Content

• Steps
• Tips

Microphone feedback can damage your acoustics, and is quite unpleasant to the ear. This happens when the signal from the microphone, after amplification, is picked up by the microphone again, creating a closed loop. Then the signal continues to amplify very quickly, giving rise to an unpleasant sound. This article outlines a few steps you can take to prevent feedback from occurring.

Steps

1. 1 Place the microphone behind the main speakers, but in front of the monitors. Feedback may occur if the monitors are to the side of the microphone, as the sound will fall into the main sensitivity area of ​​the vocal microphone. It is best to place monitors directly behind the microphone.
2. 2 Do not cover the microphone. Many singers have a habit of wrapping their hand around the microphone head, which causes unpleasant, high-frequency feedback. Hold onto the back of the microphone. When moving around the stage, do not point the microphone towards the main line or monitors.
3. 3 Use a feedback suppressor. There are river feedback suppressors that can be added to the main or monitor line circuit. They are able to detect when a feedback occurs and suppress a specific frequency, preventing it from occurring.
   • This is very convenient if during a performance you need to change the vocalist or move around the stage.
4. 4 Use a graphic equalizer. The graphic equalizer allows the sound engineer to effectively prevent feedback during the performance - the so-called "ringing" of the microphones. This is done before the performance, during the soundcheck.
   • During the soundcheck, the vocalist sings into the microphone, while the engineer gradually increases the level until feedback appears. When it appears, the sound engineer finds the required frequency on the equalizer and reduces it.
   • This process must be done for each microphone during the soundcheck. On a good graphic equalizer, there are usually 2 31-band lines, one for the main line, the other for the monitor line.
5. 5 Use a parametric equalizer on the channel. Most modern mixing consoles have a parametric equalizer that can be used to boost a specific frequency.
   • Parametric equalizers usually have much lower bandwidth than graphic ones. Namely, the wider bandwidth allows more precise frequency control. In turn, this allows the sound engineer to reduce the frequency at which feedback occurs without altering the overall sound.
6. 6 Take care of the acoustics of the room, if the room belongs to you. The correct acoustics will prevent unnecessary reflections that can cause feedback.
   • Place the foam over the stage and on the wall behind the stage to lower the volume. As a result, monitors can be made quieter, which will reduce the chances of feedback.

Tips

• Come to the site a couple of hours early. It can take a long time to get everything ringing, moving the speakers and positioning the microphones correctly on stage. Given enough time, a good sound engineer can eliminate any potential feedback issues.