setting up a mixer for a mic

[Andy P]

I'm not sure I am nailing down the mic settings.

My mixer has gain/trim control, a compressor and the mono channel slider for each mic as well as effects and 3 channel eq.

I normally keep the bass almost off and the compressor and gain at 12pm, I test the mic under normal levels until the compressor comes on when I am loud.

When I sing or talk its fine, but most other people go to feedback hell.

any pointers

[Nakatomi]

I take it that when you test the mic channel you're behind the speakers? Maybe time for new mics.

[Andy P]

Possibly but in fairness I've had singers in from of speakers, monitors etc in the past of probably worse mics. I think I'm just doing something wrong currently.

[Excalibur]

I think I'm just doing something wrong currently.

First thing to try is getting cabs as high as possible. Secondly, and I have no idea why, but higher grade speakers seem to have less problems in this area.

[Nakatomi]

Try without the compressor or any effects on the channel. Turn the gain all the way down, flatten the EQ, set the fader to about 70% and increase the channel gain until it's a nice volume.

If the compressor is using too high a reduction ratio & the threshold is too low that might be the issue.

[Andy P]

Cool will give it a go. Im sure back in the day I hardly used to put compression on the mic channels but all the effects were handled by external processors rather than built in

[Nakatomi]

First thing to try is getting cabs as high as possible. Secondly, and I have no idea why, but higher grade speakers seem to have less problems in this area.

Possibly down to a wider dispersion pattern on the top end Peter. Less of a 'beam' of upper mid & treble. Oh and probably a smoother frequency response too

[DJColsie]

Can I just ask why you use a compressor at all?

[Nakatomi]

Can I just ask why you use a compressor at all?

Probably to try & stop Shouty McLoudVoice breaking the PA ;)

[Excalibur]

Can I just ask why you use a compressor at all?


Probably to try & stop Shouty McLoudVoice breaking the PA ;)

:Laugh:

When I've stopped laughing, and wiped the Malbec off my monitor, I'll say that folk doing that is in the top five things punters do which really grind my gears. :mad::mad:

Anything which guards against this can only be a good thing.

[Nakatomi]

:Laugh:

When I've stopped laughing, and wiped the Malbec off my monitor, I'll say that folk doing that is in the top five things punters do which really grind my gears. :mad::mad:

Anything which guards against this can only be a good thing.

Actually, with a radio mic this might actually be counterintuitive, since overloading the mic's input will more than likely just result in distortion - as in clipped audio being transmitted to the receiver.

All the times I've lent my mic out I'm always there to ride the levels juuuust incase. And when they get too close to the speakers for comfort their volume miraculously fades away :grin:

In my first rig's second incarnation I went through a few piezos so I built a peak limiter box which went between the mixer & amp. Flattened all my audio out nicely & make it sound miraculously better too. Never blew a tweeter again :) I'm tempted to add a comp/limiter to my setup as is now..

If you put any limiter in the audio chain it'd make the most sense to put it in the final stage before the crossover/amplifier/(active)speakers. Going over the top then will likely only result in whatever signal is behind the loud parts ducking down relative to the loud one. Assuming your mixer has enough headroom to cope of course.

[Excalibur]

All the times I've lent my mic out I'm always there to ride the levels juuuust incase. And when they get too close to the speakers for comfort their volume miraculously fades away :grin:
.

Funny how that magically happens, isn't it? I think my mics must be faulty, cos sometimes they go off altogether. :)

[Nakatomi]

Funny how that magically happens, isn't it? I think my mics must be faulty, cos sometimes they go off altogether. :)

You mean your mikes have the patented SwearFiltr(TM) DSP tech from Dobly Labs too?

[Andy P]

The compressor is built into the mixer and the instructions said to use it.

But I use the compressor mainly as karaoke singers like to mimic the big singers and hold the mic 10 ft from their mouths so you need the compressor to pick up their voice. Training the public to both use a mic and project their voice from the chest isn't too easy in a drink fuelled environment.

[Nakatomi]

Dead easy solution. If they don't hold the mic close enough, they won't be heard. Simples!

They might think they can belt it out like Ms Bassey....