Audio Info & Education

Let’s face it, feedback is a nightmare. No one likes a squealing mic stealing the show in the middle of an intimate ballad or a heart-felt anthem. When you first start out on stage, feedback can seem mysterious, but once you’ve got a handle on what causes it, it’s not rocket science to prevent it.

Here we’ll go over a few basic, common-sense mistakes that cause feedback on stage.

For some, which gear to power up first is common sense. Others couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to such trivial details. Some may know which gear to power up first but not why, and for some, this may be the first you’ve heard of this question.

Whatever the case, we’ll go over the proper power up sequence here and explain why it’s important.

The WM5 Wireless Microphone System will transform your existing wired microphone into a wireless microphone, giving you the freedom and the simplicity you are looking for. The 5GHz frequency band offers excellent range up to 200 ft and is less crowded than the 2GHz band, reducing your chances of interference from other wireless audio gear. The extremely low noise design and compact size coupled with an intuitive set up makes going wireless an easy process. 

Mixing is an interesting art. If a mix is coming together, you’ll want to jam out. And since you’re hoping people will listen loud, new mixers are often tempting to mix at high volumes. It turns out, however, that mixing at high volumes is the last thing you should do. In fact, professionals across the board use the “conversation” method of setting a listening volume for mixdown: mix at a level where you can comfortably have a conversation over the music.

Here are the top five reasons why you should mix at low volumes.

It’s a common misconception that a singing voice is some sort of set-in-stone trait, like hair color or height. “You have a great voice” is the compliment you’ll hear, rather than “you have great vocal skill”. It’s true that certain genetic traits make voices unique, but using a voice is a skill just like any other instrument.

If you’ve spent any significant amount of time on stage, you’ve become accustomed to tripping over cables. Most stages are strewn with various cables, and backstage can be an epic rat’s nest.

It’s always exciting when a song is ready for final mixdown, and most of us want to rush in and get going. But it turns out a little judicious preparation and organization can make mixing faster, easier, more enjoyable, and most of all more effective. After all a cluttered, crazy, mix can be a nightmare.

So, here are a few tips for getting your mix organized right from the start, so you can get your best, most efficient results.

Other than the speaker, the microphone is arguably the most important piece in the recording and sound reinforcement chain. It’s also the piece that can affect the quality of your sound the most. With that in mind, it seems wise to know how microphones are built – at least at a basic level.