livesound | kylie grace snyder

It’s no secret an engineer’s knowledge of his tools is a source of great power. Anytime I’m preparing for a recording session or live sound gig, the first thing I set upon once I determine the makeup of the ensemble and the equipment at my disposal is to determine how best to utilize the available microphones. One of the best tools any engineer has in this task are manufacturer specifications. However, almost all microphone manufacturer websites are laden with Flash applets that are difficult to navigate and which can make it impossible to find the correct information. Thankfully, websites exist that provide an interface far more convenient than most manufacturer websites, and provide data for almost every modern microphone in and out of production.

Microphone Data – microphone-data.com

From Rycote, the makers of wonderful windshields, comes Microphone Data (free login required). They’ve compiled an extremely comprehensive database of microphone data which can be easily compared across manufactures and microphone styles. When it comes to planning for a gig, this is always my first stop.

“The Microphone Data website is the successor to the original Microphone Data Book – the truly comprehensive free online database & guide to microphones in professional use today. The Microphone Data site deals in facts, not opinions, with pictures, response curves and technical data from the manufacturers themselves for every currently listed microphone (and even a few that aren’t)”

from microphone-data.com

Recording Hacks – http://recordinghacks.com/microphones

Recording Hacks, the online magazine about recording gear and techniques, also maintains a wonderful database of current and out of production microphones. As well, they also maintain the official TapeOp Microphone Review Archive which is a fantastic source of microphone information.

Personally, I tend to “re-discover” these microphone data resources about once every six months, typically after becoming horribly frustrated that I can’t find the specifications I’m looking for, or after a futile attempt to compare specifications from different manufacturers. Whether you share my frustrations or you have reasons of your own, I hope that you’ll find value in these resources.

What’s your take on the currently available microphone resources? Do you swear by the Rycote database? Would never dream of using data that didn’t come right off the manufacturer’s server? Whatever your thoughts of experiences, let us know in the comments below!

I think we’ve all been there, or at least I have. The call comes through when you’re busy preparing for your own gig, you see the name of an old friend on the caller id, and you think what’s the harm in a little catching up? Then, just a few moments after exchanging pleasantries the other shoe drops; they wanted to reconnect, but also need some emergency advice during their volunteer live sound gig.

I actually love solving problems (look at my profession!), but not every moment is convenient for giving advice over the phone. So, I was extremely excited when I stumbled across an article on ProSoundWeb by Bruce Bartlett entitled “The Checklist: Solutions for Fixing Church Sound System Problems.” I wasn’t, however, excited because all my calls come from friends who volunteer for churches, quite the opposite, really. Rather, I was heartened because both demographics share some common elements; they’re volunteers, and they’re doing the best they can with the skill sets they have available. Because of this, I’ve decided to arm some of my volunteer engineer friends with this article as a pocket guide. My hope is that by providing them with this article which doesn’t explicitly give them the answers, but rather teaches them where to look, they’ll improve their troubleshooting skills over time.

From The Checklist:
“Check all switch positions. Is a mic/line switch set to “line” when it should be set to “mic?” Is a fader down that should be up? Is a microphone not assigned to the proper channels or groups? Are any mute or solo buttons pressed? Is the input trim turned all the way down? Is a wireless microphone turned off? Is phantom power turned on for condenser mics?”

If you’ve ever found yourself in my position, try passing it on! Who knows, it just might save you some time trying to explain why the sound isn’t coming out.

Have any techniques for helping a friend out remotely? Have you sworn off telephone advice permanently? Share you thoughts or experiences in the comments below!