Microphones: Anyone have experience or knowledge on their use for services?

Loukas12

Reader Luke
Sort of related to chant. Our parish bought a sound system last year, even though the building was built according to Orthodox tradition, there were still acoustical issues, mainly stemming from the large iconostasis blocking the sound between the choir and Priest.

We invested a lot of money into it and are about to invest more to purchase speakers for the narthex/social hall.

Thankfully, due to the generosity of parishioners, we have a good sound system. However, it's more advanced than any of us know how to deal with it. It runs off a main mixer that has an iPad attached, which uses an app called "Master Mixer" to control the details of the whole system.

Our main problem has come in our choir microphone, which picks up a lot when turned up (including our whispers when we have to communicate something).

Because it's sensitivity, we have to whisper almost directly into each other's ears. Yet at the same time, when we have just one person chanting with one or two isocrates, it doesn't put out enough sound from the speakers. But if we turn it up anymore, it's far too loud when we get our full choir for a Liturgy.

How many of you use microphones for your chanters? Do you happen to know what kind of settings are used on the mixer?

Some of us have no problem projecting our voices while chanting, but for many hymns, it'd be easier if we could relax a bit, focus more on chanting and praying and letting the microphone project for us.

I noticed that in most of Greece, even in temples built according to tradition, in which acoustics are good for Byzantine Chant, the choir still has microphones.

Is there any advice that anyone can offer?
 
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