One of the most important parts of a church’s sound system is often the microphones.
There are many specialized microphones for applications such as pulpits or lecterns, handheld singing, covering choirs, individual instrument pick up, overall recording, lavalier and even headset microphones for wireless transmitters.
To make things even more complicated there are different common ways to make a microphone. Two of the types are most commonly used in churches, but this has changed over time and there may still be a change in the future.
The probably first version of a microphone used what Bell called undulating currents produced from a magnetic field. The modern version of this is what we call a dynamic microphone. In the common version a diaphragm moves a coil of wire in a magnetic field to produce the signal voltage.
A similar but different method a thin ribbon of aluminum is placed inside a very strong magnet so that as the ribbon moves from the vibration of the voice an electric current is produced.
The modern dynamic microphone is best known today by the very popular Shure SM58 handheld vocal microphone.
The first really successful microphones were actually made from small bits of carbon placed between two pieces of metal. Later designs used carbon powder. As old as these microphones are, they are still used in many “land line” telephones. Use in most churches stopped by the thrities.
Another microphone that was often used with vacuum tubes was the piezoelectric type. The diaphragm was coupled to a crystal that produced a very small electric current when vibrated. These lasted into the early sixties.
A better version of microphones was developed that uses a conductive diaphragm that moves in an electric field. These are called condenser microphones. The first ones used a high voltage supply to produce the electric field. This type is still preferred for high accuracy measurement microphones. A later development used a plastic material to hold an electric charge without the need for a power supply. These are called electret condenser microphones. A third technique was to use a very high frequency oscillator that had the frequency controlled by the moving diaphragm. These are most popular today for picking up sound from musical instruments and in their smallest versions for lavalier or headset use.
The newest microphone type uses semiconductor technologies to etch a diaphragm in a chip. These are often based on the changes in a material when it is strained by the sound pressure. I expect these will find their way into the newest microphones that actually track the sound sources as it moves.
For practical purposes in a Church the dynamic microphone is the most rugged and the Shure model SM58 is the world’s best selling microphone. It is intended for handheld vocal performances. It does not have as good a frequency response of most other microphones, but does emphasize the tonal qualities many singers prefer.
For fixed pulpit and lectern use the microphone we prefer is the Electrovoice PC-18XLR. This is a condenser microphone that has a switch to control the pickup pattern from vary wide to fairly tight. This allows it to be optimized for the particular users.
For a bit greater reach of a lectern we prefer the AKG C747 V11 microphone. This is a small very directional pencil type of electret condenser microphone.
For wireless use, the Countryman E6 headset has become the industry standard. There are many lower cost similar microphones, but the original is the most rugged and has a replaceable cord for when it wears out.
For an altar or communion table the choice is often a Crown PCC-160 is often chosen. It is one of the better flat style boundary microphones but should be tried out before committing to one as it tends to be very susceptible to feedback. A better choice is often an EV PC-12 XLR on a small stand.
One of the best microphones to pick up a person speaking is a TOA AM-1 real time steering microphone. It tracks where the sound is coming from and allows a tighter pattern. Great for folks who move around a pulpit while speaking.
