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[Helge A Bentsen]

Lavs can be tricky.
Not knowing PA placement, acoustics of the room, desired SPL level and output of the presenter, it's hard to give a hard and fast answer beyond "use a headset".
However, in your situation I'd give it a try IF the people who ask for this can come in for a rehearsal.
Get a decent omni lav (preferably DPA), get in there early and double-check your gain structure on the wireless system, put the lav input through a subgroup and be ready for some drastic eq on it.

It might work.
Or, it can demonstrate to the right people that it doesn't work before the house is full of people, and remove the option of someone (you maybe) getting the blame for a decision somebody else made on their behalf.

[Eileen Krause]

Helge,
I appreciate your thoughts.  I have been assured by reliable source that the person does have good projection. Our sanctuary space is small-ish 45x 50 and service is in the round (had to sort that out many years ago when PA installed).  PA level is more of a “support” .. lectern mic and pastors headsets. No amplified band or choir.

 I will be able to test run a couple different lavs with two folks who can wear similar special garments and speak at different levels.
  I’ve had to get used to many many idiosyncrasies at my church..different problems compared to doing rock band sound and studio work.  Our space is an architecturally significant building with Landmark status so over the years have learned to work with it.  At times I’ve had to let go of “the perfect-right way” and go with next best.  If I thought it was compromising our ability to serve our faith community I push harder.
Thanks all for thoughts.

[Lev Raber]

Hi friends,
Looking for recommendations on a lavalier mic. Ugh… I know I know.   It’s not my choice but need it because the person using it has dexterity issues due to a stroke and it’s stressful for her to use headset and adjust it and move it etc.,   I haven’t used a lavalier in years as other pastor and presenters wear headsets.  I’m thinking cardioid and budget is $300.   She projects well so that helps.  Sanctuary is 45x45 and we don’t have worship band etc..  Someone mentioned Shure UniPlex to me.  I need to get it in place by Wednesday. Recommend?
Thanks
Eileen

Hi, I had a similar situation in the past. It was for guest rabai, very famous and very old, came to speak for congregation of probably 2.5-3K in attendance. I even wasn't allowed to touch the guy, but to my luck there was a gentleman helping him to get around. With his help I placed 2 shure WL185 mics(using 2 transmitters of course)on left and right collars facing upwards and it worked like a charm. Not sure what your person will be wearing, but I know if you can manage the similar approach it will work. Good luck.

[Caleb Dueck]

Yes normally folks use headsets…. The user is an occasional special guest speaker and I was asked to honor this accommodation of “no headset”

Since I've been in this exact position many times - my answer is a polite, "headset mics (DPA or similar) work well, lavs bring many unnecessary challenges and lower performance.  Unless there's a much greater good, then we need to stick to what will work well.  Personal preference is NOT a 'much greater good', sorry." 

There are still people that prefer cassette tapes with backing tracks; does that mean they should be used?  Especially if the song can be downloaded, for free or a nominal fee?  Nope. 

Lav mics are only a good option for video recording, where there is no live PA in the room. 
 

[Scott Helmke]

Can you offer a handheld mic on a stand as an alternative? 

[Mike Caldwell]

Can you offer a handheld mic on a stand as an alternative?

Handheld or a mic on a stand can be hit or miss with a presenter and their mic technique or lack of.

I wanted to come back and add......many times I would rather have a lav that is staying in one location
than a hand held mic that is moving all over place and hardly ever pointed to the persons mouth.

[Riley Casey]

Meanwhile back in the real world if you want to work in the well paying top end of this business do what it take to get good at making lavs work. The most important "greater good' in the production industry is that the people writing big checks want their presenters wearing lavs more often than not.

... - my answer is a polite, "headset mics (DPA or similar) work well, lavs bring many unnecessary challenges and lower performance.  Unless there's a much greater good, then we need to stick to what will work well.  Personal preference is NOT a 'much greater good', sorry." 

...

[Mac Kerr]

Meanwhile back in the real world if you want to work in the well paying top end of this business do what it take to get good at making lavs work. The most important "greater good' in the production industry is that the people writing big checks want their presenters wearing lavs more often than not.

^^^^THIS^^^^

Is a lav going to sound like a handheld vocal mic held 2" from a singer's mouth? Not likely, but it can certainly give vocal reenforcement to spoken word. At my job we have a PA mounted upstage of the presenter's location and do individuals and panels every day wearing Shure omni lavs that we recently switched to from DPA lavs.

Mac

[Eileen Krause]

^^^^THIS^^^^

Is a lav going to sound like a handheld vocal mic held 2" from a singer's mouth? Not likely, but it can certainly give vocal reenforcement to spoken word. At my job we have a PA mounted upstage of the presenter's location and do individuals and panels every day wearing Shure omni lavs that we recently switched to from DPA lavs.

Mac

Thanks so much Mac and Riley and others,
Given the different issues at hand .. honoring her request for lav (not a demand but a request)  the pastor had a stroke that left her with some lingering facial nerve damage, droopy..etc.
and she doesn’t stand still in on place during the service..she moves to the altar back to chairs over to podium etc. so a mic on stand doesn’t work.   Note: Before the stroke she used headsets so it’s not a matter of a stubborn person.

Also she is on a “tour” visiting all the churches she oversees.. and they have have been using lav mic too.  We are all celebrating- with rehab she has come back to leadership.  She is doing amazing.  I got a shure 185 and I’ll make it work.

[Russell Ault]

{...} Shure omni lavs that we recently switched to from DPA lavs. {...}

That's...not the direction of change I would have expected; I'm ASSuming this has more to do with price and making A2s lives easier than any sonic features?

-Russ

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