Buyer’s Guides

Today’s small-format digital consoles (defined here as models with under-$10k street pricing and moveable by a single person) are long on features, inputs and DSP… Read More »Small-Format Digital Consoles

Over the years, headworn microphones have evolved from clunky, low-fi affairs into lightweight, nearly invisible transducers capable of serious audio quality that can equal or best many handheld mics. Once mainly relegated to singing drummers and keyboardists, today’s headworn mics are more frequently becoming the choice of lead vocalists, classical soloists, live theatre performers, as well as for singers and spoken word in houses of worship applications.

To download the May 2013 FOH Buyers Guide, CLICK HERE

Personal monitor systems allow performers to create their own customized monitor mixes. These have been very popular on stage as well as in the H.O.W.… Read More »Personal Monitor Systems

Finding the right mic that works with a particular vocalist can often make a huge difference in the sound of your show. Different makes and models of handheld mics can vary greatly in sound, and what works for one singer may not work for another. Besides the sound of the capsule itself, there are other factors to consider, such as the polar pattern and how that works with stage monitor selection and placement. And almost equally important is the mic’s on/off axis response, particularly if your vocalist tends to move around a lot while singing.
To download a copy of the Feb. 2013 FOH Buyers Guide, CLICK HERE.

In-ear listening systems can significantly improve nearly any show. The best option is earpieces with custom earmolds made by an audiologist that precisely match a performer’s ear canal. Unfortunately, this is not possible in every situation, so let’s examine some current offerings in universal-fit earpieces. We should mention that companies such as JH Audio (jhaudio.com), Sensaphonics (sensaphonics.com) and Ultimate Ears (ultimateears.com) only make custom earmold products, which are not covered in this article.

To download a copy of the Jan. 2013 Buyers Guide, CLICK HERE:

“Portable PA” could refer to a lot of things, because in a sense, anything that’s not in a fixed install can be considered “portable,” from a 128-box line array rig to a simple, compact single-driver powered enclosure mounted on a mic stand. But over the last few years, the portable audio genre has been more closely associated with the speaker on a stick (SOS) category, where a mostly full-range system can be pole mounted on a tripod stand or above a subwoofer box, creating a powerful, versatile system that’s easily broken down into its basic parts for transport. In fact, this SOS category has become incredibly popular with both M.I. and pro users to the extent that there are literally thousands of possible available combinations and permutations on the market today.

To download a copy of the Dec. 2012 Buyers Guide, CLICK HERE.

In reality, almost any end-address microphone can be used in an overhead hanging application, whether for speech, theater, orchestra or choir sound reinforcement. Yet an… Read More »Hanging Microphones

Over the years, rack mount analog mixers have developed from simple utilitarian devices into some fairly complex systems suitable for serious pro applications. And despite… Read More »Rack Mount Analog Mixers

One of the great mysteries of live sound production is that, given the importance of the lead vocal, why vocalists often shy away from investing in a high performance mic, often settling for something that costs less than what the drummer spent on a kick drum pedal. This is not to infer that there’s anything wrong with a dynamic mic — in fact, on certain vocalists, that may be exactly the right transducer to match a particular vocal style or timbre.