quote:

Originally posted by srmbr:
Are you happy with the ISOMAX? Does it cut thru the mix well (like a Audix OM5)?

I can't compare to the OM5; we don't have one.

I haven't used the ISOMAX myself in much of an A/B comparison with the Crown CM311A for singing; the ISOMAX is used primarily by the 'preacher of the day' ... and works quite well for that. Far, far better than the lavalier mic we'd used on that same wireless previously.

When I listen to speaker using the ISOMAX vs. a wired SM58 knock-off, I find that (with the cardiod capsule) I need to cut the HF and boost the mid or low EQ a bit, depending on the voice, to match the wired mic. But I can't really address it as a singing mic (yet).

Because of the relatively flat response graph which came with the mic, I suspect a mid-range boost would help with "cut-through" ... a good situation for using the zEQ for a vocal preset on the T1!

Just a note about Countryman.

I had occasion to call CountryMan Support 1-800-669-1422 to ask about adjusting the microphone. I spoke to Rosa, who was extremely helpful and professional.

She spoke with the confidence of one who has explained something hundreds of times, but with the genuine interest of one who understands that for me, this was a first time experience.

I had been having trouble with keeping the microphone in place as I used it because the telescoping arm was loose.

As a result of this conversation, my one nagging issue with the microphone was resolved.

Just thought I'd mention this for anyone considering a Countryman microphone.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ST,

Hi All,
I read with interest this thread re headworn mic's.
I've been using a headset mic since the days of working on a boat (ship) which used to traverse the Bay of Biscay. After nearly loosing a couple of front teeth a couple of times due too somewhat inclement weather the transition from mic on stand to headworn was very easy. The issue I had was that as a vocal guitarist the guitar strap used to eventualy break the lead from the headset to the transmitter (Belt pack). This was over come when Samson brought out the Airline system. This has a triple A battery held in the actual transmitter which is again enclosed within the headset. I urge you to check these mics out. I have found that using the Samson through the L1 the sound is so so much cleaner and crisper than before but hasn't lost any "tone". I am using the 00 preset as the mic goes into a Roland 5M before hitting the L1. All in all since buying the L1 system my career has spiraled upward. OUTSTANDING system!I can now hear what I'm doing. And so can the audience.
As an aside I read a lot of the posts regarding the differences between the L1 and the MKII. I really feel the main issue has been missed by everyone on this forum.........THE COLOUR!.....All models only come in Black!! why not some nice pastel shades or a blue, maybe a yellow a red would be nice. Imagine a mottled pink? Is there anyone at Bose who has any colour co-ordination or vision? Or are you all just sound experts? Come on Bose, people look at these systems as well as listen to them.

Thanks to Drumr Pete I should have a review / comparison of the Crown CM311A for you soon.


--== click the picture to see it in context ==--


I have used it a a couple of gigs and basically like it. It is a wonderful sounding microphone. I want to do a few more and then do some head-to-head comparisons to other microphones.

Odd though, I had a big show on Saturday and I opted not to use it because I just wasn't ready to commit to it just yet.

More in a few days - but in the meantime - a big shout of thanks to Drumr Pete!

Interesting...

I called a place to order a Countryman, and they suggested a Provider Series PSM1, and I had them ship me one. Very low profile, but I couldn't get it to "sound right" and I'm returning it today.

I have a local friend that swears by the Crown, so I'll give that a try.

I anxiously await your report and comparison, ST.

Thanks, Mike

Hi Everyone.

Sorry for the delay in getting to my report on headset microphones. I've picked up a bug and haven't had much of a voice since the weekend. I have a plan for the last step in my comparisons, but I need my voice to finish that. I'm hoping to be able to finish this in a couple of days.

I have to add a plug for Crown headset mics.
I have been using one for about three years now and can't imagine using anything else.
If you have a strong voice or even tend to scream a bit, this is for you. No matter how loud you sing there is no distortion.

Some use compression because you can't control distance, although with a bit of facial distortion you can move it around.

I play harmonica with mine and tend to get carried away so I have torn a few foam wind screens loose from the plastic ring it's attached to, Easily fixed with a little super glue. I would suggest extra wind screens so you can change them out during a gig if you sweat or slobber

I have never had a problem with fit and it stays put even when I jump or run around (I'm all wireless)

Battery life is very very good (around 80 hours) and I have a wireless mic transmitter velcrowed to my body pack, although you can wire it with the plug that fits your transmitter so long as it supplies the necessary power because it is a condenser mic. Plus I like having an on/off button right at my side.
You can configure it as a "cough" button or push to stay on. You have to take it apart to re-configure it with a small slide switch.

The whole thing is pretty rugged but you still need to handle with care 'cause it ain't no SM58.

I use the model CM311A/E (I think)which has an XLR on the bottom. You can also get it bare wired so you can add your own plug.

There you have from me anyway. I have even recorded live from the board into my mini-disc and it sounded pretty darn good.

your mileage may vary,

Leo

Happy New Year and here's that comparison I promised.

The contenders

The Crown CM311A (the Crown)


--== click the picture to see it in context ==--

The Isomax MHHP6HH05 (the Countryman)



The Neumann KMS 105 (the Neumann)



Summary
For intimate music shows where I want to have the least amount of "stuff" between me and the audience I will use a headset microphone: the Crown. If in doubt about what to use, I will take the Neumann.

For public speaking events I would highly favour the Countryman.

For anything bigger than an intimate show I will use the Neumann.

How we got here
The reason for embarking on this journey was to ponder intimacy with the audience and whether or not using a headset microphone would have any impact on that.

Here is my original introduction to the topic

quote:

Stepping out from behind the microphone

Using the L1™ means we can clear a lot of "stuff" off the stage. What remains is even more noticeable.

I am thinking about getting rid of the microphone stand or at least getting it out of the way. This came up recently in Sight Lines and the T1™.


Is anybody considering the transition to a headworn microphone?

The microphone on a stand is starting to feel like the last of those walls that separate me from the audience. I didn't notice it when there was the zone in front of the band that was so loud no one would enter. With the L1™ we eliminated that. We also did away with the moat of monitors. So what's left? The microphone on a stand.

It feels a little odd without the microphone and stand. So far I've just been doing it in rehearsal. It feels more like I am more accessible, and exposed. I do it all the time for public speaking, but the music is a more vulnerable place.


Working the microphone
I have been experimenting with a Countryman Isomax MHHP6HH05 with mixed results. The tone is different, brighter than my Neumann KMS 105, but I can probably get used to that. For some songs it is just fine. For others, it's a struggle.

I'm not a disciplined or particularly skilled vocalist I have to push a little harder to get some tones. With my regular microphone on a stand I work off-axis or back off a little to manage the volume. With the headworn microphone, I can't do that. I am working with the compressor in the T1™ but it feels like I am losing some of the dynamic range I am used to. I am open to suggestions here.


Tone or ...
I will probably give this more time as I weigh the competing priorities of vocal tone and visual and emotional accessibility.

Is anybody out there thinking about this?

Headset or Handheld Microphone
For the last several months I have been playing as half of a couple of duos pretty steadily at an intimate venue. We've built up a steady following and I'm working on my cultivate-a-relationship-with-the-audience chops. This has been a perfect place to try out my headset versus handheld microphone experiments.

In this setting I am getting used to and even preferring to have less stuff between me and the audience. I have the T1™ over to the side. It is so far to the right that it does not impede the view of the body of my Guitar.

I am still struggling with not being able to back off the microphone, but with practice I may learn to get all the notes without having to get loud and having to back off to do it.

Interestingly, one of my duo partners has remarked that he can hear me a lot better when I use a headset microphone.

Head to Head - the two Headset Microphones

• The Crown - first choice for singing
  
  The Crown had great presence and sounded rich and full.
  
  At first I had some minor issues with breath noise and plosive consonants. Based on some advice here in the message boards I adjusted it so my lips were touching the windscreen and things improved immensely.
  
  It took awhile to get used to the foam windscreen. It felt odd at first.
  
  The microphone capsule seemed really large visually compared to the Countryman. At ten-fifteen feet out, it wasn't really all that noticeable.
  
  The headset mechanism seemed clunky with that big knob at the side to lock the boom in place. It took several hours before I got used to it.
  
  
• The Countryman - first choice for spoken word
  
  The Countryman sounds great in a different way. It is bright and crisp, but not annoyingly so. It is exactly what I want for public speaking where intelligibility is paramount.
  
  I could make the Countryman sound a lot like the Crown using these settings:
  Preset (same for both microphones)
  Category: Vocal Mics
  Preset: Headworn Mics
  
  zEQ Settings for Countryman
  Low +3.0 dB
  Mid 0 dB
  High -3.0 dB
  
  Visually the Countryman is pretty subtle. The microphone boom extends down to the corner of your mouth but not in front of it. The microphone capsule is tiny compared to the Crown.
  
  

I'll keep the Neumann. I still find it the most effortless microphone of the three. That is, I can just sing and it just works. I am still conscious of the headset microphones and how I have to work at making them work for me.

The Testing
This may not be all that interesting.

Test conditions: Live gigs, small and medium venues, and hours in my rehearsal space at gig volume.

Presets - Headset microphones.
Preset (same for both microphones)
Category: Vocal Mics
Preset: Headworn Mics

Preset - Neumann
Category: Vocal Mics
Preset: KMS 105

For most of the testing - no effects, no EQ

Final testing was done in my rehearsal space. I was wearing both headset microphones and had the Neumann in front of me on a stand. Using the T1™ it was very easy to mute and change back and forth between the different microphones.

Allowing for a little EQ on the Countryman, I would happily work with any of these at any sized gig, but given a choice, then I'll go with the preferences I started with at the top.

For intimate music shows where I want to have the least amount of "stuff" between me and the audience I will use a headset microphone: the Crown. If in doubt about what to use, I will take the Neumann.

For public speaking events I would highly favour the Countryman.

For anything bigger than an intimate show I will use the Neumann.

A few more notes on this using the Countryman.

Although I could get it to sound a lot like the the Crown with these settings,
zEQ Settings for Countryman
Low +3.0 dB
Mid 0 dB
High -3.0 dB

When I listened to it alone without trying the head-to-head comparison I liked it better like this.
zEQ Settings for Countryman
Low +2.0 dB
Mid 0 dB
High -1.0 dB

Feedback
I found both the Countryman and the Crown to be extremely good for feedback rejection. They have different pickup patterns and this meant that in the most extreme cases I could make them feedback by doing different things.

The Countryman
The Countryman has a hypercardioid polar pattern and this means that it can pick up sound directly behind it. I could get it to feedback if I had the gain and the level set very high, and then turned around so that the back of the microphone was pointed at the Cylindrical Radiator®. This is not something I could likely do by accident. I could also get the microphone to feedback if I put my hand up in a way that reflected the sound from behind me into the back of the microphone.

The Crown
The Crown uses Crown Differoid technology (differential cardioid). I found that if I turned so that I was facing perpendicular to the Cylindrical Radiator® I could get the microphone to feedback. Like the Countryman, I had to have the gain and the level up high to make this happen. It is quite unlikely that I would do this while performing.

Drumr Pete told me that he was getting some feedback with this microphone when he turned to use the T1™. Here is a picture of Pete singing through the Crown on Hallowe'en. That is his L1™ behind him in the picture.



I didn't have this issue, but I have my T1™ more to the front and my L1™ almost directly behind me and on the other side like this. The blue line represents the top of the T1™



So which is better for feedback?
They are both good. Neither of them gave me any feedback while I was performing. I had to force the issue by doing unnatural things to cause feedback.

Working the Mic
Now that I've had some more time with these I've found that I can sing over the top of the capsule to get off axis. This is similar to what I do when I back off or sing off axis from the Neumann. This is a workaround I'm going to work on my vocal technique so I don't have to do this.


That's it for now except to thank Drumr Pete for making it possible for me to work with the Crown.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ST,

Hi ST,


Just a tip, I think you would find some compression really useful in stabilizing your
dynamics on the Crown. I use a ratio of 4 to 1 and a threshold of -15db on my Voicelive to
achieve a really nice balance between the belting and the soft stuff when I perform.

I am not sure what that would translate to on the T1, maybe the medium setting.

I see you have already spent a little time with the vocal compression on the T1 in regards
to this application. I would suggest revisiting that and see if maybe a little more tweaking
will get you where you want to be.


Best of Luck

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ted the musicman,

quote:

Originally posted by Mike in Texas:
... suggested a Provider Series PSM1, ... Very low profile, but I couldn't get it to "sound right" ...

If I recall when I looked at the Countryman site, the "Provider Series" is intended for broadcasters -- they don't worry about audio feedback (just "visual feedback"! ).

Edit:Looking again, just now, I didn't see a "Provider Series", but there is an omni "B6" which seems to be used by broadcast tech's a lot.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dan Cornett,

Thanks, ST, for your comparison.

While I don't have a T1 to use, the settings described are probably pretty close to what I use on a conventional 3-EQ mixer for the Countryman E6i.

The one we use for the preacher is the smaller E6i directional mic.
The mic looks like this with this as another picture: (both pictures from the Countryman.com site).

As we received the mic from Sweetwater.com, it included the interchangeable end-covers to switch between the omni, cardiod, and hypercardiod; we use the cardiod cover.

I would venture that the E6i is more prone to getting feedback than the ISOMAX which ST compared with the Crown, but the E6i is still far, far superior to an omni-directional lavalier.

Edit to fix first image URL.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dan Cornett,

quote:

Originally posted by srmbr:
ST

We are trying to get rid of the mic stands and guitar cords and go 100% wireless.


Our goal is to have nothing on stage but musicians / e-drums / bass / guitar / L1's.

We are also trying to find a light system, looking at LEDS and how to mount with putting up poles.

At one time I saw on this forum where someone was mounting a light on the L1.

Go check out the X2 wireless which has the only professional sounding wireless receiver that you can carry in your guitar case; I took mine with me to Japan this year since it was so small and easy to carry along.

Excellent tone and dynamics, super punchy and my only disappointment has to do with their treatment of battery issues. Still I love them enough that I'm considering buying another.

Love to hear more if you figure out something good in the lighting department!