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Author Topic: Headworn Mic Designed for High SPLs - Do They Work With Loud Operatic Voices?  (Read 4880 times)

Adrian Durlester

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I've asked about this in the church forum, but perhaps I'll have better luck with folks in the theatre and live venue event world. I am trying to advise a synagogue. I had them get some Line6 wireless units last year, using Line6's own HS70 headworn mic. (I'm not interested in a  critique of the Line6 systems. I'm very happy with them after 11 months of use.)  In Jewish worship, we often have a rabbi, who mostly speaks and sometimes chants or harmonizes,  and a cantor or cantorial soloist - who chants liturgy, sings songs in a folk/pop style, and on ocassion - esepcially at the big holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur sings in a operatic style with an operatic voice.  The Line6 HS70s simply can't handle that SPL. (It's not the xmitters-they aren't overloading, it's the mic capsule that is.) My question is whether it is worth my time to ask the congregation to spend the funds to try out one of the designed for high SPL headworn mics from DPA or PointSource - can even those handle a full-out soprano voice?  (Yes, someone already stated the obvious - if they're that loud do they need a mic - the answer is still yes, because the worship space increases in size from 200-1000 seats for the big holidays, and Jewish worship practice requires the clergy at times to face away from the congregation.) So the question I am trying to help answer is whether I should try out some high SPL handling mics from DPA and PointSource or others?) or whether I should look at an alternate solution, like mounting a lav with a clothes clip on the chest (not my preferred choice in any setting.) I'm not talking actors here, so wig mounts, forehead or cheek mounts using Rycote Stickies like I might do in theatre or TV settings are out. A handheld is also out of the question. So, anybody out there have experience using designed for high SPL mics as a headset or earset mic? Can they really handle a soprano or tenor singing full out in their highest register?  Are there better solutions for micing voices (while still having them useful at a range of lower volumes used for more folksy-type songs?)

Thanks for any advice.

Adrian
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Chris Grimshaw

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With a very loud voice, you might find that a lav mic has enough GBF to be heard nicely. With the extra distance from their mouth, the capsule should handle it.

Could you double-mic?
Headset for the quieter stuff, lav for the louder stuff, and have the sound tech mute between them as needed.

Chris
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MikeHarris

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Countryman mics are available with 3 sensitivities...speaking..speaking & singing...and very loud singing. That's the easy decision..omni or directional..boom length,cable diameter and color and of course..appropriate connector means you can tailor your choices to your needs
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Tim McCulloch

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Adrian, you might want to do an intertubes search based on specific models and "loud singers" or "opera singers" and see what kind of hits you get.  I kind of recall a discussion elsewhere about either a gospel or opera singer overloading a large selection of microphones including a couple that were supposed to be suitable for such singers.

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Darin Ulmer

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I had the same issue with the OSP-HS09. We tried the new OSP short boom mics for a recent musical and they worked great.  The mic capsule is kept back away from the mouth more toward the ear.  Don't know if it would work for you, but it did for us.
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Adrian Durlester

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The double-micing suggestion is intriguing, and I might give that a try. Thanks, Chris!

With a very loud voice, you might find that a lav mic has enough GBF to be heard nicely. With the extra distance from their mouth, the capsule should handle it.

Could you double-mic?
Headset for the quieter stuff, lav for the louder stuff, and have the sound tech mute between them as needed.

Chris
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Debbie Dunkley

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I simply use a Shure SM35 ( SM58 equivalent) headset mic to sing. Sometimes I scream through the poor thing but it takes it and as long as I set my transmitter gain and channel gain right, I never get overload or distortion.  It has been a rock.
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David Hoover

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I've asked about this in the church forum, but perhaps I'll have better luck with folks in the theatre and live venue event world. I am trying to advise a synagogue. I had them get some Line6 wireless units last year, using Line6's own HS70 headworn mic. (I'm not interested in a  critique of the Line6 systems. I'm very happy with them after 11 months of use.)  In Jewish worship, we often have a rabbi, who mostly speaks and sometimes chants or harmonizes,  and a cantor or cantorial soloist - who chants liturgy, sings songs in a folk/pop style, and on ocassion - esepcially at the big holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur sings in a operatic style with an operatic voice.  The Line6 HS70s simply can't handle that SPL. (It's not the xmitters-they aren't overloading, it's the mic capsule that is.) My question is whether it is worth my time to ask the congregation to spend the funds to try out one of the designed for high SPL headworn mics from DPA or PointSource - can even those handle a full-out soprano voice?  (Yes, someone already stated the obvious - if they're that loud do they need a mic - the answer is still yes, because the worship space increases in size from 200-1000 seats for the big holidays, and Jewish worship practice requires the clergy at times to face away from the congregation.) So the question I am trying to help answer is whether I should try out some high SPL handling mics from DPA and PointSource or others?) or whether I should look at an alternate solution, like mounting a lav with a clothes clip on the chest (not my preferred choice in any setting.) I'm not talking actors here, so wig mounts, forehead or cheek mounts using Rycote Stickies like I might do in theatre or TV settings are out. A handheld is also out of the question. So, anybody out there have experience using designed for high SPL mics as a headset or earset mic? Can they really handle a soprano or tenor singing full out in their highest register?  Are there better solutions for micing voices (while still having them useful at a range of lower volumes used for more folksy-type songs?)

Thanks for any advice.

Adrian
Go DPA D:Fine.  That's all we use at our main church services.  They last forever, handle high SPL, and sound great.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

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Aisle 6

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I have an opera client who is very loud and he tends to distort the capsule on some headset mic. The DPA are great and I am using a cheap mic called a JAG IMX-6a and it also works well and sounds surprisingly good.
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Helge A Bentsen

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You can't go wrong with DPA and opera. I've done 3 opera shows over the last years with 56 channels of wireless and DPA mics, never had an issue with overloaded mic capsules.
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