Help with Puppet Show Equipment

[luther962]

Hi-ya!

I am having some trouble with sound issues for our puppet ministy and was hoping someone could offer some help. We just got a new Roland BA 330 portable pa system to use at churches, nursing homes, etc. While it works great with our iPod, it has way too much feedback with our Senheiser G2 wireless mics (we use these for videos, and they work great in that case). Can anyone reccomend a corded headset mic that would work better? Thank you so much!

 

[Jinx]

Your problem is not going to be with your mics, nearly so much as how you are using them. If you are not aware, there is a LOT more to it than "plug it in and turn it on." Your feedback could simply be a matter of placing the PA unit in the wrong proximity to the mics. It could also be that your gain is set too high vs. your output signal.

I would suggest working closely with your church's technical personnel to have them show you how to get the best bang for your buck with the very fine gear you've already got rather than throwing more moey into gear that you may not really need. If that's not feasible seek competent help from a local music store or someone who is well versed in running a PA for live performance. Having good gear is only step one. You really need to learn the fine points of operating it.

 

[luther962]

Thanks for the response. Our sound system works great at church, it is going to nursing homes that we have trouble. In church we just use our in-house mics and everything works great. The problem is I am the in-house tech guy (I kinda was given the hat because I am younger than 60!) So asking the tech guy isn't going to help me much, LOL!
Adjusting the gain and movin the PA solves the problems completely, I was just trying trying to find a way of doing everything from behind the curtain so to speak. Thanks again!

 

[Jinx]

Ah, yes. From what I can tell, it seems like you're pointing your mics right at the speakers if they're backstage with you. This is a surefire recipe for feedback.

If this is the case, setting accurate levels and using cables might be your best bet. Keeping the speakers downstage of your mics and pointed towards the audience will do wonders for you, if you are able to do this with your staging.

A different mic setup, even a hypercardioid one would be likely to only diminish your feedback issues rather than solve them. It's certainly not the best solution.

If you'd like to PM me I may be able to offer more specific advice and help you out with your working situation.