Mic feedback

[spin mobile disco]

Ok its probably a common problem but when I play odd shaped venues, and smaller venues I find that when the volume is high the microphone has a habit of causing feedback. i have tried dropping volume and treble on it but find either it is too low volume, to deep to be understood over music or creates feedback. Only been a problem since I got my new speakers, I guess its because im used to piezo horns and the new ones are ceramic compression drivers. But if anyone knows a way to reduce feedback please let me know.
By the way yes I am using a uni directional vocal mic, its a seinheisser mic so not a cheapie.

[Danno13]

Might be to do with the positioning of the speakers, maybe try setting up your console a foot or so behind the speakers.

I had a problem the other night at a venue where i was squashed into a corner and all the bass was gathering where i was, which made me paranoid about how it sounded out front and was causing problems with feedback until i cut the bass EQ right back on the mixer.

[Creature]

just play around till you find a setting that works - unfortuantly every venue is different. I finally solved mine by making a mike holder and fixed the the upright pole on my desk.

the other option is to get settingb the best you can and tehn use the mike overide button to lower the volume of any cds your playing...

[spin mobile disco]

some good suggestions ill be trying out next time. Anyonwe else got any suggestions im open to any help going.

[TonyB]

Best to try and avoid feedback by setting up as previously suggested i.e. Speakers in front of the rig and as far away as possible.

If all else fails, Behringer do a range of feedback destroyers which may help.

[pagan_flame]

Feedback is usually common to a frequency, like a musical note - high pitched piercing, or a low boom... so a graphic equaliser is the traditional way around it, allows you to drop the gain on the frequency that is causing the feedback.

Like the man says, every venue is different. Playing in bands for 14 years taught me all that...

...so what I have is my old guitar processor in line between the mic receiver and the mixer - can be found nice & cheap s/h on Ebay, and will give you reverb, noise limiter, echo - and a built-in graphic eq.

[theoloyla]

My old disco console was a Cloud Buckingham which had a 7 band graphic for the music and a 3 band eq for mikes PLUS a parametric presence control. I could really shape the sound on my vocals and music. My present mixer is a KAM and it is definately not as good or useful!

[CRAZY K]

Hi Spin, did you get the mike from Maplins Northampton?

I tried a Sennheiser from them and was not impressed at all.

Go for a serious quality Radio Mike like JTS or Shure. I bought the JTS and love it.

I walk around in front of the speakers all the time to instruct the dancing---AT EAR BURSTING VOLUME ---:eek: no problems now with feedback---the Numark Radio Mike WS32 I have is reasonable but feedback not so good.

I even use the JTS with my "old kit" which is ancient but the JTS mike still sounds very good

If you call Fabtronic in Northampton 638100 they do a hire or buy deal with mikes like JTS so you can gig it to check it out first. NOT OPEN MONDAYS

I will be down there tomorrow afternoon buying the Cortex HDC 1000--I hope :D

regards

CRAZY K

[spin mobile disco]

No its not a wireless K just a wired version of the euro 7. Basically same insert as the sm series sounds the same 2. Never had problems till saterday in a small venue stuck between 2 pillers with an oposite wall about 20 - 30 foot away. Was behind speakers (although only about a foot behind ) as well. I think the peavey tops may be a bit on the harsh side I have been playing with mic equaliser i.e the old treble or bass control pots. But either i drop the treble down to low cant be geard over music or raise bass up so high i sound like god from the heavens lol. Definatly not a mic problem more an unwanted frequency i think. Trouble is its a full vocal mic and may be reproducing frequencies I consider unwanted.
Must be an easy fix but my brain is on overload from all the nights of christmas parties (come on january)

And good luck with the cortex should make a bit more room in the old car/van.

[CRAZY K]

I test my stuff in the kitchen at home, checking the wife is out shopping of course :eek: Kitchen is about 20 feet by 16 feet.

If the mike/sound system wont work in a tight space without feedback then its time to change things round, I still think a good Radio Mike would be a good investment, especially for Weddings and parties where people expect these days to have a mike they can hand round the room for speeches, thank yous etc and it makes them feel important:D Good customer service and value for money etc.

Even when I use my old fashioned amps and mixers (on smaller gigs) which have very little tone control ( treble and bass only) they produce a good sharp sound for announcements and Dance instructions without feedback when using the JTS Radio Mike, Shure would be the same.

Yes Im expecting the Cortex will reduce the size and weight of gear carried--

CRAZY K

[4one4 Sound Solutions]

A radio mic isnt gonna make any difference to feedback infact if its put infront of the speakers it will make the problem worse. Firstly make sure the speakers are infront of the microphone-as much as possible (hard i know sometimes). Mid and high frequencies are very directional so as long as they arent pointing into the mic you will get more level out of the mic before feedback. Also what sort of feedback was it? a squeal or a low rumble? Like people have said a graphic equaliser or sweepable EQ on a mixer will allow you to take out the problem frequencies but depends on how much you want to spend and really good speaker positioning and a decent mic should solve most problems.

I would suggest getting a SM58 Beta. This has a hyper-cardioid pattern, which is very tight so picks up less sound from the sides and back than from the front.

But at the end of the day if you in a small space with a speakers close to the mic and even worse pointing into it, theres always gonna be a limit on how much volume you can get.

Hope this helps :)

[spin mobile disco]

The senheisser has same cartoid insert so its not the problem, the feedback is high level squeal. Infact we may have found out the problem already. Turns out the tweeters on my speakers are high level twin ceramic drivers. When the power starts to raise they put out substantially more high frequency than normal compression drivers. According to peavey it seems that the most likely cause was the size of the venue added to power input = 90% chance of feedback or some such.

Unfortunate but ill guess ill have to use the talkover switch on my mixer that cuts music level while you talk over. Hate using it though I feel its a bit of a mood killer rather than just talking over song when you have to. Been advised to use either a high pass filter or lower the 16khz on the equiliser to reduce the problem.
by the way the mic spec was
Sennheiser E815s
Rugged metal body
Excellent feedback and spillage rejection
Good suppression of handling noise
Balanced frequency response
Warm transparent tonal response
Silent ON/OFF switch
3m XLR to XLR cable
Frequency Response 80.....15000 Hz
Sensitivity in free field, no load (1kHz) 1,5 mV/Pa
Min. terminating impedance 1000 Ohm
Weight w/o cable 330 g
Dimensions d 48 x 180 mm

[Excalibur]

A radio mic isnt gonna make any difference to feedback infact if its put infront of the speakers it will make the problem worse. Firstly make sure the speakers are infront of the microphone-as much as possible (hard i know sometimes). Mid and high frequencies are very directional so as long as they arent pointing into the mic you will get more level out of the mic before feedback. Also what sort of feedback was it? a squeal or a low rumble? Like people have said a graphic equaliser or sweepable EQ on a mixer will allow you to take out the problem frequencies but depends on how much you want to spend and really good speaker positioning and a decent mic should solve most problems.

I would suggest getting a SM58 Beta. This has a hyper-cardioid pattern, which is very tight so picks up less sound from the sides and back than from the front.

But at the end of the day if you in a small space with a speakers close to the mic and even worse pointing into it, theres always gonna be a limit on how much volume you can get.

Hope this helps :)

Recently did a gig with a drag artist, who used my radio mic ( AT UHF Liberator)for his first set. He complained of low volume, and feedback, so brought in his SM58 ( an old model I guess) and used it through my system. I was delighted to find that while the Shure was undoubtedly better, the difference was not as great as I would have expected. I have an old Shure corded mic which would have had no such problems.

[CRAZY K]

Good luck with all this but frankly most of what I have read on here sounds unlikely to solve the problem.

I wouldnt blame the amp or the speakers--UNLESS they are absolute rubbish---which I know they are not.

A QUALITY Radio Mike will do the job.

CRAZY K

[Have a disco]

try also to angle your speakers slightly towards the walls either side as to deflect a certain amount of sound this may help save your mic needing to be so high feedback in small venues is easily dealt with in this way