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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => SR Forum Archives => LAB Lounge FUD Forum Archive => Topic started by: James Mullen on April 02, 2007, 11:46:45 AM

Title: Lav capsule gain settings?
Post by: James Mullen on April 02, 2007, 11:46:45 AM

Hello all,
quickie newb question here. using the Shure Wl51 capsules, +10dB rise @12Khz. Primary use is as sound reinforcement, but also have to push signal out to streaming encode for viewing of conferences over Windows media player on desktops. I have been trying to get as much gain as possible at the head amp, so my sends to feed the record/stream decks are as close to an arbitrary rms of -10dbfs. Problem is the gain allowed at the head amp is way too low. I start to get a resonance around 900hz, kinda like snare PING!, with any gain setting approaching usable to my sends for stream/record. My pa sounds fine, but my sends are too low. I realize I can juice the head amp and ride the fader low in its travel to keep my PA from freaking out, but it makes it too noisey! Hiss, etc. Do you folks have any advice or tips? i.e. parallel compression, limiting for each channel going to the sends? How do I get the best of both worlds and what is my optimal compromise in this situation? thanks.

Title: Re: Lav capsule gain settings?
Post by: Mac Kerr on April 02, 2007, 11:59:38 AM

James Mullen wrote on Mon, 02 April 2007 11:46

Hello all, quickie newb question here. using the Shure Wl51 capsules, +10dB rise @12Khz. Primary use is as sound reinforcement, but also have to push signal out to streaming encode for viewing of conferences over Windows media player on desktops. I have been trying to get as much gain as possible at the head amp, so my sends to feed the record/stream decks are as close to an arbitrary rms of -10dbfs. Problem is the gain allowed at the head amp is way too low. I start to get a resonance around 900hz, kinda like snare PING!, with any gain setting approaching usable to my sends for stream/record. My pa sounds fine, but my sends are too low. I realize I can juice the head amp and ride the fader low in its travel to keep my PA from freaking out, but it makes it too noisey! Hiss, etc. Do you folks have any advice or tips? i.e. parallel compression, limiting for each channel going to the sends? How do I get the best of both worlds and what is my optimal compromise in this situation? thanks.

Turn down the PA. Don't use the high boost cap.

Mac

Title: Re: Lav capsule gain settings?
Post by: James Mullen on April 02, 2007, 12:06:26 PM

thanks for the response mac. by high boost caps you mean the plastic caps that came with the mics? there were two in the box, so you suggest we use the mics without either of these caps? thanks again.

Title: Re: Lav capsule gain settings?
Post by: Mac Kerr on April 02, 2007, 09:07:01 PM

Yes, do not use the caps that create the high frequency boost. If you are doing a film shoot, and hiding the mic under clothing you need the boost to get back what is lost through the clothes. You should not need it with an exposed mic.

Mac