HELP PLEASE: PTZ Camera and Omni Mic Suggestions

[Admin note: The most was moved to a more approrate section.]

I find it interesting that there's no details, but someone has already decreed that the mics be "omni". Depending on the details, it might be the right choice, but it might not.

Are the mics for a webcast so the remote audience can hear the choir, or will it be fed into the PA system so the local audience can hear it?

Omnis are typically not a good choice for a PA application because they can't reject the sound that comes from the speakers that causes feedback. However, artists seem to like them because they don't "spotlight" the person directly in front of them like some other mics. There are varying degrees of directionality. What you need depends on how close it is to the choir, where the speakers are, how much help the choir needs (to get to the overflow or do they need helpl just getting off the stand?), etc.

The request for Omni mics came from the Stake Choir director, who saw them being used in another Stake. I knew there would be benefit, in that it would bring more voices into the audio, but I didn't think about the issues with speaker feedback etc. (thx)

For our Stake Conferences, we broadcast into overflow, other rooms, a neighboring bldg (via hardwire connection) and webcast to another stake bldg. So 'yes' is ultimately the answer to your questions.

We normally setup a mic in the center (front of the choir) and another at the piano. My thought (admittedly, not knowing much) was to put an omni at each corner of the choir stand to capture the group. THe choir director says there has been problem hearing them across the PA/webcast, though my own AV folks have not heard any problems...

So I don't know if I adequately answered any questions here. But thank you for framing up some points to think about - gives me a place to start at least.

nsantilli wrote:The request for Omni mics came from the Stake Choir director, who saw them being used in another Stake. I knew there would be benefit, in that it would bring more voices into the audio, but I didn't think about the issues with speaker feedback etc. (thx)

For our Stake Conferences, we broadcast into overflow, other rooms, a neighboring bldg (via hardwire connection) and webcast to another stake bldg. So 'yes' is ultimately the answer to your questions.

We normally setup a mic in the center (front of the choir) and another at the piano. My thought (admittedly, not knowing much) was to put an omni at each corner of the choir stand to capture the group. THe choir director says there has been problem hearing them across the PA/webcast, though my own AV folks have not heard any problems...

Take a look in the Building-to-Building Communications forum for threads discussing audio. There is one thread, multiple cameras and microphones, that may be of interest to you.

You may have to educate the stake choir director on what a sound system can do. The gain ("volume" control setting) on the PA is constrained by feedback. Feedback of course happens when the microphones start picking up the sound from the speakers. The volume out of the PA is a function of the system gain and the volume at the microphone. The louder the choir, the louder the volume coming out of the speakers. Generally, if the choir can't reach the first few rows of the audience on their own lung power, the PA system isn't going to be of much help. The PA is more for the overflow and webcast audience.

Having more microphones doesn't translate to "louder". Quite the opposite. The more microphones that are on, the lower you have to set each control to avoid feedback.

You might get lucky and simply put up two mics connected to the chapel's built-in automatic mixer and work out OK. Or you might have to set up your own mixer to push things to the edge.

As for microphone placement, I'd suggest placing two mics at 1/3 and 2/3 along the front of the choir. Close enough to get as much volume as you can, but far enough away that the distance between each choir member and the microphone isn't hugely different (otherwise you end up "spotlighting" the ones closest to the mic). Given the typical chapel, I'm thinking 5' or so.

If possible, I think it would be wise to see if you could borrow or rent the equipment for one conference to see how it work out. Nothing worse then buying equipment and finding it doesn't do the job.