This was originally written while I was watching the 2012 US Open Tennis tournament. But I thought I’d go ahead and post it here because we’re currently watching the 2013 French Open, and I was reminded of these mics used by chair umpires. Keep an eye out for them again at the 2013 US Open [UPDATE – Yup, they made their appearance again for the 2013 US Open. though I haven’t seen them since then.]
I was going crazy trying to figure out what that large (huge really) microphone was that the chair umpires were using during the 2012 US Open Tennis Tournament. And no wonder I couldn’t find an answer – it isn’t a large mic at all! It’s a cover for the mic (any mic) called the Rycote Baby Ball Gag Windshield (yeah, sounds like something kinkier than a microphone attachment;)).
The Baby Ball Gag Windshield actually covers the capsule of a microphone to reduce the effect of wind blowing across it. The ball-shaped cover actually comes in two parts so if you need to cover a standard ball-end microphone like a Shure SM58, you can, though it is really designed for cylindrical mics like the Sennheiser MKH 416 shotgun mic.
The inside of the Ball Gag is made of the same kind of materials as the full-sized modular wind shields.
Thanks goodness I finally figure this out. I must have typed “what kind of microphone is used by tennis umpires?” a hundred times before finally looking at windshield attachments rather than the mic itself. Yay! If you have been wondering like I was, here’s your answer. Also, if you need to get one of these for your own outdoor microphone needs, you can get one for yourself. Just click here.
Live Sound
Controlling Vocal Effects Right From Your Mic? The Sennheiser e 835 fx
Sennhesier has partnered up with TC-Helicon to create a handheld vocal mic that lest you control vocal effects with a switch on the microphone! The mic is the Sennheiser e 835 fx, and it works with TC-Helicon’s Mic Control(tm) technology.
The e 835 fx (yes, those spaces are in there for some reason), is a dynamic vocal mic designed specifically to trigger a range of vocal processors (reverb, echo, looping, tuning, doubling, even harmony!) and multi-effects. It works with any and all TC-Helicon vocal effects units, of which there are many. They have eight different single-effect foot pedals, which can be chained together, as well as 10 multi-effects units.
Pictured on the left is the e 835 fx with the TC-Helicon VocalLive Play unit, which contains 200+ presets that are modeled after different music genres by adding layered vocals, background harmonies, compression, EQ ets.
Check out the below video showing a demo of the mic controlling several different effects:
What Is A Decibel In Audio Recording?
The term “decibel” is used a LOT in audio recording and live sound. You usually see it written as “dB,” and talked about primarily when discussing frequency stuff, especially in the topics of EQ and compression. Besides sounding vaguely like something to do with the decimal system, what does it mean?
Well, the short answer – and the one that will be most useful to you without having to know the gory technical details – is that it is a unit of measure for how loud audio is. For example, when you want to know how long something is, you measure in units of inches, feet, yards, etc. Or if you use the decimal system, centimeters, meters, etc. The decibel is something like that, only for loudness of audio, and it uses the decimal system like a lot of things in audio.
But there are some funky things about the decibel. For one thing, it is almost always referred to as a negative number in digital audio, where zero is the top of the scale. What? Yup. It’s like going through the looking glass and doing everything backwards. If you want to make -20 dB audio louder, you turn it up until it gets to -15 dB, or more. See? Funky!
In fact it’s so funky that there is a move afoot (or should that be “adecimeter”? – ha! Sorry:)) to do away with it altogether in the audio recording world! And in a world where obtuse and often needlessly complicated terms are commonplace, that is saying something.
Here is a terrific article from Recording Magazine by Alex Case about the decibel, which is written in a pretty easy-to-understand way. Still, the term “logarithm” does appear. So be prepared to put on your math trousers.
The article is here: http://www.recordingmag.com/resources/resourceDetail/265.html
Mics And Loudspeakers For Performing Arts
Live sound isn’t all about long speeches or loud concerts. There are additional considerations and challenges for the performing arts. By treating the performance as its own unique problem with its own set of solutions, you can avoid the headache that is sure to come from trying to mic the gig like a concert.
You can read the full detailed article here: http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/capturing_the_stage_microphone_approaches_for_the_performing_arts/
Microphone Tips For Live Sound
Live sound can be a completely different animal than a session in the studio. With so many extra variables, it can be difficult to isolate a problem and subsequently eliminate the problem. Start with a foundation of the right equipment and good technique, and many of your live sound issues may resolve on their own.
You can read more about mic issues with live performances here: http://www.audio-issues.com/live-sound-tips/how-to-get-a-great-live-vocal-sound-on-stage-and-off/