A very mixed review

Ok so I just got back the review from my wedding 2 weeks ago. It was a dry wedding but very very fun. Great people and a lot of dancers.

Here is the feedback
Quality of Customer Service via Telephone: Excellent
Quality of Customer Service via Internet: Excellent
Quality of Customer Service at Event: Good
Friendliness of your Entertainer: Excellent
Promptness of your Entertainer: Excellent
Professionalism of your Entertainer: Excellent
Entertainer's Performance: Good
Entertainer's Appearance: Good
System Appearance: Good
Sound Quality: Fair
Overall Volume Levels: Fair
Music Selection: Excellent
Incorporation of Your Requests: Excellent
Lighting Effects: Excellent
Equipment Appearance: Excellent
Overall Customer Service: Excellent
Planning Assistance: Excellent
Entertainer's Cooperation with Other Vendors: Excellent
Overall Performance Rating: Excellent


Is there anything specific we can improve on?


The only thing that was an issue was the microphone was muffled and you couldn't hear much that was being said

This goes back to the issue I mentioned I had with the Denon MC6000 mic input. It runs very hot and so I tend to keep the volume down way to much. Even at my wedding last night using the EX 115p's the sound was a little distorted and the mic was giving me tons of feedback. Obviously this needs to be corrected asap. Help and suggestions.

I had the same issue. Look for an XLR -10db attenuator. I bought one that was custom made on ebay. Problem solved with the hot mic. Probably could go to -15db to make it perfect. But -10db helped a ton.

What Mic are you using, and what levels did you use for the Mic in terms of EQ?

As a singer, I work very hard to create a clear sound, and may be able to assist you with some simple adjustments.

Mic eq was flat, shure beta 58, mic volume just past 1.

As Dobby indicates, does the shure beta have a switch inside of it to attenuate the strength of the signal? (Some come eqiupped with +3, +10 settings that you disable to reduce the strength)

And...which one?

http://www.shure.com/americas/products/wireless-systems/all-systems?Microphone=BETA 58A

I didn't see one Bill. I did change that on the wireless and that helped. I'll keep poking about.

You've checked the mixer thouroughly to see if there isn't a gain boost somewhere?
(on the back?)
Does your mixer have phantom power?
(is it OFF?)
Have you had the problem with ALL your mic's?
(or just that one?)
Are the levels for the music just as hot?

Ausumm said:

You've checked the mixer thouroughly to see if there isn't a gain boost somewhere?
(on the back?)
Does your mixer have phantom power?
(is it OFF?)
Have you had the problem with ALL your mic's?
(or just that one?)
Are the levels for the music just as hot?

Click to expand...

Excellent points. Going to check out the mixer further and I'll try another mic. I have an older shure and an older Gemini sitting around I am going to try. Had problems with both mic inputs.

It seems like the fair replies were about the sound so that's the part I'm gonna comment on.

The thing about sound quality is that people have different opinions of what good is. Some people like a perfectly flat sound, some like bass overload. Maybe someone likes a lot of sizzling highs, and not much low end.

If you never hear a good sound system a person might say there's too much bass, or it was way too loud.

If the B&G are sitting where your speakers are not facing them, but out into the guest's area instead, all they get is a lot of muffled sound.

Picture room arrangements for weddings with the head table against one wall, you're located somewhere off to their side, and your speakers are beside them aimed into the room. It ain't gonna sound great where they are.

Almost make me wish I had one BOSE compact to put near their table. It really wouldn't take a very big speaker to just fill in the missing clarity that happens when you're not in front of the speakers.

What if they thought you didn't play loud enough during dancing because they drive around in a car with a loud deafening sound system, and they felt like your system just didn't bump like a 10 speaker system with 2000watt subs all packed into a small car cabin.

Maybe ask client ahead of time what their expectations are with the sound and volume. If they think it has to make their teeth float then you explain that you don't want the ceiling to come down on the guests, and drive off the guests who don't want to feel their pants vibrate.

Maybe they want the volume to be subtle. You never know unless you ask.

I tell B&Gs that if you want me to change the music, or turn it up or down to just come talk to me and I'll be happy to do whatever they want.

I'm also going to ask about how close in proximity your speakers are in relationship to where you make announcements, since you are getting feedback. You do use Mackie 450s correct? Other thoughts:

Mixer master output at zero or above?, try trimming back to -5 to increase volume throw of the Mic.

Mark Evans said:

Excellent points. Going to check out the mixer further and I'll try another mic. I have an older shure and an older Gemini sitting around I am going to try. Had problems with both mic inputs.

Click to expand...

A compressor/limiter will help smooth out the signal and help with intelligibility and gain-before-feedback.

Bill, speakers are about 8ft apart. No different than with any of my other systems. Does the same thing with the mackies and ev's

Ok, good to know. The Mackie's have compressor limiter technology built in, and I can testify to the fact that you can stand underneath them with a mic, and not feedback unless you stick the mic in the horn.

So something else is wrong.

Before swapping the mixer Try Eqing minus 6 on the highs and mids if using the Mackies, and about 2+ on the bass. Mic keep it flat, and bleed off the same until the feed goes away.

swap the mixer, try the mics. then eliminate the Mics. Do you have gain sets on the Mic level(like on a mackiwe 1202) The gain could be set way too high if so.

Ordered one of these Bill. It should do the trick.

http://www.shure.com/americas/produ...em-solvers/a15as-inline-switchable-attenuator

The attenuator did do the trick. Although the one I got went -20, -30, -40 I think a -10 would really do the trick.

Thanks for following up on this informative thread.

I wasn't at the edge of my seat waiting, just sayin' thanks.

I use the advice of someone who used to tell me this. "Eat the mic."

When you're close up on it you don't have to turn it up as loud and it increases the chance that your voice is a lot louder into the mic than any sound coming from your speakers which helps you be able to keep the mic volume lower.

Now try to explain that to the best man, etc. about to give a toast. Or to someone who says I'm used to being on mic because I sing in the church, etc. Because they sing where everything is optimized from the ground up for singers they probably think mine is the same. Nope, not mine. I spend money to make recorded music sound great.

I seem to remember from back in my pro musician and sound reinforcement days that this problem was very typical when a high-Z mic or line level output was fed into a Low-Z mic input. The gain settings get really critical and 'touchy.' The cure is to reduce the level of the signal being provided to the Low-Z input.

I ran into this problem when I was using my EV belt pack to transmit to four EV RE-2 receivers on remote powered speakers. The RCA Zone Out line level signal was over driving the Low-Z input of the belt pack which merely transmitted the distorted signal to all four remote speakers. I contacted Ben Stowe at NLFX Pro and he had the solution immediately. He made up a special cable, stereo RCA to Mini T4A with a 470K, 1/8W resistor in the signal path. This reduced the signal level to where I had to boost the 'Zone Out' above 12 o'clock to get a good clean transmit signal. Now I've got to get another cable for my newer Line 6 wireless systems.

Interesting... I have seen many post on this issue lately. American Audio VMS4 had this issue and people had to get an attenuator, many people were not happy about this having to buy another part to get the gear to work correctly. So far nobody is crying foul on Denon. Not saying there is an issue but it is slowly going that direction.