Mics for a Choir

[Richie Love]

Hi

My girlfriend runs a community choir and we have recently purchased a full PA System including a decent mixing desk, the only thing were missing are some mics, for past shows we have hired AKG shotgun mics(cant remember the product number) but I found these weren't the best choice. Does anyone know the best mics to use for a choir of about 30 people so we can look into buying them?

 

Many thanks

Rich Love

[JCC1996]

I'm sure other people will come up with better suggestions, but from my own experience I like the AKG C1000S condensers. I use these for all choral reinforcement both in and out of school.

 

Joe

[Richie Love]

1355072280[/url]' post='459197']

I'm sure other people will come up with better suggestions, but from my own experience I like the AKG C1000S condensers. I use these for all choral reinforcement both in and out of school.

 

Joe

 

Thanks for that will take a look now

Rich

[david.elsbury]

What speakers do you use? Where are they normally positioned relative to the choir? Where do you place mic stands ? Can you place stands n front of the choir or is visual appearance taking priority? What size rooms do you play?

Sorry for lots of questions, need them though to give better answers :)

 

 

PS, c1000s are a bit like marmite... people either love or hate them... just sayin' ;)

[JCC1996]

PS, c1000s are a bit like marmite... people either love or hate them... just sayin' ;)

 

I guess I fall into the love category then! :P

[paulears]

Schools are major purchasers of C1000s, probably because they have the nice label 'condenser' and can work on battery power too! You need to be aware that while some people love them, very often this is because they've not heard the sound of others in the price range. The C1000 probably has the worst reputation of any microphone and people who like them seem outnumbered 10:1 at least.

 

I'm also one of those who hate them - but they do have a place with their rather tinny, brittle sounding top end - and I see them used fairly often on drums. However there are so many better ones at the price point.

 

For a choir I'd suggest they are pretty useless as at a distance their characteristics work against the kind of sound a choir need. A warmer sound is the usual aim - again, something shotguns just don't do.

 

I'd suggest some larger side fire condensers - plenty around, the Rode and Samsons coming to mind - their tone better suits a choir, and putting them onto tall boom stands to get them a couple of feet higher than the front row, so they can look down works pretty well. If the choir are split into their vocal ranges, you'll probably have four sections, so each can have a mic, or if you are flush, a pair. Try to organise the people so the strongest are at the back, weakest at the front - and if there are any members with 'stand out' voices, get them at the back, or the sides - NOT the middle. The reality is that feedback will set the maximum volume, and depending on the space, you may well find the PA simply doesn't raise the level that much. Trying to eq out maximum gain will spoil the sound, so loudspeaker v mic placement will need some experimenting with. You can try inserting a small delay into each mic channel, this on choral material is often a good way to get a bit more gain and keep the system stable.

[Richie Love]

1355073232[/url]' post='459199']

What speakers do you use? Where are they normally positioned relative to the choir? Where do you place mic stands ? Can you place stands n front of the choir or is visual appearance taking priority? What size rooms do you play?

Sorry for lots of questions, need them though to give better answers :)

 

 

PS, c1000s are a bit like marmite... people either love or hate them... just sayin' ;)

 

We currently have 2 Mackie SRM 450's, the choir has 3 sections mainly so I have just used one shotgun placed in front of each section on a floor stand but I'm open to suggestions as to the better positions , we normally play venues about the size of school halls, community centres or social clubs but have done a few bigger performances to about 400-500 people,

Thanks Rich

[bruce]

but from my own experience I like the AKG C1000S condensers.

 

What experience is that? What other mics have you compared them with, and why do you prefer the C1000?

 

Recommendations without context aren't particularly helpful.

 

I'm with paul on this one.

[J Pearce]

I've had good success with NT1As and C3000s, and even with CPCs cheap £25 miniature condensers, but C1000s sounded rather brittle and nasty. Even SM57s work nicely, and certainly sound nicer than C1000s.

 

Think very carefully about mic and speaker positions to get good gain before feedback, and don't expect miracles, it will only boost a good choir, not make a weedy choir sound big!

[cedd]

Depending on how much you want to think about aesthetics, I've had some really good results with JTS Carbon Microboom mics. They're nice an unobtrusive, come with a selection of 3 cables and are a pretty useful piece of kit to have around for other bits and pieces - lecterns and the like. They're not a big brand and maybe aren't on the same level as AKG, but I really like them for this kind of work.

 

Also, if you decide to go with small diaphragm condensers, I think studiospares' own brand ones are pretty good for the money, but my mic of choice is an sE1a for quite a few applications these days. They sound lovely and aren't that expensive, especially if you don't buy them in matched pairs.

 

 

 

(Oh, and I'm afraid I'm also not in the C1000 fan club, sorry. I think similar to quite a few people, when I was first starting out somebody told me that they were a good mic because they were condensers and cost a lot (more than an SM58 I guess they meant). I of course believed them and used them for everything! In time my ears told me differently!)

[dbuckley]

I did find a suggestion on the forum from Bobbsy that a C1000 might be a good thing to hit a cowbell with.

 

So a definite one up there, I've never found an acceptable use for the things...

 

Here is an interesting thread: C1000 Microphones Do you love or hate?

[Bobbsy]

C1000S hater here. I find them the worst mic AKG ever made--super harsh in the top end.

 

To go a different direction, I prefer cardioid small diaphragm condensers for choir--much smaller and less intrusive than any form of side-fire mic.

 

Personally, I use AKG 451s or 391s with the stands raised nice and high so they're angled down on each block of singers. You'll have trouble getting the mics I mention now so for modern alternatives, I'd be going with either sE1A mics or maybe Rode NT5.

[Simon Lewis]

Personally, I use AKG 451s or 391s with the stands raised nice and high so they're angled down on each block of singers. You'll have trouble getting the mics I mention now...

AKG have bought out a "new" 451, but it isn't a detachable head system. Not had a chance to compare with an original.

 

For lower cost, consider the Audio Technica AT8033.

[cedd]

It was clearly far too late at night when I made my post about the JTS mics, so I'll just point out that they in fact come with 3 capsules, not 3 cables! They come with one 3 pin mini XLR to 3 pin XLR cable/power supply.

[paulears]

I never push the Chinese mics I sell on here, but I've been selling some Chinese mics modelled on the old AKG 451s, with interchangeable capsules - omni, cardioid and hyper, and they've even copied the fine thread AKG used that was always a pain. They sound good too, however I've noted that the only people whoever buy them are those old enough to remember original 451s - even though they're such great problem solvers, the idea of interchangeable capsules isn't that popular nowadays. They're also made from modern materials, not brass, so are much lighter weight. I just wish they made tubes for them!