This is a different kind of gig report - Using the L1™ for Spoken Word.

Here is the room I was in this week.



When doing public speaking I often end up in this type of space working without sound reinforcement. I started a series of lectures this week that involve several days per week for several weeks. It was time to bring out the L1™ .

After several days/evenings using the L1™ here are some observations.

Small Room - L1™ - 1000 square feet

I choose an AKG C3000 microphone because it has a switchable pattern (cardioid / super-cardioid) and a low frequency roll-off to level out proximity effects or room noise rumble. I am not sure if the super cardioid pattern will be too constraining. My other vocal microphones have super cardioid pickup patterns. The cardioid pickup pattern should give me more flexibility.

Close microphone technique does not feel 'right' for this situation.

Big Room - Conventional installed PA -
Normally I speak in larger rooms with a wireless lavalier microphone and speakers in the ceiling. This is a matter of trust because I can not hear myself. If I can hear myself amplified, then it is too loud for the audience.

I work hard in these rooms. Even though I "know" that I am being amplified, I can't hear it. I tend to project into the space as though unamplified and have the gain on the microphone relatively low.

I have spent years in rooms like this and am used to working this way. Training and exercises aside, it's still a lot of work.


The difference is amazing

With the L1™ I can hear myself. Just like when I'm singing.

This is a joy because I can relax and use my voice expressively with lots of dynamic range. I let the microphone and the L1™ work while I use my voice to change the tone and sense of the words. This runs the gamut of 'up close and personal' to 'off in the distance ' and back to 'in your face'. These are long, long sessions and it is important to keep people engaged. This kind of voice work makes a big difference. It *is* possible to do this unamplified in a room this size, but it is really tough. In the big room (amplified) or this small one (unamplified) my voice tends to run from "medium loud" to "projected loud" (my terms). There is not a lot of room to play with dynamics.

The microphone is just slightly behind the Cylindrical Radiator® and I have the pattern set to cardioid so that I do not have to be on-axis. Not even a hint of feedback. I can be heard clearly everywhere in the room, and the people in front (3-4 feet from the L1™) tell me that they are quite comfortable with the sound. Even after a full day they are not showing any signs of fatigue from the volume.

The people in the back corners are alert and 'with me' for the most part. This is relatively effortless compared to what I usually have to do.

At the end of each day I am tired and that is to be expected, but not exhausted which has always been the norm.

Conclusions
I will be using the L1™ in small rooms like this from now on. Even though I have been doing this for years without sound reinforcement - it is clear that I can do better job if I let the L1™ do the heavy lifting. Sure, this is going to require more work at the beginning and end to load in and out - but this is nothing when compared to the hours of effortless speaking.

I will using the L1™ in the larger rooms too because it is *so* much better to be able to hear myself.


Addendum:

I knew I had a headset microphone around here someplace, and I just found my Countryman Isomax MHHP6HH05


Older but it sounds fine with Preset 02 on my Classic. So I'll try this next week.

I wish it was wireless.

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

quote:

Originally posted by ST:
This is a different kind of gig report - Using the L1™ for Spoken Word.
...

Thanks ST - interesting and informative.

Thanks ST
I enjoyed that. What preset did you use with the AKG C3000?

ST -

Interesting report. I, too, am interested in hearing what preset, if any, you used with the AKG C3000.

Also, please report again after using the headset unit.

I work at a local community college, and we have just purchased two complete L1M1/B1 systems for a couple of lecture rooms. Generally will be used in meetings, small presentations, etc. I'll be watching for others that may be using the L1 system in this same manner to see and/or hear about any issues in using them in this manner.

Hi Starvin, Hi John.

For the AKG C3000 (note - not the newer AKG C3000B), I just used the generic vocal microphone preset #01 ("Handheld Microphones"). Since I was not using a close-mic technique, I should probably have used preset #00, but #01 worked fine.

I probably wouldn't recommend a large diaphragm condenser microphone for this application. (Relatively expensive, fragile, subject to handling noise). It's not a microphone I would leave lying around as general purpose microphone for casual speakers.

I used it because it was the only microphone I had handy with a switchable pattern.

It worked fine with the cardioid pattern and the low frequency roll-off.

I've done some more testing with the headset microphone (Countryman Isomax HyperCardioid) and am happy with preset #02 ("Headworn Microphones").

It is fine as long as I don't forget that I have it on and reach down to adjust the input trim. I've learned my lesson. (ouch) There is a little cut-off switch on the XLR connection.

I will let you know how it goes when I use it live this week.

A quick question. I am providing an L1 for a book signing next week and am wondering if the author would be as comfortable with a Crown CM311a head worn as a handheld 58? I hadn't considered using a condenser as I only have a Neumann TLM103 and thought it would be too sensitive.

Hands free would be nice for reading passages aloud to the room, but would he feel "funky" wearing a Madonna-type mic?
My former pastor and bandmate refused to wear a head worn just for that reason.

What is your take on "comfort, convenience, and appearances".

I think the head-worn headset versus hand-held microphone is a matter of familiarity and commitment.

I think it takes a little more commitment to use a headset microphone as it is more of a personal intrusion. However if the talker has successfully used one before, the known benefits may outweigh the intrusion.

Some of the newer head-worn microphones are nearly invisible.


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

The Crown looks a little funkier. It may be a better fit for some applications - but I think it requires a higher level of commitment.


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


If I was unfamiliar with either one, and a sound-pro offered me a choice, I'd probably go with the first one because it appears to be less intrusive, and less likely to be a hygiene issue.

If I was choosing something to use on an ongoing basis, that is something I would buy and for my personal use, I would go with the one that offered the best sound and comfort.

quote:

it takes a little more commitment to use a headset microphone

That is true, I have quit using the Crown already, I wasn't up to the commitment.
That countryman looks great, but to spend $400 for something to talk through doesn't make sense for me just yet. Have you ever sang through the countryman, using an L1?

Pete, look up... I added a little more while you were typing.

I had completely forgotten that I had the Countryman Isomax.

Countryman Isomax MHHP6HH05

(mine is older and the arm that extends toward your mouth is black).

I just dug it out on Saturday. It is half-way between the two pictures above in that it is a little clunkier than the first, but more subtle than the second.

The frame goes behind your head and sort of rests on top of your ears and the back of your neck. I wore it for several hours over the weekend and it is about as noticeable as a pair of glasses. When I was testing it, there were no plosives or unexpected breathy sounds.

I haven't tried singing with it yet.

Just a quick update.

I found another head-worn microphone in the microphone drawer last night. It is an early version of the AKG C520


It is a little "clunkier" than the Countryman. There are more moving parts, and it is more visible when you are wearing it.

It is also a little more prone to feedback.

I sounds and performs like the Countryman (earlier post), but I found the the Countryman to be more pleasant. I would use the AKG where I needed more presence to cut through a crowded mix. I prefer the Countryman for speech. Having said that, I only noticed a difference because I was listening for it. Either would have been fine.

re: newer Countryman "tiny" mics

I had a singer using one of those (wireless) a few weeks back. The main problem is that it was "omni", and so one had to be careful about positioning and gain.

Countryman does have non-omni models, but that's not the "standard model" you see advertised (the link from the picture above, for example, goes to the "omni" models) -- you have to ask for the directional version specifically.

Thanks for making that distinction Dan.

If anyone is interested, the directional version of the really small earset microphones is the

E6 Directional Earset


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

More on the gig report coming soon. Just a quick anecdote: I asked if anyone found it distracting that I was using a headset microphone.

"Is anyone distracted by the Janet Jackson rig?"

from the back...

"No problem! It makes you look like Tony Robbins"

I just got a Countryman E6 (now also labeled Isomax, but it's the same small E6 mic, not the larger "squarish" mic) for the pastor to use at church; however, since she wasn't there this week, I used it in place of my usual Crown CM311A to try it out.

First of all, the Countryman mic comes with two little "caps" which can be put on over the end of the mic. The description in the documentation and on the labeling on the little plastic bags can be a little misleading. In one place the caps are described as changing the polar pattern from Omni to Carodid to Hypercarodid. In the other, the frequency response is shown as going from flat, to a slight high frequency rise, to a more pronounced rise.

I haven't done too much testing yet, but from looking at the physical configuration of the mic and the caps, I suspect that both things are happening (both the carodid shaping and the high-frequency rise), and that the "carodid" shape is with respect to the "end of the wire" --- not toward the face/mouth.

If so, that would mean that the orientation of that little end mic toward the mouth, not just near it, is important to getting good sound with the caps while also minimizing feedback potential.

In general, when compared to the Crown, I found the sound quality of the Countryman to be good, although I haven't really done an A/B comparison yet. I did find that the Countryman was a bit more susceptible to feedback when I leaned over near the column to revise the Preset -- but then, the Crown is a differential mic, and is *really* resistant to feedback, so I'm not surprised by that difference. Of course, the Countryman is significantly smaller and lighter, too!

With the carodid cap in place, I did not have any problem getting adequate volume without any 'ringing'.

One big advantage of the Countryman ... for DJ or studio use, you can use it with a monitoring headset. The Crown CM311 boom is not at all conducive to use with a headset!

I'll try some more deliberate tests later -- and see how it works with the pastor.

Well I finally got a chance to review and ponder the results of public speaking with the L1® ...

I did some more comparisons with the microphones that I have available. I also enlisted some other people to listen with me.

The
Countryman Isomax MHHP6HH05 sounds fine for spoken word.


I used Preset 02 (Headworn microphones) on my Classic. I would not hesitate to use it in any public speaking situation. I do wish it was wireless, but if I had to convert it, I would probably just buy a wireless version.

BUT

If I could live with a microphone on a stand and could use close-mic technique, I would use my Beyerdynamic M88, AKG C535, or Neumann KMS 105. Any of these sounds much "warmer" than the tiny condenser microphone in the Countryman rig.


Singing

quote:

Originally posted by Drumr:
Have you ever sang through the countryman, using an L1?

I tried singing with it and I find it brighter than I like, but it is still completely usable. I would consider using it:

• With a full band,
  
• If I was looking for something to cut through the mix for rock or any style where I was competing with other voices or instruments in the same range as my vocal.
  

For now, I will continue to use my regular hand-held vocal microphones for singing.

For talking, I will use the headworn microphone. It is just a better fit for me, for that application. If I have to share the talking with others, I will probably bring a Shure SM 58 or something similarly rugged for the others.

I don't need the B1 for talking so the L1™ (Power Stand and Cylindrical Radiator® travel well. I have the heavy duty rolling case so I can pull it along with one hand with the Cylindrical Radiator® sections in the front pockets.

CONCLUSION

My L1® will be travelling with me for any public speaking situations even if an installed system is available. The difference is being able to hear myself. With typical installed systems I am using a lavalier microphone amplified through loudspeakers that I cannot hear. As a result, it is my natural inclination to try to project my voice into the room. With the L1™ I can hear myself (even if it is in front of me). I have complete confidence that I am being heard. I let the L1™ do the "heavy lifting" and this allows me the freedom to work with a wider dynamic range and be more expressive, with significantly less physical effort.

edit: updated link to image

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

Thanks for checking out the singing w/the country man ST, and for the rest of the valuable info.

Hi ST,

Thank you for the report on headset microphones for spoken word applications.

quote:

I do wish it was wireless, but if I had to convert it, I would probably just buy a wireless version.

FYI, it is easier to adapt a wired headset microphone for wireless use then the other way around. If you ever chose to do this:

• cut the cable a few inches from the XLR connector
  
• install the appropriate connector to the end of the cable connected to the headset microphone so it can now be used with the body pack.

But wait... there's more... If you install a connector (that mates with the connector that was installed on the headset microphone) onto the short piece of cable still attached to the original XLR connector, you can use this "adapter" if ever you need to use the headset in a wired situation! The original XLR connector contains the electronic circuitry required for the use of the headset microphone with a phantom powered XLR microphone input.

re: adapting to wireless

I just 'converted' my Crown CM311A to a wireless -- sort of. I didn't want to permanently change the mic-to-Crown beltpack wiring, so I got a short XLR-to-ATK cable to connect the output of the Crown beltpack to an A-T wireless beltpack mic input. Yeah, that's twice the batteries and two things on the belt vs. 1, but (for now) it retains the flexibility ... and the fallback, if the batteries are all dead ... of going back to direct-wired with phantom power. Since we now have two wireless systems (both A-T, just different generations), that also makes the mics and beltpacks interchangeable as needed.

Thanks to the nice folk at Sweetwater for getting the connections right the first time!

I used the CM311 preset (14) for both the Crown and the Countryman E6 since I had them through a mini-mixer into the same Bose input. I added a tiny amount (each) of low EQ boost and Hi EQ reduction to the E6 channel.

Thanks Mark,

quote:

Originally posted by Le5:

...
FYI, it is easier to adapt a wired headset microphone for wireless use then the other way around. If you ever chose to do this:

...

Thanks Dan,

quote:

I just 'converted' my Crown CM311A to a wireless -- sort of

Please join me over here:

Wireless Transmitter (belt pack) and Receiver recommendations?