When equipping your church with the proper AV products, sometimes microphones are the last items to be considered. Yet, when we fully appreciate that the microphone is the first link in the sound chain, we understand how important the right microphone for the right application is. There are many applications that need microphones for either sound reinforcement and/or recording.   

We generally know of some of the microphone selections available for pastors, worship leaders, and musicians, but what about some of the areas that don't get much attention or get overlooked entirely? Let's take a moment and examine a few of them. 

Ambient Microphones
If you are utilizing "in-ear" monitors (sometimes referred to as "personal monitors") for your worship team and/or recording your pastor's message for broadcast, podcast, or CD/tape distribution, you should know about and be utilizing ambient microphones.

Ambient microphones are utilized to bring in more of a natural room sound.  You can blend them into your "in-ear" mix as well as a "recorded" pastoral message mix. In-ear monitors are fed a mix from the house or monitor mixing board. Consider that when a performer uses a floor monitor wedge as opposed to an in-ear system, they still are hearing the room as well as the floor monitor. Conversely, if using in-ear monitors without an ambient microphone mix, the overall sound can be very sterile and not give the performer a "natural" sound with which to work. Blending in an ambient microphone mix can replicate what our ears hear in a room.  

Next, have you ever listened to a recorded pastor's message where the pastor delivers a joke and you laughed, but it sounds like no one else in the congregation laughed?  It could have been a bad joke, but odds are that you were listening to a recorded message that did not have the added benefit of ambient microphones. 

So what mics do you use, how many mics do you use, and how do you place and position them? 

First of all, since you are trying to capture a large area from a distance, you need a microphone with very good sensitivity.  Typically, the microphones that you will find in a house of worship are either "dynamic" microphones or "condenser" microphones. Since condenser microphones have much greater sensitivity, they can cover more range or area, and they are the microphones you need. Many condenser microphones also are smaller and can have a lower profile when used.  Condenser microphones will require phantom power from your mixing console. For most sanctuaries, you will need two condenser microphones. What you are trying to do is pick up the congregation and not what is coming out of the main speakers. 

Cory Maus is the technical director for Crossroads Church in Vancouver, Washington, and their sanctuary holds 2,000 people.  
He said, "We use two condenser microphones. They are hanging over the center sections of our pews pointed away from the stage at a 45-degree angle.  They are 40 feet off the front of the stage and are 30 feet off the floor.  We use them for our in-ear monitor systems when people ask for some ambient room in their mix and for our video mix for congregation reaction during worship and the sermon. Our messages are broadcast, so we use them to mix in ambient sounds for the recording, and they are also fed to our live Internet stream feed."

Since avoidance of picking up the main speakers is the desired effect, sometimes a "shotgun" condenser can be used. Shotgun microphones are commonly used on TV and film sets, as well as for field recordings. They are more focused and directional and provide a narrower angle of acceptance that isolates the subject's sound from unwanted "off-axis" sounds. This results from placing the element inside a tube with slots cut along the side; wave-cancellation eliminates most of the off-axis noise. The way these microphones capture sound from a distance is similar to holding a paper towel tube up to your ear. The longer the tube, the more focused the sound will be.

Terry Rhodes, a senior systems design engineer with Pace Communications Group out of Easley, South Carolina, came up with a very inventive way to place ambient mics in a house of worship. 

He said, "One of the churches I was working with had some nice indoor plants on both sides of the  platform. I got the idea that if I hid two shotgun mics in two of the plants and pointed them out toward the congregation, it could be an alternative to hanging the mics, and it would also be the most discreet solution. It worked great! The mics (or plants) are positioned 8 to 10 feet from the edge of the platform.  They are on small mic stands like you would use for a kick drum. So, the mics are about 16 inches off the ground and are pointed slightly up to go over the heads of the first few rows."

Sometimes churches will try to hang ambient mics alongside or within speaker clusters that are hung. Although this can be done (and it hides the microphones well), it can have some unexpected and unpleasant consequences. All speakers have lobing patterns (dispersion characteristics). Incorrect mic placement can pick up and induce feedback.  If seeking to place ambient mics near speaker clusters, I suggest consulting with a systems engineer who has the expertise and equipment to make sure you get optimal placement.

Baptistry Microphones
One issue that is often overlooked is how to mic a baptism conducted in a baptistry. You may recall the tragic accident a couple of years ago where a Texas pastor was electrocuted while conducting an immersion baptism with a wired microphone. This particular fatality was caused by a short circuit, which had developed in the baptismal water heater. Normally, when such a short develops, the current gets routed to the ground wire provided through the electrical supply, tripping the circuit breaker and preventing fatalities. However, in this case, the older wiring was not up to current electrical codes and lacked a ground wire.  Additionally, the outlet was not a GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) outlet, which would also have prevented the accident even without a ground wire present.

Since the accident, many churches have been using wireless microphones for baptism ceremonies. Wireless microphone transmitters utilize a battery that does not cause electric shock issues. Usually the pastor or person administering the baptism has a lapel or headset microphone. The wireless body pack is sealed in a zip-top plastic bag for water protection. 

While this is safe, there are two challenges. One, you can usually only hear the pastor and not the testimony or witness of the person being baptized. Two, no matter how hard you try, sometimes mics and transmitters get wet and can be damaged. 

You can also use a handheld wireless transmitter. In some ways, this is a better choice because the person being baptized can also be heard. However, make sure that when the mic is laid down next to the immersion pool (at the time of immersion) it does not fall back into the pool.

 To avoid the above challenges, I usually recommend hanging a condenser microphone with good sensitivity and output. In the same fashion, as mentioned in the "ambient microphone" section, a shotgun microphone can be a great solution. In the case of a baptistry, you want to hang the microphone as close as possible. A small hanging condenser choir microphone will do the job.  

Communicating with the Sound Engineer
One of the most overlooked areas (and one that is the absolute easiest to fix) is the back and forth communication between the sound person at the mixing console and the musicians and singers on the worship team.  I have personally witnessed, in large churches, "shouting matches" between the platform and the mixing area 75 feet or more away.  Having a microphone for the engineer to communicate to the worship team or pastor is crucial. Even if the distance is not extreme, it is a welcome tool.  

The microphone of choice is a handheld dynamic with a switch. The mic is set into a desktop mic stand. The channel can, of course, be muted at the board, but it is a nice convenience to simply turn the mic switch on and off as needed.  This mic can be an inexpensive microphone since it is only used for speech between the platform and engineer. In fact, this problem is solved for less than $50! The mic is folded into the monitor mix so that the musicians and singers can hear what the engineer is saying.  

I hope these ideas help you make the proper microphone selection and placement so that all concerned hear things better (and you are safe while doing so).

Gene Houck is a worship leader, as well as the national sales manager and director of Christian Artist Relations for Audix Microphones, www.audixusa.com.

 Product Roundup

Scan16 Wireless from Ansr Audio
This new wireless system from Ansr Audio has it all, including 16 UHF frequencies, auto-scan channel selection, built-in transmitter recharging system to eliminate battery cost, simple and reliable operation, and a budget-friendly price. The Scan16 is equally comfortable as an entry-level system or operating alongside larger install systems. Handheld, lavaliere, and a variety of head-worn packages, including the popular AM-17 single-ear low-profile microphone, are available and shipping now. 
www.ansraudio.com

Listen Technologies' LA-278 Behind-the-Head Microphone
With congregations becoming more international, the need for reliable, precise language interpretation equipment is greater than ever. Providing language interpretation delivers a very important message – the complete involvement of each person is highly valued and essential. Connect the LA-278 Behind-the-Head Microphone to the LT-700 Portable Transmitter and deliver your audio message to individual headset receivers for simultaneous language interpretation, portable interpretation settings, and whisper interpretation. Listen Technologies' LA-278 directional microphone secures over the user's ears and around the back of the head.
www.listentech.com

Califone's PA Pro from ChurchPartner
The PA Pro by Califone, available from ChurchPartner, with portable voice enhancement support is perfect for meetings, conferences, field trips, tours, outdoor events, and any number of indoor/outdoor activities. The battery-powered and wireless microphone has a 100-foot transmission range, which is adequate for the venues listed above. Choose from either a beltpack transmitter and microphone or a handheld wireless microphone. The microphones and beltpack store inside the amplifier to keep everything safe in one place. There is a choice of two frequencies, 206.400 MHz or 210.250 MHz, for simultaneous wireless announcements.
www.churchpartner.com

JTS CM – 502 from FBT
 The JTS CM - 502 is a Miniature Supercardioid Condenser Choir Microphone is designed to be mounted from an overhead position for professional live sound, church choirs, music, theater, and television broadcasting applications. By using an optional spring type mic clip, it can also be mounted on a conventional microphone stand, if desired.  The Supercardioid pick-up pattern provides for maximum rejection of feedback, pick up of off axis sound sources and undesired ambient noise.  Included with the CM 502 are white colored mounting plate, flexible vinyl coated wire hanger, and windscreen.    
www.fbtusa.net

Astatic
Astatic is known for having a Variable Polar Pattern technology on its boundary and gooseneck microphones. Most microphones make you choose a single pick-up or polar pattern such as Cardioid or Super Cardioid.  That pattern may be too wide or narrow for a pulpit or whole sanctuary. Astatic's line of Variable Polar Pattern microphones allows you to change the shape and size of the microphone's polar pattern in real time while the microphone is active. This feature can help improve feedback issues and adjust for the right amount of sound going into the microphone.  Contact Astatic for more information on how this microphone can improve your sound system.
www.astatic.com

 Provider Series PSL6
Provider Series has introduced the new PSL6 series of lavaliere and theater-style microphones. The PSL6 lavaliere microphone is ideal for speech and theater applications. The small size (3mm capsule) and lightweight are ideal for applications requiring minimum visibility and comfort like video, television, pastors, stage productions, presenters, and speakers. The mini microphone is practically invisible, while still producing Broadway-quality sound. The PSL6 is available preconfigured for various belt packs. The PSL6 is available in black, for traditional lavaliere application, or tan, for theater and drama productions.
www.providerseries.com