the chorus and leave the levels alone. If for some reason, the MC got in front of the speakers, there was a feedback, but it only happened once and the guy in charge of the system was on the end of the risers and was able to cut back the gain in about two seconds as the amplifiers and preamps were only a few steps away. My feeling that the "against" reply might not be entirely valid based on my past experience.

FOR - "I was asked about info on a mixer/amplifier to be used with our mics when performing where we need a sound system. The need for this device is that at singout locations, we have been finding so many sound systems installed that do not have mixer boards that can furnish the phantom power to our mics that they require. This is a typical element for condenser mics which are the best kind of microphones for singing use.

It has taken me a while, but I have found the information that I got.

Mixer/amplifiers:

Mackie, 808M (Recommended) 450 watts/channel, x 2 amps; 8 channels, plus tape in, tape out, monitor line send $ 780

Yamaha, EMX 860 200 watts/channel, x 3 amps; 8 channels, plus tape in, tape out $ 600

We can get a single device, external phantom power supply, AudioTechnico? CT 8506, which is $ 150. This would also require four additional cables to go from this box to the individual channels on the mixer board of the unit where we would be performing.

Alternative:

Get our own Mixer/amplifier that we could plug into their sound system speakers, or use it to drive our own speakers eventually.

Yamaha: (I deleted the smallest unit) EMX 312S ? 300 watts/channel, 12 channels, 2 amplifiers - $ 450

EMX 512S ? 500 watts/channel, 12 channels, 2 amplifiers - $ 550

Neither Kip nor I recommend the smaller unit as it would be difficult for that one to drive audience speakers as well as on stage monitors (this is why you would need 2 amplifiers, one to control the auditorium speakers at their desired level, and one to control the on stage monitors at their desired level).

The greater the watts/channel, the clearer the sound amplification will be coming from the speakers. What distorts sound and possibly damages speakers is when you have your amplifiers turned up to maximum power to deliver the amount of sound you need. Therefore, if you have a more powerful amplification system, you can keep it turned down on out put level and get a cleaner sound plus preserve the life of your speakers.

With that knowledge, it is easy to see that for an additional 20% more money, $100, you get a much more capable sound system."

AGAINST - > I must say again that our big problem is not having a qualified operator > who we can spare from the chorus while we are performing. I continue to > get the impression a lot of people think you can just set a sound system > up and then forget it. This can never be the case. For a professional > result you must have someone on duty at the mixer at all times. > > As for the recommended brand, there is something that has been called > "the Mackie aire". This refers to a hump in the vocal midrange response > of Mackie mixers which announcers enjoy because it gives their voices > more punch. This would not be good for our music. No matter what make > we are considering, it would be wise to obtain an independent lab's > frequency response curve. We should be aware that most purchasers of > this type of equipment are buying for currently popular musical forms > where the desirable characteristics of audio components are sometimes > worlds apart from what we would need. > > As for the idea of using the system as an add-on to parts of an existing > sound system at the performance venue, I am not in favor of trying > this. Some of us are aware of the trouble at Northside HS. Even after > the connectors on the mics/cables were replaced, the system was still > unsatisfactory. In my opinion, if the sound system does not have > phantom power, which has been common even at entry level for several > decades, it is likely to be deficient in other ways. Audio equipment, > unless lovingly maintained, deteriorates with age. PA systems are > usually not afforded maintenance until failure occurs. It is quite > possible we would not even have easy access to existing wiring should we > wish to risk trying even just the venue's speaker system. Speaker > systems have varying impedences and may not be an optimal match for the > amplifier we have. In schools and in many places a 70-Volt system > (where each speaker must be connected through a transformer) is used for > efficiency and wiring ease, but the audio quality is almost always very > poor. With few exceptions, 70-volt systems are susceptible to hum and > have high distortion levels. If we are going to do this we must have > the complete system, and we must evaluate the components not only by > specs and price but also by ear, and through communications with other > choruses and society headquarters. > > The relatively large expense of a snake and/or other cabling must be > considered, not just the price of a mixer-amp. > > You know, there are in-line adaptors that provide phantom power for use > with P/A systems that don't have it. This might be a good investment.

Shelley Answered Phil Well, your 'against' person has some very strong arguments. Here is what I would recommend:

First, the desired situation is to hire a competent sound contractor with his own sound system, train him in the desired sound you are trying to achieve, and let him do the work. He may even trade some of his time for some Shure SM81 mic's. Put his charges into your fee.

If you can't do that, purchase a 12 input console with phantom power but no power amplifiers. The brand I recommend is Soundcraft, they sound best for barbershop. Also purchase the necessary attenuators, adapters and cables, from a competent professional sound distributor, to allow you to plug the output of the mixer into the microphone input of the various venues where your chorus performs.

You might also purchase a 27 band graphic equalizer or a feedback controller to reduce feedback in this situation should the house system not have one.

This will allow you to use your own microphones and have control of your sound, but use the built in sound system in the house. But then someone would have to learn how to hook all this stuff up, tear it down, cart it around and care for it. Sort of like hiring a soundman for free. If he moves away that process starts all over again.

You DO NOT want to get involved in bringing in your own amplifiers and hooking them to house loudspeakers. If anything goes wrong subsequently, you will be liable.

"Against" was correct in saying that not having an operator is the biggest drawback of having your own sound system.

OWN YOUR OWN SOUND SYSTEM 2

Jeremy Reynolds Wrote: So. Let's cut to the chase. If YOU were tasked to go out and buy a sound system for a 140 man chorus RIGHT NOW, what microphones would YOU buy and how many?

Same question for all the other stuff too. Amps, speakers, the lot. Name names and help me unbury all the bodies, please. I'm not too worried about the cost right now. We might have to sneak up on it but ultimately, we need to get the best we can afford.

Shelley Replied: For Loudspeakers I'd start with the JBL EON series. Perhaps even a E SYSTEM 15. Or if you wanted a more sophisticated mixer, a Soundcraft EPM 12. I would, however, stick with the self powered EON 15's. If you want monitors use the EON 10's. Using self powered speakers takes a lot of the hassle out of setting up and besides you don't have to worry about power amps. I would suggest that you buy the JBL tripod stands. They are a re-label of other makers stands, but if they ever collapse, JBL has all the liability. I would buy the zip up bags for the equipment. It really takes away from your performance if your equipment looks shoddy.

I would suggest a feedback controller such as is made by Sabin or Shure.

For mic stands; get the tripod type that fold up, they are a lot easier to transport; cables, get plenty of them they should all be XLR connectors, no phone jacks. Because you will have powered speakers you won't have to worry about heavy speaker cables, reverse polarity and other problems, it's all taken care of.

Then you have microphones. You will always want a couple of Shure SM58's for announcers, soloists and the like. My favorite quartet mic is a RCA77DX? which is not practical for a BSQ chapter, too expensive and too fragile. My next recommendation would be a one piece stereo condenser microphone. Do not use any microphones that say ELECTRET CONDENSER, they will usually distort with barbershop singing. You could also use any good identical pair of high quality condenser microphones with names such as AKG 460, Neumann KM184, Sennheiser, Schoeps and the like in a 90 degree "V" configuration. You will need a stereo bar for that. I can't give you an additional recommendation for chorus hanging mics because I have not found any that I like besides the ones mentioned for the quartets and the Shure 330. If you can find some Shure 330 or SM33 mics they are best for chorus overhead. It takes some fancy mounting to hang any microphone, but for a chorus of 140 I would recommend 4 or 5 mics hung about two feet in front of the first row and about one foot higher than the heads of the back row, following the riser semi circle of course.

RIBBON MICROPHONES

Jim Emery Wrote: I'm curious about a ribbon mic as a general recommendation for most barbershop groups, though. I have no doubt that the Shure 330 ribbons produce excellent rich sound for a cappella singing like barbershop. Ribbons have been the mic of choice for many singers for years. It's been my (admittedly non-professional) experience, though, that they can be quite fragile. Are they making more durable ribbons these days? If not, I think the average barbershop chapter would want to think twice about spending their precious budgets on microphones known for being delicate.

Shelley Replied: They are indeed delicate, but like girls, the more delicate they are the better they are!

They are not making hardly any ribbons these days. Ribbon mics by nature are bi-directional (often called figure of eight) and have to be especially designed to have a cardioid pattern. AEA in Pasadena, CA is making a fine reproduction of a RCA 44BX, the big old diamond shaped broadcast mic most associated with old radio. Theirs sound better than originals because the magnets are newer and stronger, but $2500.00 for one mic is a bit rich for most barbershoppers. Royer is making some fine ribbon mics but I don't think he has produced a production cardioid model yet. I spoke to him recently and he will let me know when he had one in production.

Shure 330's are pretty rugged, but like any fine mic, the have to be treated like jewelry and not dropped or tossed into a box. There are a lot of them out there. I own nine. They are also great for brass and reeds in big bands.

The absolute best mic for barbershop quartet is an RCA 77DX. It's a big old broadcast mic that has to be babied physically, but it sounds great. It looks like the one Larry King has on his desk, but his is just a prop.

An Exchange with Nate Pendly: Nate Wrote: Do you use only the single RCA 77D for a quartet? If so, when you're dialing it in to eliminate feedback, I would think it would result in too much boost for the center parts (usually lead and bass). What do you do about that – tell the bari and tenor to gut it out?

Shelley Replied: The 77DX has a perfect pickup pattern for BSQ, a wide cardioid. Ribbon mic's are probably the best mic's for reinforcing the human voice. That's why all those old network announcers always sounded so great, they were using ribbons. They're also great for horns and saxophones. We just did sound reinforcement for The Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters tribute to the big bands and vocalists. We had nine 77's for band pickup and a 44 for the vocalists. It sounded wonderful. All of the old radio people were raving about not seeing so many of them all in one place for 40 years

Nate: I'll have to admit that it would never have occurred to me to drag out a fragile, antique ribbon mic like the RCA 77D (not to mention expensive) to use on a barbershop quartet.

Shelley: I have three that I use constantly for BSQ.

Nate: But it's such a great mic, I don't doubt that you've had success with it. I must ask you this – how many new ribbons have you wound up having to buy due to dragging the thing around on barbershop stages? And at what approximate cost?

Shelley: Not very often, and the ribbon replacement cost is about $200. A bigger problem is when someone turns on the phantom power when they are plugged in. That can ake out a ribbon faster than anything. Also, I am known around the FWD as "Don't blow into the mic" Shelley.

Nate On the chorus mic-ing side, I would think the Shure 330's would dampen the tenor sound. Doesn't that mic take a pretty good dive right in the middle of the tenor frequencies?

Shelley No it doesn't. And it's a supercardioid pattern that is just right for overhead chorus pickup. Again, it's a ribbon

Nate: And who is selling the old 330's now anyway? Could I trust any that I bought secondhand to function well, or am I looking at a righteous repair bill right out of the box?

Shelley I get them for sale from time to time, I've found five in the last couple of years. I own nine. They are pretty rugged and if you check them out or buy them from a reliable store they should not be a problem.

INTERNET POST: - Microphone type – While I respect Shelley's knowledgeable opinions on audio, I have to disagree with him on his mic choice and would not recommend ribbon microphones for a typical barbershop chorus. Why not? They certainly sound excellent, and are considered by many professionals to be the best instrument for capturing the nuances of the human voice. Well, for starters, they can cost upwards of a grand apiece. Secondly, they are the most delicate/fragile mics going – blowing directly into one can destroy it, leaving you with a thousand-dollar paperweight. (How many times have you seen an M.C., a well-meaning chorus guy, or even some kid who climbs on stage from the audience blow into a mic to test it?) Also, if a careless or unsuspecting sound guy throws the "phantom power" switch on the mixer (more on this mysterious switch later), he can destroy certain ribbon microphones.

SH; All of this is correct, but I recommend that professionals be in charge of the sound system. I have used ribbons almost exclusively for barbershop event for over 30 years and haven't lost one yet.

MICROPHONE PATTERNS SOME OF THESE POSTS ARE IN RESPONSE TO GLEN GLANCY’S ARTICLE

SH: The following posts have been made to the Harmonet. I'll try to add my comments.

> Most SuperCardioid? and HyperCardioid? microphones have a larger "circle" > behind them than plain Cardioid mics do. For any type of closer micing > (quartets) the front "circle" of the SC & HC mics isn't wide enough to > catch all the performers. Also, most Cardioid mics have a more flat > frequency response than their SC & HC bretheren.

SH; I would not use a Hyper or Super cardioid microphone for quartet pickup, it would lose the outer voices. I do use them when I am using several mics over a chorus.

> What is your opinion regarding the floor mounted mics, pcm and pzm, I think > > they are called.

SH; NO! It has been tried. The mic is usually out of the sound field of the quartet and at least five feet away. It is also hemi directional and feeds back like crazy.

>Dynamic microphones (typical hand-held solo vocal mics) will not do the job in most cases. No matter how many you point at the chorus, they are so directional and so prone to the proximity effect that your total sound will be a collection of tinny solo voices. Even good quality mics (like the industry standard Shure SM-58) are designed for optimal use about a half-inch to a few inches from a solo voice or instrument, not for chorus or quartet use. (Unless, of course, the quartet wishes to use four handheld mics, which opens up a whole other can of worms that I won't get into in this post.)

SH: I feel dynamics are the last resort.

>I DO recommend condensers, as the article states. However, there is a wide range available, and not every type is suited for every application. While large-diaphragm condensers are great for studio work, recording, and even certain live applications (indoors in a quiet environment), I'd recommend small-diaphragm condensers for most chorus reinforcement.

SH: Large Diaphragm condensers make low frequency feedback hard to control unless you use rolloff, and then you're back to the sound of a small diaphragm. Use them only for recording. The only exception I make to that is when I have to record and reinforce simultaneously. I then use my AKG C426, which is a stereo large diaphragm mic in a single case with variable incidence angle between the capsules. That works very well, but they are not cheap

>Mic positioning for quartets – The description is a little unclear – I think the author has it right, but didn't explain the orientation of the "V." Two microphones in a "V" pointed outward toward the performers, while apparently logical, can create significant sonic problems. Two microphones in an INVERTED "V," with the mic elements overlapping or facing each other at a 90 degree angle, will give you complete coverage with no gaps in the sound.

SH: This is very important because should one cable have inverted wires, or if the mics were not exactly identical (maybe due to damage), if the mics were pointed outward there would be a big area of no sound in the middle.

>I pretty much agree with the mic placement for choruses outlined in the article, although you may want to adjust the number of mics for coverage of a larger chorus depending on how much vocal presence vs. room acoustic you like in your sound.

SH: Other considerations are audience and venue size and ambient acoustics.

>Mixing and Amplification – oddly, this was not addressed at all in the article.

SH: I think Glenn was trying to avoid getting into the more technical aspects of the electronics. To quote myself: leave it to the pro's.

SH: Chris has some very good advice in his post, but remember the logistics of owning all that stuff. And don't forget insurance. If a speaker falls on someone, chances are it'll be a lawyer or his client!

MICROPHONE LOW FREQUENCY ROLL OFF SWITCHES

> Why isn't it just as effective to leave the mic flat, and > run the first few EQ sliders down to -18db?

Primarily to lose the rumble and A/C. The low frequency components and rumble in a non studio situation put a lot of signal into the preamps. By rolling off the mic, it puts less signal into the electronics giving them more headroom.